Taking inspiration from traditional elements and fusing them with modern aesthetics weaves the core fabric of the Siddartha Tytler label.
From extravagant frills for men to flaunt, to stunning corsets with reimagined Indian fashion, we see exciting reflections in the kaleidoscope that brings the Siddartha Tytler world to life. He has championed the art of experimental fashion and continues to remain a key player for the evolving face of Indian fashion. Together with the creative genius himself, we unfold the exhilarating process that goes behind the avantgarde designs and incredible contemporary high-fashion looks. Siddartha has been true to his style aesthetic since the beginning of his journey and today, as a successful designer, his focal point remains to have fun in everything that he does
so he can truly enjoy the ride. For his ‘La Boheme’ campaign, the designer invited the new faces of glamour from popular Netflix series ‘Class’ and Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Jubilee’ to be at the forefront of the collection, and stunningly so.
FL: It’s been over 20 years since you launched your eponymous brand. How do you think this journey has shaped you as an individual and an artistic force?
ST: When I started my career there weren’t many people to compete with. And, back then we only used to dress celebrities, now there are not just celebrities, but also bloggers. Furthermore, with men beginning to experiment with fashion, it gave us confidence to be more experimental and creative. All of this combined and a lot more, I think these past 20 years have been a very big learning process for all of us, and it’s been great fun.
FL: Over the years you have explored an array of styles, which one stands out the most to you and how do you develop on that?
ST: In the last couple of years we have worked with every style possible. The creative process is such that no collection is identical to the previous ones, we always move ahead and push ourselves further instead of focusing on recreating something. We like doing a lot of frill pieces for both men and women, and structural corsets which really stand out. We also recently launched men’s underwear. Hence, there is always something new to look forward to when we create something.
FL: Your brand is often described to be exuding ‘elegance’ & ‘sophistication’. Was that a conscious choice in terms of your creative vision or did it evolve gradually?
ST: Being a child of the 90’s, sophistication and elegance is key for me. Since I went to FIT New York, we would always look up to international brands which were always about glamour & grace, and I think these aesthetics are just embedded in me now. We do love doing our goth and dark collections but there is always sophistication and elegance through it all.
FL: Every creative individual happens to have one stimulus that drives their creative instincts. Where do you draw your inspiration from?
ST: I attribute my creative flow to just one constant – CHANGE. I adapt, I pick ideas from things around me and I learn to get inspired from the wide world out there. It may be the Aokigahara – the suicide forest in Japan, or the Harajuku culture of Japan, it may be the dragons of China, cherry blossoms, Studio 54 in New York. There is not one constant stimulus, it’s always changing based on the mood and that’s the best part about this creative process every single season.
FL: You may sometimes find yourself stuck in the middle of multiple ideas, how do you arrive at a conclusion and find your middle ground?
ST: Being a creative person, I am always bombarded with ideas at odd times. It happens sometimes that I wake up in the middle of the night and begin sketching based on an idea that suddenly strikes me. I may look at something else and find new inspiration while a collection is being made. So we are constantly changing, evolving and combining ideas which may sometimes get heavy on the mind, but it is also the fun part of being creative. As long as we get the results we hoped for, I think it’s good to keep deriving new inspiration.
FL: What do you think about Indian Heritage Couture on a global stage and where do you place your brand in that vision?
ST: I think the Indian Heritage Couture has set its mark globally with fabulous designers like Sabyasachi, Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla and many more. But I do not think I am much of an Indian Heritage brand because I do not work with Indian Couture in its classic form. I like to be more experimental and my Indian is a bit more contemporary with corsets and different forms of embroideries. I may use classical motifs but there is always a modern twist to them, and vice-versa and it gets picked up globally which is beautiful in its own sense.
FL: While evolving as a designer, did you have a mentor or someone you looked up to, who helped you with your creative genius, or even just served as an inspiration?
ST: When I was much younger I would look up to Gianni Versace a lot. I also considered Rohit Bal as my mentor; when I was 17-18 I would take my designs to his factory and he used to critique them which helped me a lot to develop my creative instincts.
FL: Tell us about the struggles that young Siddartha had to face, which you think might have shaped who you are today?
ST: The first 10-12 years were a big struggle. We felt like we were making fabulous creations but the audience was not looking at it the way we wanted them to be seen. In time we learned what the clients want, and while it was a learning curve that made me evolve as a designer, my design aesthetic remains to be the same as day one.
FL: In a strong influencer-driven market, how do you identify who is the right choice of influencer or ambassador for your label?
ST: We have worked with possibly every influencer we have come across in the industry which has been a great learning voyage. There are a few who we have developed greater symbiotic relationships with and we work with them regularly. While we do not have an official brand ambassador, if I had to pick a name I would say Neha Kapoor – Femina Miss India 2006 and Kunal Walia. They are both great friends with a good sense of style and they help and critique my collections a lot, as well.
FL: Did the Netflix series ‘Class’ have an influence on you or your creative sensibilities?
ST: Where the Netflix series ‘Class’ was concerned, it was a very young and a very Gen-Z show which I absolutely love. I think everyone did a fantastic job acting in that show. To be honest, when I had my campaign, I watched the show just the week before that and the moment I saw Moses, I told my assistant that we need to get this boy for the shoot. He was the first person I worked with and then we started building on the rest of them and the whole process was a very enriching experience.
FL: Our young readers would love to know what you think about the cast in real action. Could you tell us a little something about each of the members you shot with?
ST: Moses has to be my favourite hands-down. He is ver bright, with a great sense of humour. He is a fantastic musician and is brilliant at what he does. We talk regularly and he’s truly a force to be reckoned with. He could be a great mentor soon for a lot of people. Chayan Chopra is a very cute and bubbly boy with great energy. We also shot with Nandish Singh Sandhu from Jubilee. He has a lot of insight to offer, from telling me how to style something to all that jazz. Mohit Sehgal – yet another funny guy, we were always grinning while shooting together. Tushar Chhibber has been with my brand for the last 10 years. He makes a fantastic model. I’m so happy he got into the show and he is also in a lot of my next few projects, including the couture week and campaign. Initially, I had my doubts when Piyush Khati came on set, but it was truly magical to see him in action. He is very charismatic, as well.
FL: Being a trendsetter yourself, is there any particular style of fashion that interests you and you might want to revive or introduce in your collection?
ST: The one constant in my ever-so-changing career has been keeping it glam and fabulous while I remain true to myself. With that regard, I do not think there is any trend that I want to revive. But it largely depends on the season, as well. We recently did a very young and millennial collection with neon colours which was inspired by the 80’s. Our next collection is inspired by the intricate artwork of the Taj Mahal. While all the collections remain beautifully different from each other, they all follow a common thread which is our signature, and I believe it is very important for every designer to have one.
FL: Tell us a little about your thoughts on the latest men’s fashion trends in India and in other parts of the world.
ST: Men’s fashion in the post COVID world has evolved immensely because of Instagram and global influence. Men in India have now started experimenting and playing with their styling. So much so, that we have clients picking up skirts for men and it’s so much fun to see that they are ready to experiment. We have our men who wear classic stuff, but they would always ask me to put my ‘Siddartha Tytler’ twist, so it’s always good to know that men are ready to expand their horizons.
FL: According to you, what is the future of men’s fashion in India?
ST: At the trajectory we are going, men’s fashion is literally at par with women’s fashion. So many designers are emerging with menswear looks and are doing such a fabulous job. And as I mentioned before, people are ready to experiment, which is great for me, as well, because I know I’m an experimental designer. In my opinion, globally menswear was always stronger as compared to India but now it’s equally important as womenswear and I am truly excited to see and be a part of wherever this is leading.
Text by: Sanskriti Sharma