Coco Chanel was her own muse. One of the most influential designers of the 20th century, she wore her own designs in her day-to-day life. When she stepped out in her creations, it not only showed her involvement with the design process, it also displayed her confidence, comfort and wearability of the garments. Recently Parisian designer Isabel Marant struck a pose in her self-designed black-and-white printed dress, to give fashion fans their first peek at her highly anticipated collection for H&M.
Closer home there are many designers who love to pose in their own designs to introduce their collections to the consumers. Their designs are a reflection of their personalities and like artists their clothes are an expression of their understanding of fashion. Also it adds a face to the name. Therefore, once in a while, they love to get into their own fashion lines for they believe that it is essential to represent their brand.
Designer Urvashi Kaur feels that it’s a representation of one’s style sensibility and gives an edge to the label. She says, “It is important for customers to recognise the person behind the label. Coco Chanel was the perfect example. In recent times, be it the iconic designer Vivienne Westwood or Karl Lagerfeld, the creative director and head designer of Chanel, their whole persona defines the USP of their labels.”
Designer Jayesh Sachdev slipped into a pair of quirky shorts for his Minion collection as he claims that it’s a perfect way to connect with the audience. “I am a designer, an artist and not a model. I am more identifiable with a consumer as an individual. And for me to be able to wear my own product is to show that it’s for everybody and not just models. It’s a fun idea. Most of my audience does not know who the designer is. It adds an element of interest to see how the designer wears his own product. And I’m happy to do that,” he says.
From the time of its conception till its completion, designers tend to get emotionally attached to their collections. So the whole idea of wearing one’s own creations for the camera is to take the relationship forward. For menswear designer Manish Tripathi, his designs are his babies and he spends as much time with them as possible. “It’s a wonderful experience and I feel privileged to be the first one to wear those garments. I don’t design to make money. It’s my passion. I haven’t studied marketing, but I know this is a good exercise to connect with buyers. I feel confident in my designs and expect the buyer to feel the same. If I can wear my own collection then the client doesn’t need further convincing.”
Seconds designer Pria Kataaria Puri, who is the brand ambassador for her own label. After about 16 years in the business, she has come to realise that the buyers connect more with the designer than the models. “I am not 5 feet 11 inches and I am not super skinny. The clients relate to me as they feel I am like them and not a professional model. I design for women from all walks of life. We have so far showcased only tall skinny models in our collections, which is far from reality. It’s time to get real,” concludes Pria.