Face-Off/Hemant Trevedi

That8217;s really modest. But looks like Hemant8217;s having a lucky run this year.

quot;There have been major ups like the Haute Spot at Sheetal but there have been some downs too. On a personal front it hasn8217;t exactly been a fantastic year.quot;

Can we safely presume this is his way of saying he8217;s young, free and single?

quot;I always say I am married to my work.quot;

And what about hiswork? With his designs getting international recognition, is he planning to leave Sheetal?

quot;Not at all. In fact, we will launching are own Atelier range which should stop everyone from thinking that Sheetal only does OTT bridal wear.quot;

What8217;s it like working for a huge place like Sheetal?

Hemant has been there for nine year, and says the he loves it 8212; besides everything else, he has learnt a lot. Like most creative people, he is not too good at dealing with financial matters. quot;My stint here has taught me all about commerce.quot;

So, does he hope to make mega-bucks at Dusseldorf?

quot;I am taking eight outfits that will shown on the ramp and 75 other pieces. Even if I don8217;t get too many orders, it won8217;t matter, because being there means an incredible amount of exposure.quot;

It must be stressful preparing for such a show.

Hemant first learnt that he had been selected six months ago but kept this news under wraps for the longest time. Meanwhile, he went into overdrive, workwise. quot;Ihave actually been listening to a lot of Italian music to calm me down!quot;

Does he think Indian designers have what it takes to make an international impact?

Hemant believes there8217;s a lot of talent here 8212; he admires the likes of Wendell Rodericks and Shahab Durazi 8212; but thinks Indian designers shouldn8217;t just ape the west blindly. quot;There8217;s no point just copying Galliano and Lacroix 8212; then we end up becoming their step-children. Instead we should draw from the country we hail from.quot; As for his own collection, it8217;s a fusion line called Synthesis8217;.

Isn8217;t Hemant a choreographer of some repute as well?

Yes, in fact, he8217;s been the man behind some Indian best fashions shows. But he readily admits that choreography is not his real passion. quot;I am happy choreography has taken a back-seat for the time being. Now I just do a few select shows. I really need time to concentrate on designing.quot;

While that may be true, doesn8217;t he have hoards of pretty women calling him up in the desperate hope ofgetting selected for his shows?

Yes he does, and believe or not, this young man would actually prefer it if he didn8217;t get plagued with calls. quot;Of the 70-odd telephone calls I get each day 50 are from model wannabes. It8217;s the bane of my life. What8217;s worse, they leave messages and expect me to call back. If they are really keen, they should find out my address and just send me their pictures.quot;

And what does he think of the modelling scene today?

quot;Show me a new Arjun Ramphal or a Milind Soman 8212; fact is, there just isn8217;t enough new talent.quot;

Okay, let8217;s go back to the fashion industry. What does he think of all the hype it gets?

quot;There certainly is more hype than it deserves. But believe me, the scene is worse in Delhi 8212; at least you have Bollywood which hogs the show in Mumbai. In the capital, fashion designers are big celebrities 8212; largely because there aren8217;t too many other glamorous people. Mumbai still has actors and models in the limelight.quot;

How bad is the politics withinthe fashion industry?

Hemant admits there is a lot of back-biting in the industry. quot;Last time when I was honoured and asked to go to IGEDO there were a lot of irate designers who felt I was been favoured.quot; But Hemant has learnt not to let gossip come in the way of his work.

Finally, what about our society divas, does he think they have style?

quot;Style has nothing to with clothes 8212; it8217;s more about not having any pretensions. And do think most of out society ladies have style.quot;