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| Sunday, 5 October 2003 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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By Farah Macan Markar "Women are my greatest inspiration. I'm a male designer who does women's clothes. If not for women I wouldn't be here. Behind my every success, lies a beautiful woman. To me, the woman is the diamond.
As a designer I'm merely the diamond polisher, enhancing her beauty with my garments. Clothes should complement the individual. I want every woman who wears my clothes to feel special, like a Princess. When wearing my clothes she should feel something magical. That is the secret behind my success" says Fashion Stylist, Choreographer, Teacher and one of India's foremost Fashion Designers, Hemant Trevedi. Dressed in an orange bush shirt, chatting over a cup of coffee at the Colombo Plaza, the soft, lilting voice, gives no hint as to the struggle and effort behind it. An aftermath of his life threatening accident three years ago. His inner struggle with speech, need of spectacles, and life time scars on his upper arm and back, however, are not the only kind of aftermath. There is another, in the form of his rejuvenated spirit, inner strength and belief, which has pulled him through to where he is today. Hemant loves Sri Lanka, its countryside, cultural heritage and people. "People are amazed when I tell them...Yes...I have been to Dambulla, I've been to Galle, I've been to Kandalama and so on. No I have not been to Jaffna or Trincomalee yet, but there's always tomorrow. I find it fascinating that such a small country can have such a vast diversity in nature. Each place I've been to is so different from the other and each has its own richness" says Hemant. Loving it as he does, he makes special trips here, other than for work, and has even come here for Christmas. This time round, however, he's back on our shores for business. Being apart of the Advisory Board for Lanka Institute of Fashion Technology (LIFT) Hemant is here to see to matters regarding LIFT's year end fashion show "Sri Lankan Identity" which will be happening on October 9th, at the Colombo Plaza. Hemant together with four others will also judge the works (which are of the one year Diploma in Fashion Design completed, 25 students). Says Hemant "LIFT wants to promote Sri Lankan talent in designing and make its students proud of its culture as you can see from this year's show theme. You cannot be a designer overnight, or in just a year. But these young pupils will get the experience of a fashion show, a chance to come up with something creative of their own, boost self confidence and nurture their talent". Teaching for Hemant goes hand in hand with designing. Having graduated from the Australian Technical Institute of Fashion Design and had further education in the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, to becoming a world renown successful designer, Hemant believes in passing along his knowledge and experiences to others. With 25 years of experience in teaching behind him (being a Design Professor at S.N.D.T. University, Mumbai, India), Hemant says he's always been a teacher and always wanted to be one. "To teach what I do is the greatest gift any fashion designer can give. This is why I am with LIFT. To impart knowledge to Sri Lankan students". Hemant first came to Sri Lanka to present his own collection "From India with Love" at the Taj Samudra. Recalls Trevedi "A ramp was made over the swimming pool which created a spectacular effect". It was during this stay Hemant was impressed with a model whom he describes as "Stunning" stalking the cat walk at another fashion show. This was Otara with whom he later developed a friendship, invited to model in one of his shows and dressed as a bride, which was his first Sri Lankan bride. The Trevedi-Otara friendship, still intact, some of Trevedi's own designer wear, selected by Chandiram herself, will be out for the first time in Sri Lanka, at ODEL, as soon as, Hemant says, "A Month". Based on Trevedi's collection "Divisional Paradox" which he presented in Germany 2002, it will have 80-90 pieces of "Simple Outfits" of "High Fashion", in colours of ivory, burgundy and ebony set in intricate designs of what is generally seen as against the norm in garment design, "horizontal" lines. Says Hemant "I like going against the norm, doing things differently, my way. That's partly why I chose horizontal lines. It's a challenge. I am honoured that a fashion outlet like ODEL has the belief of selling my clothes in it. Otara asked me before, but I couldn't at the time, for my accident". Trevedi's recovery from the accident in 2000, which put him in a coma for a month, was nothing short of a miracle. Speaking of it today Hemant says five things pulled him through. 1.God-who made him live 2.His Inner Strength-which he believes can get a person whatever he wants 3.The medical team-who worked tirelessly on him 4.The love of friends and strangers who took care, came to see, and left prayers of healing in his hotel diary. 5.The news that Lara Dutta whom he trained and designed wardrobe, won Miss Universe (2000). Beginning with Aishwarya Rai whom he trained and created wardrobe for in 1994, when she won Miss World, (who still SMS's him), Hemant has designed winning wardrobes for a number of Miss Worlds, a Miss Universe (Lara Dutta), a Miss Asia Pacific, and has even been a judge in the 2000 Miss World. Designing for Hemant, is neither a profession, nor a hobby. "Nothing I do is short time" says Hemant "I want what I do to be classic. I want to be a classic. Designing is my life. My only involvement". Liking to do formal wear, as there's more scope, although Trevedi does not believe it to be a must to use beads and embroidery, he uses it cause he is an Indian and beads and embroidery are a part of Indian culture. "I studied abroad. My family live abroad. But I have settled in India, cause it's my country and I love and am inspired by its colours, sounds and smells" says Hemant. Living in a two bed-roomed apartment with a balcony full of plants, in his leisure, Hemant loves listening to music, keeping house (does all the cleaning on his own) and travelling. "I love to travel. It is an expensive hobby, but it enriches my life, opening to me new worlds, of different people, living different lifestyles with different ideas. I've been as far as Mexico and Guyana, to exotic places such as Venice and the highlands of Scotland". So what does the Fashion Designer himself like to wear? "He likes simple, easy comfortable clothes. In formal occasions-black or white. At home-shorts" says Hemant. |
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