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and care is essential into making quality
clothing.“You can always feel the time and
effort that has gone into the making of a
garment when you wear it, from the fabric
choices, trimming, to the cut and choice
of finishing.” In starting his own label
alone, Varun admits it hasn’t been easy
and every task always felt mountainous
but thankfully with perseverance things
began moving forward. In terms of
achievement, it has outweighed everything
else. He added, “It’s hard to explain that,
as individuals and designers, we are not
geared to focus on business, financial and
factual aspect of a label. But overcoming
and adapting to this aspect has been a real
blessing. It has helped me to understand
design as a process in its entirety.”
If he was to name a designer that
inspired him, it would be Riccardo Tisci.
“I absolutely love the work he does for
Givenchy; his vision is always a cross
between art, forward thinking creativity
and attention to fine detail. He makes
clothing you could look at for the tenth
time and still find a detail you missed
before. The design aesthetic he adheres
to is exciting and aspirational.” On the
flip side, when it comes to models,Varun
admits he doesn’t really follow them but
would make an exception for Chinese
fashion model Liu Wen because “she
always embodies her work perfectly
and makes everything look effortless.”
However, the celebrity he would most
love to dress would be Rihanna. Preparing
for a fashion shoot or show can be a
daunting task and Varun describes his
preparation as “with blood, sweat and
plenty of tears!” Despite this, he says
it’s exciting to work towards a shoot
because “you know your long journey of
working on one collection for months
is finally coming to an end.” Among the
eagerness to see how it will all turn out,
the designer says the days leading up
to the day of shoot can also become a
nightmare. There are sleepless nights and
a multitude of stress chasing individuals
to ensure deadlines are met, information
is shared, and models, studios and MUAs
are booked. There is also the finishing off
of any remaining piece to consider. “In
my experience, if something can go wrong
at the last minute, then it will and all you
can do is try to think on your feet and
make sure you are rested enough to cope
with the pressure.”
When it comes to sketching or
constructing designs, the latter is Varun’s
preference but also stresses, “Designing
is essential because only I know what is
in my head and only I can transfer it to
paper.” He thinks visually, and constructs
the designs and pieces in his head fully, so
is able to visualise the technical aspects
before the design is drawn. “It really
helps when it comes to actually drawing
up patterns because I have already done
all the hard work and it is just a case of
drawing out the puzzle pieces.” In his
line of work, Varun believes that clothing
and design are “a world of their own,
sort of hidden from everyone.” He also
stresses that most people don’t know
how much work goes into designing and
making clothing, but “it is a big business
and everyone always want to know more.
That is the best part of it all, being able
to share your passion with others, either
through your creative output or through
your experience and being respected for
doing something that you love.”
In the future, Varun would like
to see RUN with its own line
of accessories and shoes, and
finally expand into menswear. His
original plans were to start with
menswear as “it has been an
exciting time for men’s fashion all
over the world” in the last few
years but instead opted to start
his journey with women’s clothing
as it produced a large capacity
for creativity. He also plans to
collaborate with other designers
and other design mediums. “I feel
like I have all these ideas inside
my head just waiting to burst
out.” When working with colour,
Varun prefers black because “it
hides everything you want unseen
and highlight all the right illusions.”
However, he loves bright colours
too but says he always struggles
when choosing colour palettes
for a collection. “It all boils down
to following your gut instinct and
choosing the right colours for
the right collection.Varun says he
loves working with sheer fabrics
as they add another dimension
to the design and tries to avoid
chiffon as a rule but admits he
ends up using it in large quantities
every time. “It poses so many
issues as seamstresses and
manufacturers are wary of using
it, because it is so hard to handle
and time consuming. It really has a
life of its own and never wants to
work with you but the results are always
beautiful too.”
Finally, for aspiring designers, Varun
has this sound advice: “Be strong,
independent and learn to trust your
instincts. Also be prepared to work hard,
give up a large portion of your social life
and accept sleepless nights as part of the
job description. There is no replacement
for learning your craft well, so study
vehemently and be the best you can.” He
adds, “Those designers who work with
a goal to make an impact, give up a lot
to make their dreams come true. From
my own experience, having a support
structure is priceless, friends and family
are like gold dust, at some point you will
lean on everyone you trust for moral
support or for help. Also, take everything
with a pinch of salt and make time to
enjoy your successes!”
www.irunyou.com