For close to three decades Raghavendra Rathore has been the classic man’s go-to. The handsome designer now has a rare honour on his CV. He has designed outfits for ‘BSF’s first-ever women contingent’ which will be taking part in the Republic Day celebrations. We chatted with RR on what to expect.
Over the years, this has to be one of your most unique and prestigious collaborations. Tell us how it came about...
The brand focus has always been bespoke clothing for men but over the last few years we have specialised in high-end uniform design for corporates and unique institutions — Jio World Centre, almost all the top five-star hotels including ITC, Imperial Hotel, Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur, and Claridges, to name a few. The brand now has the propensity to be one of the top uniform design services globally, making it a one-stop shop for complicated uniforms at competitive prices.
What was the brief?
The brief was to design with an inclusive mindset, keeping in mind the legacy of the BSF uniforms and the symbolism that needed to be projected. We designed for BSF’s first-ever women contingent riding camels along with their male counterparts.
What did you have in mind when you first set out?
The most important factor was to make sure that it had an inclusive design touch in addition to a design where men and women could not be differentiated and could stand on an equal ground.
Can you take us through the details?
The founding inspiration for the silhouette of the uniform were the Jodhpuri breeches while also maintaining the emphasis on the bandhgala. More details including zari trims and hand techniques done across India were added to the design, paired with accessories like the ‘paag’ (headgear from the Mewar region), all of which came together to finish the final look.
On many levels, this must have been very satisfying...
Yes, and we are deeply honoured to serve the heroes who serve our nation, as it gave us the opportunity to create a design that will be a part of the BSF culture forever.
Have the ladies seen or tried on the clothes?
They have worn the uniforms for the BSF Raising Day so far.
What did they say?
The design was greatly appreciated, and the team was felicitated for doing the nation proud through the unique partnership.
After so many years of menswear and the occasional womenswear, what do you consider to be a game-changer in both?
Understanding the customer and the ever-changing consumer behaviour in selecting lifestyle products is critical for any designer brand that wants to quickly adapt to these shifting market forces.
Should we even ask you which is tougher?
The world of fashion is cyclical, giving enough time to correct and evolve the thought process behind collections or designs, making it a rare industry where the degree of difficulty can be ironed out easily.
What else can we expect in 2023?
Growth through collaborations of all kinds for the customer base which is high-end.
Raghavendra Rathore
The most important factor was to make sure that it had an inclusive design touch in addition to a design where men and women could not be differentiated and could stand on an equal ground.The founding inspiration for the silhouette of the uniform were the Jodhpuri breeches while also maintaining the emphasis on the bandhgala. More details including zari trims and hand techniques done across India were added to the design, paired with accessories like the ‘paag’ (headgear from the Mewar region), all of which came together to finish the final look.They have worn the uniforms for the BSF Raising Day so far — Raghavendra Rathore
