Among the wedding-obsessed streets of India, Sabyasachi Mukherjee is a household moniker. Mukherjee, also known as the King of India’s Bridal Market, is an Indian fashion and jewelry designer, retailer and couturier from Kolkata, India. Since the start of his designer brand Sabyasachi, he has pioneered a new identity of wedding couture in India, becoming one of the most noted Indian designers of all time. Today, his intricate beadwork and unique use of handlooms are recognized across the globe. His motto? A simple design philosophy: Personalized imperfection of the human hand.
Sabyasachi Mukherjee was born to a rich family on February 23, 1947. Shortly after graduating from the National Institute of Fashion Technology India, he began working on his eponymous label, releasing his premiere designs during the summer of 1999. Upon release, his work was recognized and he won most outstanding young Designer of India, thus paving his way to London to study under Georgina von Etzdorf, a world-renowned designer in England. Returning home from his apprenticeship, Sabyasachi incorporated his teachings into his works and began retailing across major stores in India by 2001.
As an intrinsically motivated individual, the majority of Sabyasachi’s designs are derived from his lifelong inspirations of the rich antique textiles and traditions from his hometown, Kolkata. His eccentric use of unusual fabrics combines layers of textures upon which he adds intricate detailing via South Asian beading and embroidery techniques. Upon each collection, he brings a revolutionary textile technique to the table. For example, his spring 2005 collection showcased unique hand block printing, embroideries and essence of Rajasthani prints. His summer 2006 collection shifted to folklore, simplicity, and intricate detailing, focusing on a unique approach to traditional Indian gold jewelry sets.
Sabyasachi began making brief excursions into films, serving as the costume producer. Today, his designs are a staple among many famous Bollywood films. Famous movie actresses wear his lehengas (traditional Indian wedding dresses) as the main pieces in their weddings and movies, bringing much fame to his couture. Sabyasachi’s exceptional handwork was even seen at Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra’s wedding while she walked down the aisle in a red lehenga studded with Siam-red crystals and hand-cut organza flowers. The dress took about 3,720 hours to create, each detail hand stitched into the dress. Mukherjee also stands as the only Indian designer to be a part of 3 leading fashion weeks: New York, Milan, and London
I’d say Sabyasachi is a Big-C creative because his brand/designs utterly transformed the realm of wedding and Bollywood couture in India and throughout the world. Watching the vibrant colors of his pieces come to life on screen depicts his impact on the film industry and the way he continuously rewrites Bollywood style with a cutting-edge design. Culture has an evident impact on Sabyasachi’s creative process. Born in the Eastern world, he incorporates the reinterpretation of traditional Indian ideas/style, but also introduces concepts that break with tradition, thus appealing to the Western culture. His diversity and identity as a queer, South Asian designer is proudly shown in his use of LGBTQ+ couples as his models. In the Eastern world, where the LGBTQ+ community is still not widely accepted, this deviance from the norm illustrates racial essentialism that propelled his works in the Eastern and Western worlds.
I’d highly recommend watching this video about Sabyasachi’s process of making a single wedding dress. The detailing is absolutely mind-blowing and the intricate effort put into each bead is so admirable. Seeing the very life of India put out onto an article of clothing hits home for me and my longing to return to the rich cultural landmine that is India. It also probably explains why a single lehenga ranges from $5,000-$25,000...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=len1aAhGhYg
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/26/style/26iht-Luxury08-Mukherjee.18176657.html
Lecture 10- Culture
I am embarrassed to say I have never heard of the Sabyasachi brand or its founder! Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s motto on its own really seems to epitomize his work as a creative. It is the natural imperfections of a hand-made object that make it unique and gives it value. Looking at imperfections in this way, I think, is something not necessarily embraced in the world of couture. In a sense, by incorporating antique textiles and traditions from Kolkata into the influences he picked up when studying at the institute and in London, he has created his own, uniquely Indian form of designer clothing.
ReplyDeleteSomething I believe is largely overlooked in the world of fashion is the fact that designers have to continuously create new ideas yet stay within an expected “style” or “theme” that the consumer attributes to the brand. Mukherjee seems to approach this challenge really well. As Csikszentmihalyi presents in his ten tensions, the creative individual must be both rebellious and independent yet possess an internalized domain of culture. As you mentioned, each of Sabyasachi’s collections utilize a revolutionary textile technique; however, he is able to do this in a way that maintains representation of his hometown traditions.
The detail presented in the video is incredible. Being willing to spend so much time and energy on a single wedding dress really makes clear the presence of intrinsic motivation. I would love to see one of his lehengas in person one day!
Wow, Sabyasachi's work is absolutely incredible and I am just learning about him from your blog post! He is so influential to South Asian culture and traditions, it is without a doubt that he created a paradigm shift for Indian ceremonies. It's a shame that his talent and artistry have not been recognized in Western, at least American Western, fashion. It makes me think of the unfair cultural barriers and closemindedness that most likely prevents Sabyasachi from having his moment in American media. I also love his dedication to his craft, as displayed in the video. The intricacies of each dress are carefully created by hand, reflecting that each garment is a piece of art rather than a mass produced design. It also show that he truly loves his work, devoting himself to the traditions of Indian culture. I would love to learn more about such a present day figure that has so much influence on a nation's culture.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading about Sabyasachi's work. I found it incredible to see the integration of South Asian culture into the fashion world. I think that it is incredible how he blends his culture into the high fashion world and really takes the time in his work. The dress that took 3,720 hours to create was really stunning and way more impressive to me than some overpriced gucci dress for the met gala. I think it is really cool how he stays true to his heritage and culture while simultaneously making amazing Big-C contributions to the fashion world.
ReplyDeleteI loved reading this! I think the connection to culture and the hand-made aspect of Sabyasachi's are both so impressive. I think this work is not only Big-C creative based on its impact in India but all over the world. By hand-making every detail of every lehenga, the work is automatically more impressive than mass produced and mainstreamed fashion.
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