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Puneet Nanda likes Calcutta. Not just for a double dose of Sharma’s chai and gulab patti sandesh but also for it’s “not going anywhere in a hurry feeling”. t2 caught up with the Delhi designer who was in town for a show last weekend...
Your energy is so different from your colleagues. Why is that?
I don’t know…. Actually, I am fortunate to have been with Osho for many years. I am also with Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, Coimbatore.
And how does spirituality affect your work?
I feel spirituality contributes to your entire well-being and it translates into anything and everything you do. There are so many dimensions in the world but it is you who can choose what to explore…
I also feel that when you are in the centre of your being, everything is just role-play. All you have to do is apply yourself to any situation. As Osho says — Easy is right. I share it with my staff all the time. I tell them that if you immerse yourself into the act of designing, not as a knower or creator, then it will nourish you. You can go with the flow and play along. Things will happen beyond you and despite you.
Your spring-summer ’08 collection, Inspirational Series III, is inspired by Pablo Picasso, Rene Magritte and Pop Art…
Yes. There are so many people who have explored their own way of seeking themselves or god. Everywhere there is some kind of pursuit, everyone has their own inner calling. Picasso, in his seeking to be more expressive, realised that there are so many facets to his subject. In his uncontrollable desire to express, he started putting different dimensions together and explored cubism.
Rene Magritte had his own way of exploring. He had painted a pipe and written ‘This is not a pipe’ below it! It wasn’t a pipe. You couldn’t smoke it. It was a painting of a pipe! Similarly, I have designed a sari with a photo-perfect rose and written ‘This is not a rose’. We have tried to tap this playfulness and childlike spirit of his art. There are many Pop Art influences too. Pop Art celebrates anything. It doesn’t say advertising is bad. It’s only about popular art. So we have also had fun with images like money, polka dots and even Maggi noodles!
Satya Paul stands most significantly for saris. Is that a plus or minus?
That’s my baggage! But seriously, for us, designing is a riyaaz. It’s wonderful that people like our saris. We, for our part, do just clothes. Inspirational Series III will show people that saris need not necessarily make you look older. These new saris are all young.
Your new line includes clubwear. What is your definition of the genre?
ubwear is your way of showing up in the club. It could be playful, provocative, fun, young, overdressed or underdressed. I would say it can also be a sari, especially if it’s Calcutta!
What is next from the Satya Paul stable?
There is a new store coming up in Delhi’s Emporium Mall which will house top labels of the world. You will see a no-compromise, all-India collection, be it kantha, chikan or Kanjeevaram. The Satya Paul label itself should be stronger than ever. There is also an economy line called Satya by Satya Paul that is coming up soon.
Finally, who is the Satya Paul woman?
There is only one kind of woman who is a Satya Paul woman. And she is a confident woman. If she is confident, she already has style. With confidence, everything else falls into place.
