Interview with Sidharth kumar

As an Artist or, A Designer I have been always attached to nature since my childhood.This is my starting point where I started developing feeling's and emotion is of's nature in any form. I am a Graduate of N.I.F.T Delhi fashion and Apparel design Department, where actually I learnt to develop my skill's in Fashion Design and it helped me being a professional Designer.

I work parallelly by keeping the inspiration, which is the starting point of any design. And equally making a product to solves the purpose of its existence.The 3 main aspects I follow is Shape, Texture and aesthetics( depending on the kind of product utility).My inspiration is always bee driven by nature, culture and history. And transforming into a surrealism.I do lot work on Mix media mixing technology with hand done to create a product.I do mock-ups.My approach to a new project always start's and revolve around my feeling's for nature, it's always been there with me, its a continuous thought process.

Happiness. the journey of design. The most interesting part of designing any product is when I am capable of bringing different element's together in various possible ways.I feel passionate and happy.

Being a Shy and a soft-spoken person and the Fact that I always felt different from society, because of my orientation as a gay child. I never really understood my own existence to fit in the society.Nature has been the main source where it made me comfortable and I developed a sense of liking and happiness.Nature helped me in being a person who I am today, Gardening has been my true passion since my childhood, it always gave me back thing's in its true sense.

So Far I have been able to successfully support an unrecognised Craft from India, Along with I have given a Sustainable design process A different example through my design process and finding a new way to support Sustainability.My biggest achievement will be when I will be able to Use Technology and a traditional process of design together.I want to create a 3D design garment or a product out of Dakmanda Craft.

For any startup I will suggest designer's to use your inner skill's first to make your business unique and sustainable, it can be your design process, managerial skill's, every thought process should be evolved from inside you.The main trouble you face in running any business is the management part, And if you would know every step one by one, eventually you will be able to alter all the trouble which you may face in between.Apart from getting advice's from my mentor, I have been the one who actually has to create my world of creation and sustain it, I will say there has been a traditional approach to it but it also has been evolved with time and me.

Fashion is like a Bubble, So I will suggest to not to follow anything which makes you live in a delusion.Follow your own intuition, in terms of creation, business. It should always come from inside you.

The daily Routine process changes with the kind of time you have given in your business, It always evolves.I started with a small design studio, by managing all kind of work including design. Although I still like to work on my own design process till I finish it. As I said it should reflect your true character.After Four years being in this process, I have learnt how to balance few requirements and cut down on unnecessary business protocols. it makes me focus more on going ahead rather getting stuck to something which is not generally required to run the traditional process of a design studio. I grow my team accordingly.

I am not into fast fashion, so trend's for me is just an idea about what's happening in the fashion world.However, it helps me to build my own sensibility of being above this.My inspiration is always about growing through nature in a true sense, within me.

N&S GAIA is a New Delhi based contemporary womenswear label which is rich in unique design and fabric techniques.Formation & Journey: The brand was founded by designer Sidharth Sinha in 2014. Since its debut, N&S GAIA has gained international recognition.We have showcased collections at PITTI SUPER MILAN 2018, London Fashion Week (Fashion Scout London Fashion Week), Paris trade shows(WHO’s NEXT) and entered further in Asian market with a showcase at Malaysian Fashion Week(Elected by The Future of Asia as the Upcoming Ready To Wear Designer Brand which was presented at Malaysia Fashion Week) .Brand Philosophy:We acknowledge nature through our Name itself where N stands for Nature, S is Sustainability and GAIA symbolises mother earth. We at the same time majorly incorporate modern sensibility and taste in our designs, hence attract people of different generations.We also use industrial waste and surplus and up-cycle it in our products like surface development and trims.Dakmanda hand weave which we often use in our presentations incorporates a highly valued handcraft of the Garo Tribe from North East India.Another element which is unique to our brand is the Prints which Sidharth himself designs through his observation of nature and travels, he also mixes photography to create these dynamic prints which have been favourites to our clients. Since our inception, we have always showcased this craft, in-fact the beginning of our label was when our creative director(Sidharth) decided to go ahead and explore this craft.We use sustainability in our approach to design. Many of our drapes involve maximum fabric consumption and less wastage. We also encourage using the same garment silhouette/ structure over different seasons to promote slow fashion and clothes which could be worn season after season.It is also helpful in reducing wastage of manpower and resources.Brand Philosophy:The brand has its unique aesthetics which majorly takes inspiration from nature in its various forms.We acknowledge nature through our Name itself where N stands for Nature, S is Sustainability and GAIA symbolises mother earth. We at the same time majorly incorporate modern sensibility and taste in our designs, hence attract people of different generations.A lot of our clients experience through the drapes of our designs that garments develop a unique character of their own as the clothes interact with the body and often take form through it, just like how nature works.

I strongly believe that the beginning of every innovation starts with illogical ideas. Humanity started with nothing. Life was accepted as it came. It was felt that Nature didn't differentiate and accepted all living forms as they were. For no one tells a bird to which direction to fly or to a fish how to swim they chose their paths themselves.

I love to work with Form's and Shapes, creating new innovate silhouettes yet wearable.For me, the real challenge is to be innovative through my inspiration and yet introducing it to commercial aspects.

It's a difficult question since I always keep growing towards my philosophy of design.so I will say it has yet to be innovated.

I started with a Scratch, by developing an interesting Craft from North East of India, Its called DAKMANDA.which has not been documented in the history of craft before.For this particular region of North East India, my contribution is to enhance their heritage craft and textiles.I have worked with villager's from that region and helped them develop new idea's of yarn dyeing and mixing different yarn's together, to create something beautiful.

Fabric, paints, yarn's and any waste from which I can create a 3D surface./ which helps me in achieving my dream's / 3D printing.

when I get to explore any subject in depth, History and culture of any place.

For me, every aspect's of a design is important since it always been driven by an inspiration. Like Shape, Print and textures.I try to justify all the element's which require's for a Good design.

Happiness

Happiness

when it solve's the purpose of it's creation.

its purpose.

Designer's play a huge roll in contribution toward's an environmental impact through his design philosophy.one need to contribute to the environment especially when it come's to its usage. it should have less impact on environmental waste.

It need's to Restructure few loop poles and we need to focus more on existing source's to create a design.

My last Exhibition was at Milan SUPER Piiti. I would definitely want to exhibit at OBJECT Paris.

I am always inspired by Nature, I like to explore all aspects of nature, its history religion and culture.

Its surrealistic, Formation of a unique individual character. My approach to design has been always surrealistic

I live in Inda, New Delhi.It doe's has a strong connection with its culture.India is rich in heritage craft's and textile's and has a great history. These are the advantage of being in my country.However, since it's easily available there is chance's of getting any craft-oriented design to get exploited easily, and it can lead to exploitation of craft people who preserve's a craft as their traditional element, it's the part of their lifestyle. Another cons is the huge population, due to which most of the generation coming from the cultural background is unemployed. it lead's to a compromising situation for them to accept any kind of low wages work.I feel India has a great potential and culture can be preserved in a more sustainable way, if we focus more on quality and do justice to the people who are actually creating it as a Craft's person.with my project on sustainability, I am trying to bring thing's together on a wide scale by making my design's Globally acceptable.

As a Consultant.

Every company has a requirement of its own, depending on their end product. I believe being True and original are the main key's for any good designer and creating something which define's the cause of its existence.

I work parallelly by keeping the inspiration, which is the starting point of any design. And equally making a product to solves the purpose of its existence.

A vintage Lamp with an additional hand knitted wool framing on the shade, A vintage and mix of the contemporary dressing table, A handwoven Dakmanda tablecloth.

Most meomorable day in my life was when i was travelling to one of the beautifull hill's from India, where i discovered element's of nature very closely, through the lense of my camera and creating a dream like surreallistic form's.

Make a change through your design to live a better life. Start small with less availability, through thinking deep.

Being a designer you live in a comfortable situation, where you choose what you like.However, It becomes a challenge to educate about your design in a wider channel. Only platform's like A design and other's are the medium to get your design recognised, Hence make it a success.

to not to follow any rules.

Having a Distinct eye.

Camera, in design, photoshop, mannequin.

when I design, I continue it till I finish it in several days by having a source already documented in past and simultaneously follow the managerial work with my Team.

Depending on the kind of medium I am putting into one form of design and depending on the procedure.it normally take's 20 -25 day's to come up with a collection of 32 garments having a distinctive feature each of them, through one source of inspiration.

what is going to be my next step towrd's my Brand, what i am looking forward to.

My first job with a Great couture designer (Gaurav Gupta), right after my graduation in fashion and apparel design.

Who like's to wear unique clothing with a meaning behind its cause of existance. while they are travelling for a vacation, or attending a Luxury event.

I like to work on a contemporary design where I like to bring something new with having its existence before in any form or medium, Upcycling and recycling.This is because I like to connect with its existence, the history, nature and emotion's which reflect's from the subject of design to start with. for me, it's the starting point.

I am focusing More on Italy at the moment by taking part in different trade shows like SUPER Pitti. after making my footprint in Shanghai, China, Malaysia, Paris, London and through doing runways with Fashion Scout Organisation.Also on the business development side, I am looking for investor's to come on Board, Since there is a lot of opportunities coming on board from, London, Paris, Milan and Tokyo.

Mostly I develop my sample of design's Myself and production through my team.

I am very excited about few of my documented inspiration to work on for the coming SS/19 collection.

social media, email's and through a call.