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The Rediff Interview/Shahab Durazi

'I'm uncomfortable in the limelight'

Shahab Durazi is different. That is what makes him stand apart from the rest in India's hyperactive high fashion scene where hype and hoopla reign supreme. Yet for a whole lot of stylish people Durazi is the ultimate fashion statement. Cool, understated, amazingly original. In an interview to Pritish Nandy, Durazi says he like privacy

How have you so successfully managed to stay out of the hugely aggressive hoopla of the contemporary fashion scene in India?

It was not so difficult really. I stayed away from the press, from all the hype that it generated and persisted with my own low key approach to fashion. Luckily it worked. Frankly, I like my space, I like my privacy, and I like not to be in the news. That has helped more than anything else.

This industry is so hyped up today that I often feel unnerved by it. I am not someone who enjoys the limelight. I am actually uncomfortable in it.

I do not want to be recognised by what people write about me. I want to be recognised only by my work. That is what I strive to achieve. I am very shy. In fact, I am a complete introvert. I like to do my own thing and do it quietly and enjoy it.

Don't you find this completely at odds with your calling, where everyone is desperate to draw attention to his or her own work?

Yes, I do. I feel like a fish out of water. In the kind of line that I am in, you are always required to be in the news, you are required to be seen in the right places every evening. But I have somehow managed to buck that trend. I look for happiness and excitement in my own way, in what I do. I try to excel in my work and search for fulfillment within.

But your very business contradicts that. Most designers show onstage what people will never ever wear. The idea is to draw attention to one's work by showcasing the outer. The actual work these designers sell is invariably less outlandish than what they showcase and certainly, certainly more wearable.

But not in my case, Pritish. That is why I am often typecast as classic, boring, conservative. I really enjoy designing clothes that people would wear, not talk about. Nor strut around in. That is why what I put on the ramp is what I sell in the stores. I would never put on the ramp stuff that would get me headlines in the newspapers the next morning. We are not so mature an industry as yet, in India, that we can afford to put out clothes that only have hanger appeal. You have to have clothes that are actually wearable. The skill lies in designing clothes that offer a technical edge over our Western competitors.

Clothes are only there to complement your personality. Not to make you stand out like a Christmas tree. I do not see it as a compliment when someone recognises a Shahab Durazi wear. I think it is a far better compliment when someone wears my clothes and is complimented on how nice he or she looks. That is when I feel I have succeeded. My clothes should be worn by people to reflect their personality. That is the essence of a Shahab Durazi. That is why I like people to walk into a store and pick up something that I have designed and wear it exactly as they want to. I do not want to impose on them or on their personality. That is the way I look at design.

Why don't you have your own Shahab Durazi stores?

I want to concentrate more on my designs than on retailing or marketing. I would rather branch out in different lines and reach out to more people than focus on selling. That is not my area of interest or competence. As a designer, I want to reach out to more people. To different strata of society, different age groups, different kind of people.

Easily done. Go pret a porter instead of being so expensive.

You are right. I want to do that more and more.

Who is your typical buyer?

Assertive people who know their minds. People who know what exactly they want to wear, how they want to look. I am not pandering to anyone who wants to come to me for help. If you know what you want, I am there to help you get it.

You mean you are designing for somebody who knows exactly how he or she wants to look?

Absolutely. I want those kind of people who can use my clothing to make their own personal statements. I do not want to make statements on their behalf.

So no over-the-top, outlandish stuff for you? Nothing outrageous ever?

Never. I hate that kind of stuff. I would never do work like that even if that is what people wanted from me. That is why I never liked Versace or Jean Paul Gaultier.

Who are your favourite designers?

I like Asha Sarabhai's work in India. Overseas, I like Georgio Armani. He is my favourite. I love his classic lines. I also like Valentino and Ferre.

But their styles are completely at odds?

Ferre is a genius, the way he constructs, the way he drapes. There is complete ingenuity out there. Armani I actually admire for his style. For his clever marketing, for having positioned himself so well in different segments of the market. That's really reaching out, if you ask me. Through multiple levels of design. Multiple levels of merchandising, endorsements. He is more a businessman than a designer. But I like the way he handles his brand.

For instance, Armani does not believe in using well known models like Cindy Crawford or Naomi Campbell because he believes that they will distract from the essence of his work. That is exactly the way I feel. There should be no distractions. Your work must speak for itself. You do not need famous models to promote your work if it is good enough. You do not need to create so much hype. You do not need to shout. If your work is good, people will reach out for it. That is my conviction.

How would you describe your work? How is it different from the rest, apart from being (as you say) introspective and classical?

I am probably the only Indian designer who does both men's wear and women's wear. I only design Western clothing, predominantly high priced collections and I have been surviving on that for so long. I am also the only designer who cuts and drafts every design that is manufactured under his brand name. Most designers in India begin with Western wear but eventually start making Indian wear because at the price range in which I sell one has to be very good to compete with Western wear from all over the world. And that is not easy. Particularly when you are selling classic cuts like I do.

Does Durazi come from the word darzi?

That is a common mistake. The answer is no. Durazi comes from Duraz, a small town in Bahrain from where my father's father came. My mother's family came from Iran.

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