What: Colour Me Your Kind by Rimi Nayak
Where: Art Exposure, 54B Mahanirban Road 
When: April 4 and 5; 11.30am-7.30pm 

Fashion designer Rimi Nayak is celebrating a decade of designing with a collection that comes with an art-y twist. The Ballygunge girl chatted with t2 on her solo art-inspired showing. 

You wanted to mark your 10th year with a collection launch with a difference…  

I have been doing fashion weeks since I started designing... almost every year. When I launched my label, it was at a fashion week. I was fresh out of college (NIFT, Calcutta) and the following year I showed at Lakme Fashion Week Gen Next. This year I wanted to do something different, especially with the presentation. I have combined art and fashion. There will be 15 garments and six major installations. A couple of pieces will be wearable art and there will be a separate brochure on all the wearable pieces.  

I also wanted to do something in my city. I have never done a solo collection launch in Calcutta so far. Since this collection was art-inspired, I was exploring possibilities. Then the art gallery concept came to my mind. I didn’t do hatke for the sake of hatke. It all came together.  

Tell us about the theme Colour Me Your Kind...

It’s themed around a girl who is basically emotionally distressed and is embarking on a journey of self-discovery. She is trying to leave the sadness behind. I have a tiny poem to go with it where she is asking an artist to paint her and give a new direction to her life. In her new journey, she wants to add colours in her life. 
I wanted people to connect with the process. When you come here you will experience it… this is not your regular exhibition where you come and try the garments. The narratives are in the form of poems.... We all have felt low at various times in our lives and then we decided to fight back. I think a lot of people will be able to relate to this.

Tell us a more about the installations…

I have created textures which are completely hand-done. There is texturing with thread and I have also tried to bring alive the marble art effect with fabric. I have used sheets of thread and fabrics like crepe and cotton. There is applique, patchwork, French knot embroidery and solid colours.  

Looking back, has it been a fulfilling 10 years?

Yes... long journey. I had no clue how the industry works. I was so young. I have learnt everything on the job. An absolutely adventurous journey. I am feeling like a veteran answering this, but I still have a beginner’s enthusiasm! 

Saionee Chakraborty