Celebrated designer hosts pop-up and appearance at Holt Renfrew in Vancouver
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Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s designs blend India’s rich artisan history with modern flair.
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The creations, he says, speak a specific Sabyasachi language: “Ornate yet controlled, expressive yet grounded,” he explains. “A balance of maximalist exuberance with minimalist restraint.”
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The designer, who founded his eponymous brand in 1999, will be taking part in a personal appearance (May 2, 1-4 p.m.) at Holt Renfrew Vancouver. A selection of the designer’s accessories will also be at the store at 737 Dunsmuir St. from May 1-31. The curated collection of handmade handbags includes intricate embroidery, Italian leather and gold-plated hardware.
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We caught up with Mukherjee to learn more.
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West Coast Table
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Q: How would you describe your design esthetic?
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A: My esthetic is shaped by a life lived in transit, gathering impressions, histories, and emotions from across the world. I have always considered myself a global nomad. Travel, for me, is not about movement alone but about discovering the quiet nuances of commonality in culture, craft and memory revealed from immersion in a foreign space.
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My language that is unmistakably Indian, yet globally conversant. Every influence, whether drawn from Europe, the Middle East, or the Far East is filtered through an Indian lens. India remains my grammar, my point of view, and my anchor.
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The work does not belong to a single geography. It is layered, eclectic, and deeply personal. It’s a place where the past and present, the local and the global, coexist with ease.
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Q: What inspires your creations, especially this collection for Holt Renfrew?
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A: This accessory collection at Holt Renfrew is a study in contrast. In India, clothing is often soft, fluid, and unstructured, alive with print and pattern. I wanted to create bags that offer a counterpoint, pieces with strength, structure, and graphic clarity. They lend a certain discipline to the romance of Indian dress.
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For an international audience, the sensibility is often more restrained: solid colours, clean lines, a certain quietness. Here, I wanted to introduce a sense of occasion through embroidery and embellishment, accessories that carry panache, without disrupting that restraint.
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It is a dialogue between softness and structure, ornament and minimalism; an exploration of how cultures dress, and how they might complement each other to create a personal style.
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Q: Are there any hero pieces?
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A: The heroes of this collection are technique and form. The embroidered bags stand out, they bring together fine leather craftsmanship with the richness of Indian embroidery, where surface and structure exist in harmony.
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Conversely, the Calcutta Sling emerges as a defining silhouette. It reflects the more minimal side of the brand, refined, precise, and rooted in exceptional leatherwork. It offers a quiet counterpoint to the exuberance of highly decorative clothing.
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Q: What makes Canada a good market for Sabyasachi?
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A: Canada feels like a natural extension of the World of Sabyasachi. There is the significant South Asian community that shares an inherent cultural connection with the brand.
