Precirc;t a Pratap News Archive News

Recession isn8217;t trendy, but it is happening. And if there is one thing that is on top of the designers8217; minds, it is the slide in the US economy.

Written by Paromita Chakrabarti

October 5, 2008 12:00 AM IST

3 min read

Rajesh Pratap Singh makes a subtle style statement in Paris

Recession isn8217;t trendy, but it is happening. And if there is one thing that is on top of the designers8217; minds, it is the slide in the US economy. Not just in New York, but in faraway Milan and Paris, designers have focused on the essential rather than the extravagant. While baroque splendour is out, simple yet exciting collections like Raf Simons for Jil Sander have earned applause for their socially relevant work.

That might be a reason why, when designer Rajesh Pratap Singh took his latest Spring Summer 2009 to the runway at the Paris Fashion Week on Sunday, the simplicity and the easy charm of it worked on the Parisians. 8220;This was our second show at Paris and we had decided to keep things minimal. We had concentrated on making the clothes wearable and when the show ended, the reaction was spontaneous,8221; says Sapna Mehra, Pratap8217;s business partner and sister-in-law, who has just returned to India after the show.

The designer, who is still in Paris for the sales session, is equally happy with the way things have shaped up. 8220;I have always believed in making clothes which are not loud or in-your-face. Like always, I concentrated on the structure, but I deliberately kept the clothes simple. I wasn8217;t sure if the audience would get it, but the response has made me happy. Considering that business is slow this year, the orders have been good,8221; he says.

The focus of Singh8217;s collection has been a play on fabrics such as cotton and organza. 8220;The whole onus has been on making a contrast between sheerness and opacity. He has worked with counts of cotton, which he used to construct drapes that emphasise the difference,8221; says Mehra. Singh8217;s palette too has shown a marked departure from his usual pastels or more recently, reds. For his Paris showing, Singh has worked with bright corals, deep pinks, fuchsias, graphite greys, even ecrus. One of the highlights of this year8217;s collection is the way Singh has blended in seemingly obsequious tailoring elements like seams into embellishments. He has also done his own range of accessories that include chunky jewellery that highlight the tonal contrasts and shoes in transparent leather and acrylic. 8220;Though we sell the shoes, I wasn8217;t planning on marketing the jewellery. But it seems to have gone down well with the buyers because we have received several queries. I think we might sell it now,8221; says Singh.

Singh8217;s show was attended by his regular international clients like Maria Luisa and his newfound admirers, Armand and Michael Hadida of the Tranoi Fair, where he will be participating next. From India, those present included Aman Nath and Francis Wacziarg of Neemrana.

Paromita Chakrabarti

Paromita Chakrabarti is Senior Associate Editor at the The Indian Express. She is a key member of the National Editorial and Opinion desk and writes on books and literature, gender discourse, workplace policies and contemporary socio-cultural trends. Professional Profile With a career spanning over 20 years, her work is characterized by a "deep culture" approach—examining how literature, gender, and social policy intersect with contemporary life. Specialization: Books and publishing, gender discourse (specifically workplace dynamics), and modern socio-cultural trends. Editorial Role: She curates the literary coverage for the paper, overseeing reviews, author profiles, and long-form features on global literary awards. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent writing highlights a blend of literary expertise and sharp social commentary: 1. Literary Coverage & Nobel/Booker Awards "2025 Nobel Prize in Literature | Hungarian master of apocalypse" (Oct 10, 2025): An in-depth analysis of László Krasznahorkai’s win, exploring his themes of despair and grace. "Everything you need to know about the Booker Prize 2025" (Nov 10, 2025): A comprehensive guide to the history and top contenders of the year. "Katie Kitamura's Audition turns life into a stage" (Nov 8, 2025): A review of the novel’s exploration of self-recognition and performance. 2. Gender & Workplace Policy "Karnataka’s menstrual leave policy: The problem isn’t periods. It’s that workplaces are built for men" (Oct 13, 2025): A viral opinion piece arguing that modern workplace patterns are calibrated to male biology, making women's rights feel like "concessions." "Best of Both Sides: For women’s cricket, it’s 1978, not 1983" (Nov 7, 2025): A piece on how the yardstick of men's cricket cannot accurately measure the revolution in the women's game. 3. Social Trends & Childhood Crisis "The kids are not alright: An unprecedented crisis is brewing in schools and homes" (Nov 23, 2025): Writing as the Opinions Editor, she analyzed how rising competition and digital overload are overwhelming children. 4. Author Interviews & Profiles "Fame is another kind of loneliness: Kiran Desai on her Booker-shortlisted novel" (Sept 23, 2025): An interview regarding The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny. "Once you’ve had a rocky and unsafe childhood, you can’t trust safety: Arundhati Roy" (Aug 30, 2025): A profile on Roy’s recent reflections on personal and political violence. Signature Beats Gender Lens: She frequently critiques the "borrowed terms" on which women navigate pregnancy, menstruation, and caregiving in the corporate world. Book Reviews: Her reviews often draw parallels between literature and other media, such as comparing Richard Osman’s The Impossible Fortune to the series Only Murders in the Building (Oct 25, 2025). ... Read More

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