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Q. Why did you choose men’s wear?

A.There are a lot of people who design women’s wear.

When I entered this field, I felt that there was a lot of gap in men’s wear in terms of design. So the whole idea was to do something different. Men don’t have to wear the same old shirt and trousers when they have to attend a wedding or an anniversary. They can try something new.

Q. What is the unique piece for Spring-Summer collec-tion in 2016?

A. Spring is all about colours. When we think about sum-mers, it is lot about fruity colours. I have mainly used lime, yellow, and floral prints so that it gives a pepped up look to the garments. We have also used cotton prints, which have been really appreciated. Youngsters don’t like to wear kurta pajama every day. We have tried to bridge the gap by giving them a printed Jodhpuri coat with denims and trousers.

Q. How do you balance creativity with commerce?

In men’s wear, you have to be cautious. Men generally don’t want to try out different colours and prints. So I have to design stuff which is saleable. At the end of the day if you don’t sell, creativity doesn’t make any sense. Since creativity and commerce have to meet somewhere, I have to be careful about the border line.

This season we have sold a lot of coral colours because coral is not really pink or a bright orange. It is something in be-tween. We focus on something, which is not available in the market. It may be a nice button or a different collar.

Q. You worked in Raymond for two years. Why did you start your own store?

A. When I was in Raymond I noticed blue and black were the colours that ruled men’s wear. Gradually the fabric industry came up and different colours were used even in Raymond’s. There was a lot of brainstorming going on at that time. When you have your own label, you can do whatever you like to do. You can try out innovative designs in your own way.

Q. What are the initial challenges you faced when you started your own store?

A. It wasn’t really that difficult because I had good clients.They trusted me. The main challenge is to make men try new things. Two years back, cropped trousers were not in vogue.Men preferred something loose rather than the Italian fit. But I always tried to convince them that the fashion industry is all about changing trends. Fortunately, the trend changes and cropped trousers are so much in fashion these days. Now we sell a lot of crop tops and Italian fits.

Q.What prompted you to make Jawahar jackets and Bandhgalas?

A. At times, little traditional touch adds to the glow. The mo-ment you make a person wear a blazer and a bow, it gives a western look. When you wear shirt and trouser, it gives a very casual look. But when we add a little bandhgala to the piece, it gives an authentic, Indian look. Bandhgala, whether it is in a kurta or in a shirt or in a jodhpuri coat, adds a little Rajput machismo. It connects us to the Indian culture. We are focusing on bandhgalas because it makes you look smart and is in great demand.

Q. What sparked your interest in fashion?

A. I used to see people dressing up and I felt there was some-thing lacking. I loved to do a lot of sketches and gradually I was attracted to this profession.