Journalism of Courage
When veteran designer Ritu Kumar showcased a Himalaya-inspired collection in June this year to mark the opening of the Royal Textile Academy in Thimpu,Bhutan,it wasnt just her clothing line that impressed the royal family of the Himalayan kingdom and the dignitaries in attendance. Also garnering appreciation was the range of footwear that was created specially for the show by accessory label a.k.a. bespoke. Bright swatches with dari and boota prints,dotted brogues and sandals,made for ideal accompaniment with Kumars colourful silhouettes. We had already worked with Ritu Kumar for a previous collection. When we were approached to work on this line,we were excited as the theme was quite challenging, recollects Aeiman Jarwala,who along with Karan Berry and Ateev Anand,co-founded the footwear and bags label
in 2010.
Payal Kothari feels that the need for specially made footwear,as opposed to resorting to the branded variety for a show,stems from the fact that apparel designers now realise the importance of footwear and high precision construction in putting together a design story. For instance,Pria wanted shoes with a leather tie-up,but with the movement of the models on the ramp,there was a possibility of the tie-up sliding down the leg. To combat that problem,I incorporated thin metal wire into the tie-up that lent support, Kothari says.
Footwear designer Shruti Kaul Sachdeva,who customised shoes under her label Trishuli to match the neoprene rubber in Namrata Joshipuras LFW finale collection in March,points out how it took her numerous sittings and detailed notes before she rolled out 35 pairs of shoes in 20 different styles,all perfectly coordinated with each of Joshipuras outfits. Gone are the days when designers would let models walk in their regular gold or silver heels on the ramp. Today,its about customising the look down to every accessory including footwear, says Sachdeva,adding that most designers outsource footwear production due to the lack of a shoe manufacturing setup that can make bespoke footwear in limited quantities. At Joshipuras show,the spiked heels didnt go unnoticed and soon Trishuli Shoes now known for their hand embroideries,colour blocking,hand painting and the use of materials like wood,mother of pearl and rich fabrics like khim khab was roped in by designer Gaurav Gupta for his next show.
Designer Nimish Shah points out that he chose to work with an accessory label as it is a win-win situation for both the parties. Footwear from a high-street brand tends to be treated like a prop whereas in this case,you have something made just to complete your ensemble. This co-branding benefits both as long as you are on the same wavelength, he emphasises. On his part,Berry confesses that collaborating with a designer on a show leads to increased awareness about the brand. While we do get paid for the shoes made for ramp shows,the chunk of our earnings comes from the customised shoes we make for our clients be it special needs or troussseau packages. The runway then is a great place to show off our experimentation skills, he says.
