Take us through your journey in the fashion industry?I joined NIFT in 1994 and ever since I have been associated with the

industry. Before joining NIFT I worked for a while with David Abraham,

known for his tremendous work in the field of textiles. ®

Your first memory of design?An hour’s drive from my home town in Rajasthan there is this small town

called Kalibanga. As a child I was always smitten by the architecture

of the old constructions there. In fact, it is now a place of great

archaeological interest. I have been there innumerable times and as far

as my memory goes, this town is where I find the root of my interest in

design.

What do you like the most about your job?Designing clothes and creating and experimenting with new things every

day.

If you weren’t in the fashion business what would you be doing?I can never be sure of this. But could have been an architect – as I

love creating, or maybe a farmer or into adventure sports as I love

mountaineering and trekking.

What’s the most expensive piece of clothing in your wardrobe?I won’t be able to tell you how expensive – but once we made this

collection in pure cashmere. And due to the yarn and tedious garment-

making process the products turned out to be so exorbitant that we

couldn’t find any buyers [laughs]. So, I have one of those rejects as the

most expensive pair of trousers.

Where did you shop last? I don’t shop for myself often, maybe once a year I step out. A few days

back I happened to be in Milan for some work, and that’s when I shopped

a little. Shopping is a very tiring experience.

Your preferred denim brand/s?I only wear clothes that are a reject of my collections – it’s convenient.

But Levi’s 501 is something great they have created in denims.

Who would you want to see in the clothes designed by you? I don’t care much about celebrities wearing my clothes, but there are some people in

my life, whom I respect for what they are. And such people when they wear what I make,

gives me a kick. Although, when I learnt that my favourite musician JJ Cale happens to

wear my label, I thought, I can retire now!

Some of your non-work interests or hobbies?There’s really nothing that excites me except my work.

Your favourite city to buy denims?It’s got to be Tokyo. Some lesser known denim brands in that city make the best

denims in the world.

What makes you the happiest at work?To be constructing something new. To be able to find a solution to

obstacles at work. A positive contribution in some way.

Favourite fashion era for denims according to you was...?It’s now. Every fashion decade has got some reference by which it is

defined. Since I am born in this era I can only relate to this time, and

like to create some good work in this one.

What kind of music do you listen to?I am stuck in the sixties and seventies as far as music is concerned. I

listen to rock and roll bands from those decades. I also like Nirvana from

the nineties and the Radiohead band from recent times.

DEAR RAJESH...

If any celebrity epitomises the adjectives reticent and unsocial, it has to be designer Rajesh Pratap Singh. Being the Shy Guy of the Indian fashion industry, Singh is known for making his own fabrics on looms and thoughtfully engineered garments. He is also known to create a wave at the Paris Fashion Week with his critically acclaimed SS 2009 line. Recently, he completed a denim line in collaboration with Arvind Ltd. BY SHWETA JAIN

114 sportswear international india | ending january 2012 I check out I rajesh pratap singh

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