Sensible Sustainability: Siddhant Agrawal Label

Last year, fashion designer Siddhant Agrawal established his own pret-couture label. With sustainability at the core of Siddhant Agrawal Label, the brand uses innovative techniques to design modern-day couture for women, men, and accessories as well. TMM caught up with the designer to understand his process and his offerings.

When did you first realize that you wanted to pursue a career as a fashion designer?
I have been quite passionate about art and design since a very young age and would always participate in a lot of competitions. For me, art has always been a medium of expression, and design was my natural inclination. My journey in the fashion world began when I received an opportunity to design a capsule collection for a fashion export house in Jaipur in my late teens and I have never looked back since.

Did you work as an intern under any designer? If yes, what were some of the practical things you learned about the profession?
I was lucky enough that my course Fashion Design and Development at LCF was designed to give us one entire year of fashion industry exposure. Through a series of internship experiences at Mary Katrantzou, Roksanda, Robert Wun, I got to learn a lot of interesting techniques, pattern making, and draping skills. I could never forget my time at such amazing ateliers. It was after working for renowned designers with such varying styles and philosophies that I furthered my passion for detail, finesse, and quality.

You started your own label in 2019. What was the intention behind the label and what do you bring to the table?
I used my time at college in London to hone my skills, explore European architecture infused between the old and the new – from Victorian buildings to new glass. It was during that time that I found the inspiration for my brand’s aesthetic.

The label stands for its unique craftsmanship and I show this by using different couture techniques silhouettes in the collection. It stands for power and strength balanced with soft accents which are represented by the patterns and fabrics used in the garments. Most importantly, each collection is extremely well researched and aims at telling a story or explaining a concept through the medium of fashion. The label finds its identity with color blocking, paneling, a multicultural craft, and an ever-evolving perspective towards both its art and its style.

Who or what is your inspiration?
I have always been inspired by visiting art galleries, museums, historic and modern architecture, shapes, and structures and combining them with personal life experiences to turn them into futuristic concepts for my collections with research, design, and my personal aesthetic. I want my collections to speak the story themselves just like an abstract painting.

There is an emphasis on sustainability in your clothes. On a practical level, how does it work?
Through our timeless craftsmanship, we celebrate sustainability and the strength of ethical trade practices. We shape our label with brand ethos and make sure that we adhere to eco-friendly methods and practice them within the house without fault. As future dwellers on the earth, we intend to demonstrate the optimum utilization of fabrics and foster change in the fashion industry towards greater ecological integrity.

To minimize fabric wastage, we repurpose sample products, chunks of fabric, paper patterns and reuse those smithereens in our next project to keep up with sustainable standards. We make the best use of discarded pieces in new garments without ever compromising the value and the creativity of the pieces.

What role do you think social media plays in today’s fashion scenario?
Social media has always enabled people to interact with fashion designers and high-end labels. Its impact has only amplified during the pandemic. The emergence of social media has transformed the world and its entire way of functioning, bringing the world and its people closer.

Who are your role models when it comes to fashion designing?
I admire the work of Iris Van Herper, Hussien Chalayan, and Robert Wun and have always looked at them as my role models. Their work is inspirationally futuristic, technical, and modern. As a designer, I too look at the possibilities of integrating modern technologies into my design aesthetic.

Post pandemic, what do you think the fashion industry needs to be mindful about?
 The industry should really work on the buffer garments produced every year. We need to, as a whole, take sustainable practices into immediate consideration. It is time we understood that producing large amounts of inventory which eventually goes to waste if not sold out only increases the damage we cause to the environment. I believe slow fashion is the key to help the environment.

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