Capturing sagas of couture through unrecounted stories, Karan Torani is here to change how the world visualises luxury wear — away from the stage lights.
If like the rest of the world today, you too, spend most of your time scrolling through Instagram, it is nearly impossible not to stumble upon a bewitching, almost enchanting fashion campaign that does not look quite like fashion. The pictures tell a tale – of what, it might take the audience a few more scrolls to understand. That is Torani for you. Whether it is his phantasmal portrayal of two sisters in the campaign, Gudiya Rani, against the backdrop of Kashmir’s cold, dark hills or, the desolate romance in Chaandni Raatein, Karan Torani has made a strong case for telling theatrical stories through couture.
Back in the nineties, when the world was raving about Bollywood’s peppy dance numbers and dramatic costumes, a small boy was engulfed by his grandmother’s simple chanderi sooti sarees, the way she took her pallu and the smell of fresh gajras in her hair. “Talk of inspiration and everybody around me speaks either about royalty or an on-screen icon but to me, fashion was never about idolising an untouchable reality. I wanted my designs to translate my personal stories and experiences – no matter how cliché or ordinary they might be,” expresses Torani. In a world where aspirational value is derived from the ultra-famous and opulent, Karan Torani believes in focusing on the beauty of things closest to us. Perhaps, that is why his stories have captured the hearts of fashion connoisseurs, artists and poets alike. Coming from a middle-class family dealing with financial restraints, Torani understood the importance of highlighting stories of simplicity. For his first collection, the designer recalls travelling to the small town of Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh, his grandmother’s hometown. “I was almost trying to recreate her sarees, and the colours I saw on her. What began as an attempt to make a brand-new collection, eventually became a journey towards archiving family history,” reminisces Torani. But hardly anything Karan Torani does is as ordinary as he claims; when he shot his very first campaign in Kerala with Lakshmi Rana, photographed by Pranoy Sarkar, it was immediately noticed by Mumbai’s esteemed multi-designer store, and was sold out within a few weeks. “I knew this was my first and only chance to make an impactful impression, and I invested all my funds into making that happen,” laughs Torani.
If one can gather anything from the label’s works, it is that they advocate for the designer’s storytelling, and Torani agrees – “For me, it was never about just retailing clothes. It was about leaving a mark as an impressionist and storyteller.” It is almost ironic how someone who has worked for the stalwarts of fashion like Rohit Bal and Manish Arora, being a part of their larger-than-life shows, has interpreted his own label away from the stage lights and glamour. Be it capturing the emotions of a new bride leaving her paternal home in the label’s first bridal collection, Baabul, or the visual story of Sindhi Tent House, portraying true emotions felt at traditional Sindhi weddings – nostalgia is one of the key ingredients in Torani’s glory. It is the narratives he chooses to bring to life through his designs that hits close to home. While most designers focus on the stardust of runways to highlight their craftsmanship, Karan Torani uses stories to spotlight his work. “I can not launch collections simply out of market demand. My design process starts with an extreme kahaani; it is the plot of that kahaani that shapes my creations,” expresses the designer.
Mythology is another element in Torani’s design language that is extremely personal to him. Growing up listening to stories of Radha-Krishna from his grandmother made him form an innate connection with the divine characters. No wonder his latest, much talked-about campaign featuring Tamanna Bhatia, Leela, was such a visual treat. Depicting an eternal and sacred love story was anything but easy yet Torani delivered it with utmost grace. However, no matter how brilliant, like many artists, even Torani faced adversities in the way. Although questions were raised about his portrayals, he held his head high. “When the campaign received millions of views, my heart already started pounding outside my body so you can imagine the effect of the backlash that followed. At the end of the day, I am a creator who handles all his stories with a lot of sensitivity but I have always believed in my intent.
My aim was to go back to my roots through history and mythology. So whether it is MITHYAA – Seven Sacred Sins, Chaandni Raatein, or Leela, I believe that these stories came to life because the higher power above us endowed me the ability to imagine and interpret things in that way.”
For the longest time, the way the world has perceived designer wear has been characterised by high-fashion shoots, shows, and models. But Torani’s eponymous brand with its seven-trunked white elephant logo (a reference to Lord Indra’s companion) has changed that completely. It is established that no ambition is big enough for this Delhi-based designer. With a penchant for narrating untold stories through craft, Karan Torani stands as a beacon of cultural authenticity merged with new-age creativity that will continue to redefine Indian fashion – one tale at a time. As the conversation veers to its end, a question remains – what’s next for the brand? And the answer comes, “Everything you don’t expect is what you should expect.”