Sonam Dubal
It’s time to raise a toast. Sonam Dubal salutes the 1930’s, a period when the world opened its third eye to the aesthetics of Asia. The decade between the two great Wars that celebrated the old new world of Asia. That’s the decade which honoured womanhood with a grace and a joy that matched its unbridled wonder as the world discovered the food, music and the fabulous fascination of Asia.
Sonam Dubal’s latest Collection looks at this decade of travel, a time to revel in the time-tested from ancient civilisations, to imbibe the wisdom of the sages. Cinema, literature and fashion mirrored the mood of an era that revelled in textures and patterns.
Sonam Dubal takes to the Singapore Tourism Festival in the third week of March the Asian ambience with his Collection which upholds the heady 30’s of women's independence and sensual femininity.
The colours reflect that glorious epoch, ruled by cafe au lait and pale blue against black. The silhouettes are Oriental in merino wool, silk, crepe and chanderi, layered and textured to make wrap blouses and body-fitted crushed tops combined with layered pyjamas and striped skirts. The texture comes with turquoise and zardozi blended with resham thread and pearl work which extol embroidery almost to the stature of a weave to create mid length jackets, boleros and sherwanis.
Says Sonam, "I have designed clothes with a kind of aesthetic and form that would appeal to the older traveled and experienced woman." It’s an aesthetic that is traditional yet contemporary, which evolves from his cultural background.
The response to his signature style has been flattering. It is women who know their mind and have achieved much on their own merit. "Powerful people, who exert a lot of influence." But then, as Sonam notes, "I design for the personality rather than the person."
Transcending boundaries, his work appeals to a niche clientele. Sonam’s work is targeted at a discerning personna. The Queen of Bhutan, for instance, who asked for a black and gold quilted jacket, a short quilted striped jacket and a black wrap skirt.
The Queen of Netherlands ordered a sherwani from his Fall 2003 Collection. In New York, Mrs Thurman picked up three classic styles from his label, Sanskar, for Uma Thurman from his 2002 collection showcased in Singapore. The Second Secretary of the French embassy, Sophie Henon married in India and asked Sonam to create a combination of eastern styling with western aesthetics. The result was a dress inspired by the traditional Tibetan bakhu in dupion with a mirrored chanderi ikat woven cape.
They have spotted Sonam’s international presence at L’eclaireur, Paris, Tashi in London’s Kingston Park and Portbello Park, Omworld Lifestyles in Hong Kong and Los Angeles and Ananda in Spain.
Manisha Koirala has been a Sanskar loyalist and has worn some of his ensembles in the film, ‘Company’, directed by Ram Gopal Varma. Deepti Naval also believes in Sanskar. In the film, Chai Pani Etc, Sonam’s outfit transformed Konkana Sen Sharma from an arty college girl to a glamorous diva. Others who continue to be fascinated by Sonam’s distinctive sensibilities include Malvika Tiwari, Karen Anand, Madhu Trehan, Kavita Singh and Madhu Nayar.
Sonam, a 1990 graduate from NIFT, began his career with the vanguard of Indian fashion, Rohit Khosla and went on to work in theatre design and advertising. He returned to mainstream fashion in 1999 with the launch of his label Sanskar. As the name suggests, Sanskar celebrates the traditional through styles which are eternal through seamless fusion of eastern tradition with western aesthetics. His label, like Sonam, is all about the blend of mixed cultural backgrounds that enrich and result in something unique. "My forte lies in creating a combination of Indian and oriental styles. This involves silhouettes that are pan-Asian in nature," he explains. And so, the elegant ‘bakhu’ and the ‘honju’ are re-invented and contemporised through surface ornamentation. Each garment, inspired by the one-ness of the world, enjoys a unique identity.
The principal fabric he uses is the handwoven raw silk ‘burrey’ or tsen fabric, a traditional Tibetan textile woven in Assam.
At home, Sonam maintains his exclusivity by ensuring only one store per city receives his work. These include Ogaan in Delhi, Mumbai’s Ensemble, Cinnamon in Bangalore, Amethyst in Chennai and Cima Art Gallery.
It’s all about a Sanskar that is eternal.
View the Sonam Dubal Collection
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