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8216;I8217;ve Doubled Production8217;

Your jewelled tees Tarun Tahiliani lookalikes put you in a spot. What8217;s your side? That8217;s for you to answer. It8217;s been crea...

Written by Namrata Sharma Zakaria
October 26, 2003 12:00 AM IST

2 min read

Your jewelled tees Tarun Tahiliani lookalikes put you in a spot. What8217;s your side?

That8217;s for you to answer. It8217;s been created by the media. We need to understand the difference between a copy and a trend. Like the kurti, printed and jewelled T-shirts are hot. They8217;re everywhere, even at Fashion Street for Rs 50!

So, are you going to pull back your stock?

In fact, I8217;ve doubled the production.

Who inspires you?
Lots of people8212;Ralph Lauren for his business acumen, Valentino for his quiet elegance and Armani for simplicity. I also admire Indian designers for keeping the fashion industry going with zero influx of a foreign label.

This year with your lycra tops, you8217;ve gotten younger. Is there a new JJ in town?
My pret line, Studio Valaya, is a watered down version of the couture line. While I can have grandeur with couture, with Studio Valaya I have fun.

What8217;s a straight man like you doing in an industry that8217;s largely gay?
I wish someone had asked me that 16 years ago when I started out! Ten per cent of designers are straight, I8217;m happy to be in that group.

But in my community that8217;s a given.