Urvashi Kaur (UK) is an eponymous label, creating attire that is slow and ethically designed, sustainably conceived, and consciously crafted, using restorative indigenous practices. It shatters barriers created by gender, norm and didactic thinking. The gossamer fabrics, the metallic sheen, the diaphanous quality, the familiar yet uncommon silhouettes, the ancient and traditional handwork of spinning, weaving, dyeing, embroidering and patchwork, create timeless clothing blessed with layered storytelling and much food for discovery. New Delhi-based Urvashi has recently marked the 15th year of brand Urvashi Kaur in the arena of fashion. Her study of theater and history has gifted her the gravitas of deep thinking that is required for giving one’s work a holistic grounding in the past as well as an intelligence with which to approach the here and now with a mindfulness that sustains her business and is also sustainable for the planet and best interests of humanity. UK is not just a fashion label, it is an inspired way of being, of connecting people to their inner person and the stories of their own community, region and nation. In this moment of Bharat’s journey, when Ram is being celebrated with viral passionate fervor, Urvashi’s creations bring the maryada, the dignity, back into the space of fashion. Her inclusive way of thinking, working, living, loving and sharing places the values espoused by Ram at the centre of her work. Her fashion statement is as fine and noble as the stories and myths that connect us with the supreme being, a most popular avatar of Vishnu, the preserver of life. In the last three years, Urvashi has increased her business with hand tie-dye expert Mohammed Sabir by 900 per cent. Using tussar monga silk that is handwoven and hand tie-dyed puts lehariya and block printing front and centre in the world of high fashion, and in doing so, Urvashi has changed the lives of the many families whose livelihood is dependent on this old Indian textile craft. UK, the brand, also shares the story of these craftsmen, their communities, history, and legend on their social media handles. In the promotion of this indigenous textile tradition, UK has made it possible for the customer to have a connection to India’s rich past and to support India’s textile workers and artists who need to be honoured with our patronage. This deep connection that Urvashi has made between customer and craftspeople has given her business a boost that makes handwoven textiles 72 per cent of all her sales. Urvashi, who grew up in small towns across India in an army family, uses the expression Ram Ram as a greeting to welcome and honour others, whether friend, family or stranger. This greeting is beyond a religious moniker, it is a salutation that connects her to an India where dignity for one is dignity for all. This deep-rooted respect for syncretic India for India’s rich celebration of plurality has permeated her life and work as a fashion designer. In a world polarised at every level, UK’s collections give the consumer a rich offering that breaks every stereotype made by colonialism and perpetuated by fundamentalism. Invited by Urvashi to walk the ramp for her atelier at Lakme Fashion Week by FDCI at Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, I wasn’t sure what made me worthy of being given such an honour. Upon my arrival, I found myself next to Danish Husain, my man-crush and one of India’s most brilliant theater actors, writers, speakers, and other gifted people. Also, there was the queer activist, author and culture decoder Parmesh Shahani, stylist Gautam Kalra, and stand-up comic Mallika Dua, among others. We were part of the community and voices that Urvashi invited to give body and personality to her genderless cuts that flesh out her ageless designs. Choreographer extraordinaire Lubna Adam patiently indulged us novices of the ramp into being ourselves and walking with the same conviction with which we live life and connect ourselves to the world at large. The unveiling of “Prana” from the Renew project where katran (fashion scraps) and discarded materials are used brought to the fore dresses, saris, pyjamas and shirts, jackets and overlays and all kinds of pants – in sheer and gauzy fabrics, leheriya and shibori, all moving about in the community’s unique and personal manner, making statements: Danish Husain with his palms painted with the letters GAZA with blood staining them; Parmesh Shahani reading his own book; Gurjeet Singh stitching together lips that would otherwise be telling us an inconvenient and unpopular truth. I was singing marsiyas, Islamic hymns, as a Hindu believer blessing my fellow Muslims during their holy month of Ramadan. As my voice echoed through the experiential theater, veteran actress Ratna Pathak Shah danced to the tune and notes of my song and regaled me and the audience with the effervescence of her soulful beauty. It was at that moment that I understood what Urvashi had set about to do. She was unleashing the inner strength, the moral fortitude, the strength of character, the peerless vision and clarity, and the courage with which this lot lived and loved, cared and shared. The audience was transfixed, the professional models visibly moved, and Urvashi – the brand and the human – shone through the community that shared the ramp. India’s G20 Presidency brought to the world the Upanishad’s teaching of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, a shlok that translates into English as “One Earth, One Family, One Future”. Through her meticulously designed, brilliantly executed, carefully envisioned, sustainably manufactured, humanely sourced, and responsibly crafted collection of clothing, both haute and pret, Urvashi is paying attention to sustainable practices that might be slow but that ensure societal health and wellness, connect us to our own roots and to those in our communities and nation who have given us generations of magical craftsmanship and beautiful art to wear and share. As India becomes more and more popular, as we take pride in having given Lord Rama a temple for his worship, we must not forget that even before we had a Ram Janmabhoomi (birthplace), we had an Advait Hinduism that connected us to the very principles that make us appreciate oneness in divinity when we look at each other as one and also all life and those things inanimate that keep us healthy, wealthy and inspired. Ritual and dogma often take us to dwait religiosity, which celebrates a duality that others who pray, speak, and dress differently than we do. In doing so, we make enemies out of people we share the planet with. Urvashi’s atelier brought alive the maryada, the dignity and the generosity of self, associated with Lord Rama. I saw this layered mythology and colourful expression in the apparel showcased by Urvashi. She, he, they, in her clothing and at her show, were all celebrated and there was room for all. For those precious moments, I felt I was living in the true Ram Rajya. Urvashi Kaur and her eponymous brand have given India its moment to be nation and culture proud as they bring fashion back to our own shores — without the pejorative label of “ethnic” — and ensure that it represents every Indian and all our myriad ways of living, creating, and celebrating life and being.
