Deepika Govind
Deepika Govind is a serious designer. In a season full of giddy, colour-saturated fashion, her collections stand out for placed blasts of colour. She launched her label in 1995, set up a studio and a workshop and launched her store in March 2002.
A stylist for shoots, ad films and fashion editorials for high-end fashion products, she has been a Fashion Columnist for The Times of India, Bangalore, for a year and a half, and for a city-based monthly magazine for three years; She has contributed many a freelance article to reputed fashion publications.
Deepika also worked with firms of global repute for shows - IBM, Swarovski, Moet & Chandon, Jacob's Creek, Abn Amro, Deutsche Bank, American Express Bank, The F-Bar, The Oberoi and The Taj West End among others.
A Degree in Arts from Mount Carmel College, Bangalore and a Masters in Economics at Stella Maris College, Madras. She attended the programme on sketching and presentations and Programme in Pattern-making, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT, Bangalore); Programme on merchandising, NIFT, Bangatore; She even has the experience of working with kalamkari and kasuti artists (traditional crafts).
Shows
First solo showing in 1995, followed by one in December 1996, a weekend of fashion at The Oberoi, May 1999; In association with the IBM I -series ThinkPad and Swarovski, in December 1999;
In January 2001; Style in Black in association with Toyota in Jan 2001, August 2001 at the Lakme India Fashion Week;
August 2002 at the India Fashion Week; , A Crystal Soiree' at the F-bar (FrY Bar and Lounge, Bangalore) in association with Swarovski and Moet & Chandon in March 2003;
An Evening to Remember at the F-bar, Bangalore, in April 2003, in association with Toyota; Style Unwired 2003, in association with IBM at New Delhi in May, 2003, Style Unwired 2003, with IBM, at the Taj West End,
Bangalore, June 2003; Showing of "Structured Fluidity" at the Lakme India Fashion Week 2003 in Mumbai. "Nominated for the MTV-Lycra Style Awards as Breakthrough Designer of the Year" (Oct-2003);
A showing of lounge-wear at the ABN Amro Bank, Bangalore (Dec 2003); Showcased 'Devoutly Irreverent' at the Lakme India Fashion Week, New Delhi (May 2004); showcased Autumn/Winter 04 collections, 'Of Fetters & Freedom' in a series of five shows across five weekends (Sept 04); showcased her pret line at the Blender's Pride Fashion Fringe.
International showing: Hong Kong Fashion, Week in January 2001, under the' Asia Pacific Designers'Showcase,' and again, in January 2002. Since then, she's been an active player in the export market; participated in 'Incredible India' at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Nov, 2003)~ also participated in Dubai Trade Fair (April 2004).
LIFW 2005 Collections
THE FEEL OF THE COLLECTION: Retro feel, strong, mysterious, royal, spiritual.
Other features include:
-Western silhouettes with Indian crafting and detailing
-Fine detailing! V moving away from the pintuck and pleat story, onto a new dimension of texturing
COLOURS:Fragments from the past. Strong yet subdued with the two-tone effect
Namely dark but rich tones:
Pinkish brown / plum brown/ midnight blue / oriental blue / twilight pink, mauve, violet, aubergine, eggplant, khaki
gold, dark jade and teal.
LAYERS: Each garment has multiple layers, a typical and often asymmetric, giving shape to new silhouettes and a play on cuts.
CONTRADICTIONS: It is also a story of contradictions ~s there are several contrasting elements that come through (i.e. both of which are seen in the collection):
1. The structured look as opposed to drapes
2. Coarse textures as opposed to smooth, sensuous
3. Timid vs bold
4. Free spirit vs restrained by kindness and care
5. Raw textiles! V with folds vs luxurious fabrics
6. Fine details vs brassy superficial ornamentation
All concepts are related to current trends:
Fabric inspired detailing
New blends and finishes
Mix of drape and structure
Colour palette
Tuning towards individual statements -everyone has to have their own individual, distinctive style statement and designers have to make that happen
Combination of elegance and funkiness
QUOTES BY DEEPIKA GOVIND
"I believe in the provocative power of the underplayed. The structure and design) of each is artfully cut on clean lines. The accent falls on cool elegance and perfect tailoring. The handcrafted ensembles testify my quest for precision and an eye for detail. Nothing is left to chance from the selection of silk linings to the manner in which a buttonhole is hand-bound. I believe in greater body freedom, comfort and function."
On Fabric Development:"I believe in being involved in the evolution of every product - from its origin on the loom to it's final destination on the shelf. I feel a deep sense of commitment towards the 'creative art,' which is how I regard fashion". "My deep motivation is to create distinctive exclusive fabrics of high quality. The use of natural fibers such as linen, silk and cotton is my way to express my respect towards materials coming from the earth and which will return to the earth".
"Annually, I launch new fabrics, unique textures and blends working with weavers and craftsmen to achieve this.
Last year marked my tryst with Khadi, blending it with a cellulosic fiber and weaving my own cosmopolitan cloth - a combination of tradition and technology. The fabric evolved is eco-friendly".
"Designing to me is an art in itself with all arts participating. You must be an architect for your sense of measure, a sculptor for your silhouette, a painter for your palettes and a musician to realise the rhythm and movement of the dress.
View the Deepika Govind Collection
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