/ Swati Argade: Dreaming in Silks

by Anokhi Admin

Swati Argade: Dreaming in Silks

Aug 09, 2013

My lines are very strong and geometrical, very similar to the hard and proportionate lines of Bharata Natyam.

Simple yet elegant; feminine and classy; sexy while sophisticated – it is no easy task putting Swati Argade’s designs into words, but these descriptions certainly come to mind. And these were probably the thoughts of admirers who would stop Argade on the street to inquire about her outfits. At the time, however, the dancer-turned-fashion designer had her creative energy flowing into costume design and really just dappled on the side in designing her own clothes. It didn’t take long for that to change.

Swati Argade remembers the violet colored khadi skirt with two-toned cotton top she was wearing several years ago when a woman approached her on the street. “[She] said excuse me a couple of times before I realized she was talking to me,” tells Argade, “She told me she loved the cut and colour of the clothes and asked me for a card; I didn’t have one, but she gave me hers.” Argade still has that card to this day, and from the subway to parties, being questioned about her clothing is much less of a shock now with her own line of clothing.

Despite her exquisite fashion sense and gorgeous garments, Argade says her foray into fashion was purely by accident. She never really imagined designing clothes vocationally, other than her own dance costumes here and there. However, through her mother’s immense and eclectic sari collection, Argade began learning the differences between a varanasi and kanjivaram silk by the age of nine. While in India over three years ago, she bought some fabric and gave them, along with her design visions, to a design and production studio of highend western wear in Pune.

“I love clothes that have some restraint, but are also sexy,” says Argade of her personal sense of style, “My lines are very strong and geometrical, very similar to the hard and proportionate lines of Bharata Natyam.” She was extremely impressed by how well the studio workers executed her vision, “I got hooked. It really just became an addiction: watching an idea go from paper to product.”

Argade began literally dreaming in clothes and she experimented with some mini-collections of roughly five to six pieces each, trying out different motifs and styles. Upon returning to the States, she learned accidents happen for a reason. “I knew I was onto something when strangers would stop me on the street asking me where I bought my outfit,” says Argade. Clearly the demand was there, and Argade’s love for designing and the craft of making clothes had deepened since her first attempts, so she thought, “I have great producers and a knack for this, what do I have to lose? It was never a question not to try.”

When looking through her collections, it is hard to believe Argade only indulged her flare for style a little over three years ago; the collections are products of Argade’s thoughtful design, and they evoke in admirers a thoughtful familiarity.

“I like to wear and make pretty clothes that tell a story, and are at once feminine, classic, and nostalgic,” explains Argade, “…The challenge is to assemble different elements from the past in a new and interesting way that suggests the modern.”

Argade incorporates details, such as handmade buttons, luxurious fabrics, and strong geometric silhouettes that suggest performativity. Her awareness of women’s changing roles over history, along with their multifaceted role today, informs her designs. Argade explains, “I like to make clothing that enhances the existing beauty of women, and the different roles we play.”

Her spring/summer 2006 collection, Bengali Girl, was inspired by old photographs of Indian women that a professor had shown Argade in college and by the ageless elegance and rich textile traditions of West Bengal. “I did a version of an updated safari suit of linen and silk with ebony buckles and buttons, as well as a trench coat and some suits,” explains Argade of Bengali Girl.

She further elaborates, “I tried to re-invent the girlish modern glamour of 1950s black-and-white Bollywood cinema and ‘technicolour-ize’ it with these clothes,” but she does so in a looser style more fitting for today’s professional woman.

“The kind of woman I envision wearing my clothes is interested in travel, history and the sophisticated crosscultural expression of her experience through her personal style,” says Argade, adding, “I would say this is my style too.”

Inspired by everything from dance to painting, nature, vintage clothing, and the women in her life, Argade also loves to see what other designers are doing but she does not pay attention to trends. The Indian subtlety and history present in Argade’s collections make her work stand apart in the American market, “I use the embroidery or handwoven fabric in a way that doesn’t announce that the maker of the garment is Indian, but rather that she has an awareness of India,” Argade remarks. Signature to her clothes is the handmade affect, be it a handblocked/dyed lining, wooden buttons carved by hand or a handloom silk.

Needless to say, Argade’s clothes have character. “When I have an idea for what craft I would love to focus on for the collection, I try to find out the history of the fabrics or the dyeing technique or embroidery,” tells Argade. She is inquisitive, not just by nature, but also in order to understand her producers and to ensure the growth and longevity of their historical art forms, such as indigenous textile and crafts.

“I am really happy when I meet people that are ambitious and are craving opportunities to do more in their lives and communities.” And Argade exemplifies this by making sure her tailors are trained with such skill that there is the potential to teach others and create jobs in their localities.

When she’s not busy designing, producing and selling her line, or visiting India to get ready for her next collection, Argade confides, “I am a voracious reader and love to dance (I have had pipe dreams of becoming a flamenco dancer). I love to watch films, visit galleries, drink good wine, cook big dinners and engage in stimulating conversations with friends.” Despite her growing popularity, Argade assures that the glamorous face of the industry is not as it seems and the grit work, along with close friends and family, keep her grounded.

For the future, Argade would like to see the company continue to flourish in every way, “Spiritually, intellectually, artistically and financially…I do see a shoe and bag line, and a men’s line…but I’m not in a rush.”

When asked what advice she would give to aspiring designers, she quotes advice Donna Karan once gave her, “Don’t believe a thing they say. Because if you believe the good stuff, you’ve got to believe the bad stuff.” Argade elaborates, “Be true to yourself and your vision. At the same time know your client. Then find a way to do both without compromising either.”

_{WORDS JAYANI PERERA}