In an interview, designer Sanjay Garg talks about his new store and the importance of storytelling in fashion
Sanjay Garg, the designer of the label Raw Mango, recently launched a store in Hyderabad. They aim to create Banarasi sarees for an audience who love the Kanjeevaram sarees that the brand is famous for.
“They are influenced by minimalist trends. And because Kanjeevaram sarees have always been a part of their lives, they appreciate and appreciate the culture of wearing handwoven sarees. Aesthetically, raw mango is more acceptable here,” Garg says.
They say that the Chennai and Bengaluru stores of Raw Mango sell more than sarees, while Hyderabad prefers skirtsSand ShararaAs much as Mumbai and Delhi.
Like the rest of the outlets in the country, the Hyderabad store also has the latest summer collection peacock country, It also houses sculptures that have caught Garg’s attention during his travels around the world, India-inspired custom furniture and decor pieces.
The biggest learning from her trip to Europe, says Garg, is how brands and stores abroad focus on statement and have a strong individual identity, unlike most fashion stores in India that look almost identical.
“We don’t see the value of design in India. Each shop tells a story; there is so much personality. If a Swedish brand like AcneStudio makes a bench, it is displayed inside museums. Barring a few designers, I don’t find India I don’t get to see that story,” says Garg, whose store has over 55 custom items, including a swan’s body and a sugar pot with a horse’s face.
Apart from collecting artworks for his store, Garg is also working on ad films for his brand. He says he loves that fashion allows him to experiment with media. “When you walk into the store, people should see clarity in (the designer’s) vision, and connect with the aesthetic they love,” he says.
Garg, who studied design at Delhi’s National Institute of Fashion Technology, says, “We have a lot of oral history and we can relate and create from mythology because they are intertwined. Our clothes and their images are linked to history to inspire us in many ways. There’s so much to share (and one medium isn’t enough).”
He will also take his love of storytelling to London later this month, where he will speak offbeat saree Exhibition at the Design Museum. The exhibition, which celebrates contemporary forms of the classic Indian drapery, features one of her creations as part of the showcase.
