DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT
with. The brand has won various awards at major
international trade shows (particularly in Paris and
New York) for its product offering. And Mandeep
has also (thrice) won the Elle Decor Design Award
in India for her innovative streak in the realm
of fabrics.
Having been initiated into the world of textiles
at a tender age (her memory of playing with
her mother’s saris is vast), Mandeep is deeply
inspired by the traditional craftsmanship that is
prevalent in the country. She has travelled across
India and other countries, especially spending
time with craftsmen on ground, to understand the
intricacies of handicrafts.
She tells Apparel of her brand’s origin, design
philosophy, and her latest collection ‘Jugni’.
Excerpts below:
MANDEEP IS DEEPLY
INSPIRED BY THE
TRADITIONAL
CRAFTSMANSHIP THAT
IS PREVALENT IN
THE COUNTRY.
THE BRAND’S FIRST OUTPOST OPENED
IN MUMBAI THREE MONTHS BACK.
HOW HAS THAT BEEN LIKE?
We are extremely happy with the response to our
store in Mumbai so far, and it gives us
even more happiness when people appreciate
pp
the thoughtfulness with which the space
pace has
been designed.
HOW DID THE CONCEPT OF SHADES
OF INDIA COME ABOUT?
Shades of India was founded in the early
1990s. At that time, many Indian textiles had a
bad reputation abroad—they were considered
‘shoddy’. Their image was so poor that high-
end trade fairs such as Maison et Objet in Paris
would not accept (with one or two exceptions)
participation from Indian exhibitors. By contrast,
we strongly believed in the uniqueness of India’s
textile tradition—both in fabrics and the rich
legacy of craft techniques. Our brand was built
to draw on this tradition, whilst giving it a more
contemporary look. Keeping this in mind, we
named it ‘Shades of India’.
APPAREL
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December 2019
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