Raghavendra Rathore has been one of the most prolific fashion designers in India. He has been constantly working not just with the biggest of names in the fashion world but also with people from the film industry.
Talking to Prateek Sur, Raghavendra Rathore opens up about his style of fashion, the changes that the entire fashion industry has gone through over the years, his connection to the film industry, creating fashion walks keeping in mind Indian audiences, and lots more. Excerpts.
You have been in the fashion industry for a few decades. How much has the fashion industry changed from the time you started till now?
The language of fashion has changed over the years since the nature of design is to evolve, post pandemic the concept of sustainability has gained momentum, online extensions of traditional brick and mortar stores are more visible now. With the social media being the image maker, the dimension of luxury has quadrupled. Designers have shrunk mass production lines, and are reviving forms of karigari.
How different is creating outfits for a movie from creating outfits for your fashion shows?
While the purpose of creating outfits for a movie is to help tell a story and bring the characters to life, they also allow for more flexibility, as costumes may need to be adjusted based on the needs of the scene or the actor's movements. The costume design for movies is positively challenging as it allows designers to define and style the character’s personality and in turn enhance the overall visual style of the movie. Fashion shows on the other hand are a platform that set the trend and let the world know what's happening in the country and globally, where the designer can curate the collection based on his own storyboard.
Whenever you’re designing for some film or some show, do the directors always have a clear vision as to what they want? Or is it you who suggest them with options and then accordingly the final outfits get made?
The role of the costume designer is to bring alive the director’s vision to life and ensure it provides the desired clarity. This may evolve as the creative process progresses as the goal is to create costumes that support the story and the characters and transport the audience into the world envisioned by the Director.
Are there directors with whom you just have the best equation and they know what they want from you and you know exactly what their taste is? Is there anyone like that?
Our attempt in all the projects that we have done with Bollywood is to inspire classic clothing on the big picture so that it has an impact on people in the country, fortunately for us all the directors we have worked with have also shared a similar vision. The brand has oscillated its design sensibilities, basis stories, the plot and the character sketch that the directors work with the team on. It’s an interesting connect.
Which actor or actress has been easiest to work with over the years?
Since we are a bespoke brand, we have had the opportunity to dress many Bollywood personalities as per their individual style requirements and comfort.
How difficult or easy is creating a fashion walk for an Indian audience in comparison to that of a global audience, for example, a New York fashion week or a Milan Fashion week?
The Indian audience has evolved over the years and with the prominence of social media, each client is a global citizen. While showcasing in India, we can tell many stories with the unique legacy, culture, history and festivals we have, on the other hand the International showcases need to be designed to cater to a larger audience keeping the broader range of tastes and preferences in mind.
What next is coming up for you in the pipeline?
We are looking forward to some exciting projects that we are working on this year however we will be able to talk more about them in the due course of time as they are under wraps.
Any film or shows that you have in the pipeline, which you can talk about?
Happy to talk about them when the time is right.
