The collaboration between renowned designers Didier Laconet and Hemant Sagar started when they were classmates at a fashion school in Paris. This year marks the 36th year for the ace designers in the fashion industry. The duo narrated the story of their fashion journey with a first of its kind exhibition — Paris, New Delhi: ‘From Haute Couture to the Technologies of Elegance.’
Established as a couture house in the ’80s, Lecoanet Hemant initially worked from Paris with a flagship store in the heart of the aristocratic Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, (considered the Paris Mecca of luxury fashion and Haute Couture) and featured on the couture schedule. Being members of the Parisian Haute Couture Syndicate from 1984-2000, Lecoanet Hemant created 33 collections with the ultimate aim of transitioning from artisanal to semi-industrial. In 2000, the multi-award winning designers behind the brand — Hemant Sagar and Didier Lecoanet — moved their business metaphorically from couture to ready-to-wear, and also physically, from Paris to New Delhi.
The journey of the brand is the theme of the exhibition, and it was held at Bikaner House in New Delhi, presented through a display of their work. Through this unique exhibition, the designers aim to spread awareness about the need to invest in research and design that can be instrumental in placing India on the map for Global Fashion. The show demonstrates the intrinsic research that goes into developing certain designs by hand and how the same idea has been re-developed to become an exceptional commercial product. On display, at the exhibition, are over 70-80 creations; some made in Paris (1984-2000) and the other half at their Gurgaon Atelier (2000-2017).
When fashion shows were really extraordinary in 1979, Hemant Sagar had a secret fantasy of becoming a successful fashion designer. Being passionate about clothes and the procedures of its making, Sagar likes to delve in the process. Sagar never thought anything other than becoming a fashion designer. Born in Karol Bagh in Delhi, Sagar understood the very basic intricacies of the Indian tradition.
Taking out time from his busy schedule, Hemant Sagar chose to talk about his love for fashion.
Talking about the core idea of the exhibition, Sagar says to Guardian 20, “The core idea is that if you do not develop new things your commerce will go down. And in India, people do not want to research enough for new things. Our textile industry is one of the biggest industries, and, also, we are known as the country of textiles and colours worldwide. But in this land you cannot buy more than six metres of saree since people do not explore anything new here, so you don’t want to buy it. Why is the artisan who has been developing chanderi sarees for the last 200 years still doing it? And the new consumer whose mother already has ten of these sarees will lend her those instead of making her buy new chanderi sarees. The idea is that if you are not doing anything new, old ones will not get sold. It will just get more expensive and nobody will buy it as everyone has it in their wardrobe.”
Talking about the archiving of the garments for the exhibition, the designer says, “To tell you the truth, we super packed them 17 years ago and unpacked them one week ago. And they smelt as though they were 17 years old. Couture is like a monument which needs to be preserved.”
Talking about his collection, which always has a very global appeal, Sagar says, “We have the global appeal because of the different fusion of design elements that we know very well. That’s the global appeal. But you know when we pick any African theme or Thai or Aboriginal, we still try to risk it. Then it becomes like an inspiration because we have that notion of Indian garments woven and draped and European garments which are cut and sown. So, you have cutting and sewing one side and draping and weaving on the other side, and when both these come together it is very interesting. You have to feel it from the inside. It should be inside out. So, it’s like the fusion of different elements.”
Sagar believes that fashion is all interpretation. “People who regret in the past tense, fashion is not the job for them. It’s all about next season and not last season. You can’t change the last season anyway. So, past tense is my luggage, and if I unpack it now and make it for the future, it would be a different story. So, your ideas come and accumulate and if you are lucky, you have one theme in your whole life which is about reinterpretation of society and nothing else,” says Sagar.
The designers also exhibited their organic collection called Ayurorganic to promote organic fashion. “Its a 5000 years old process called Ayur vastra. It has been mentioned in the scriptures. So, the word Ayur comes from the word Ayurveda and vastra means clothes. It’s a totally forgotten principle that anybody can take a material, treat it in 15 days, and get it back and wear it. It enhances your metabolism confirmed by ayurvedic doctors. And if you wear it in a relaxed atmosphere it will imbibe your soul and body and metabolism. It will accelerate your calmness and will act as a shield from pollution. You can wear it regularly but do not wash it with chemicals. You have to wash it in organics or soap nuts. And do not press it too much. You can wear it for at least three years.”
Hemant Sagar thinks that though there are new designers coming up, we don’t have much new to see. “Fashion is a comfort zone for everyone. You are not selling what you are saying. You are just taking the avatar of another designer but not creating something new. It’s like you are walking on a tight rope when you are developing something new. Even if it is not new for other people and if it is new for you then that is the daring thing about it. So, what the designer thinks is what goes into the garment. It has to have something exciting about it. If all that happens, it is all reflected in the garment and transferred to the person who is wearing it. And also, enhance your artisanal workers life as India has the finest hands in the world. Stop living in a 19th century, make your artisans work in luxury as they are the ones who are carrying the most beautiful embroidery tradition of our country.”