Apparel August 2019 Apparel August 2019 issue | Page 79

DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT
A GRADUAL JOURNEY
Interestingly, Soham studied electrical
engineering. As his family members were either
doctors or engineers, this seemed an established
path to take. After the completion of his course
in 2002, he was somehow not convinced about
pursuing a career as an engineer and took a
couple of years off to think about his future. He
returned to Surendranagar, a small town near
Ahmedabad, where he grew up and helped out
at a family store that retailed conventional clothing
and home textiles. During this time there, he
realised he wanted to do something creative in
the field of textiles and fashion.
Subsequently, he felt the need to hone his
technical skills in design and joined National
Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT),
Gandhinagar, for a one-year course in the basics
of garmenting and design, wherein he learnt
pattern-making, fabric, and garment construction,
and acquired a fundamental understanding of the
skills required to start his own enterprise. After
completing the course in 2004, he worked with
Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), an
NGO based out of Ahmedabad, for a few years.
This enabled him to travel to Kutch, Gujarat,
and work closely with artisans to produce
handwoven textiles, hand embroidery, and more.
It gave him an understanding of various textiles
and crafts, and the skills required to manage
an establishment that works with artisans and
handcrafted pieces.
Soon, Soahm sought international exposure to
understand global markets and the expression
his own label should take. In 2008, he enrolled
in a master’s in global fashion management from
Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), New York,
which gave him an elaborate understanding of
how the global industry works.
AN EVOLVING EPONYM
After graduating from FIT, Soham started his
eponymous label with a partner and launched it
in New York. He would design garments, travel
to India to produce samples, develop collections,
present them at trade events in the United States
and Europe, and have the garments stitched
according to the orders received. Soham’s
extensive designing experience in the US led him
to understand the market, international fashion,
and the dynamics of production. However, after
a year of creating and showcasing garments
through this approach, Soham returned to
Ahmedabad and established a studio, in-house
facilities, and a vertically integrated set-up for his
label, and watched it evolve.
SOHAM’S EXTENSIVE DESIGNING
EXPERIENCE IN THE US LED HIM
TO UNDERSTAND THE MARKET,
INTERNATIONAL FASHION, AND THE
DYNAMICS OF PRODUCTION.
APPAREL
I
August 2019
I
73