Tarun Tahiliani

I work with craftsmen and I appreciate the beautiful tradition ”of our country. – Tarun Tahiliani

He’s the fashion Czar of the design industry and this designer extraordinaire is none other than the awesome

Tarun Tahiliani who in a

digital collaboration with Blenders Pride Fashion Tour celebrated 25 years in the industry.

The Blenders Pride Fashion Tour has evolved over the years from conventional runway shows to festivals of fashion and now the digital leg, in collaboration with Tarun Tahiliani, celebrates My Identity, My Pride. We caught up with Tarun Tahiliani to know more about this…

Could you tell us something about your association with Blender’s Pride especially now since it’s being done digitally because of corona?

I did the first Blender’s Pride Fashion show perhaps 18 years back and I did a lot of amazing shows for them after that too. So I was very pleased to do the first digital fashion show with them as well. The idea was floated around with Aparna Behl, the choreographer and I thought about it and found it very exciting. Everybody is starved for great content and this time, my collection showcased elements of Pride in my craft and heritage, being modern and yet having a ‘Stream of Consciousness’ as an entity. The striking experience uncovered the idea of ‘INFINITE’ possibilities in one’s lives by setting an example for the world to follow.

How different will it be from a live show?

It is different because a live show is in front of people but in a video, three minutes is a long time to draw people so you use technology to draw people. You have to make it exciting and feel a vibrancy, and the stream of consciousness has to come out. What I am happy is that we’ve shot what we wanted to shoot.

What is your theme for your show?

My Identity My Pride showcases my 25 years in the fashion industry. The greatest gift that fashion gave me was that from I am a boy from South Mumbai but thanks to fashion, I’ve sat with weavers in small villages, did block painting in the freezing cold, worked on chikankari with craftsman in Kutch. I went to every little town and I’ve seen India the way I’ve never seen before. I worked with craftsmen and I appreciate the beautiful tradition of our country. I’m happy that people still wear so much of the national crafts through fashion which has helped keep it alive. If you have pride in your identity, it shows in your fashion.

We’ve always seen you coming out with awesome designs. What can we expect from your collection this time?

Since the tag is My Identity My Pride, my collection better be more awesome than ever before.

If you had to choose your showstopper from the current lot of actors, who would it be and why?

That’s really hard to make me choose as there are so many beautiful girls. Well, there are so many to choose from. I would choose someone older like Rekha as there’s so many textures and fabrics that have a story to tell. Who knows? I haven’t thought of it. Which heroine would you love to dress up? I’ve dressed most of them so it’s not on my bucket list at the moment.

Who do you think is the most fashionable actors in the film industry?

To be honest, all of them but since I’ve worked with Katrina Kaif as a model and Deepika Padukone too, I would choose them.

Which actor, according to you, can carry off any style with elan?

Elegance is a state of mind and if you dress true to yourselves, everything looks stylish. For us, the clothes are the real heroes so we are not fussed about the showstoppers.