Be bold, be brave: A foreigner's message for Indian designers

Indian designers can achieve a lot more in the international market if they take craftsmanship to a different level and become a tad bolder and crazier with designs, says Lisa Lang, founder of Germany-based ElektroCouture, a fashion technology house which pioneered bespoke innovative electronic wearable technology for the fashion.

"I can see huge potential in Indian designers, but I would like to see them challenging themselves to be little bold and crazy. I see designers putting so much energy here, but they can do more. The great thing is you (Indian designers) have substance and infrastructure, so I just want you to go little bit more crazy," Lang told IANS on the sidelines of the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) Summer-Resort edition.

ElektroCouture made its Indian ramp debut in association with six other international designers at LFW with a sensational high-tech digital electronic fashion fantasy show.

Lang said: "There are a couple of designers I have seen and I am going to sit down with them and talk about the future perspective with. My message to Indian designers is to be bold and be brave. If you want to lead a change, you have to take risks... You have to be brave enough to be different.

"You guys are so out there in terms of colours, but I think when it comes to tradition and mixing new patterns, you can do more. I would love to see techniques applied to more modern patterns. I am saying this in terms of international and global modernity and I think it is possible."

Lang is known for bringing creative minds together to create new, innovative and beautiful products.

Raised in a Franconian craftsman family, she has studied art, new media, and international business management. More than 10 years into her technology and media career, she has lived and worked all around the world, gaining a reputation for being a game-changer in digital product and media innovation.

Lang, who established ElektroCouture in 2014, and is also a mentor to several European hardware start-ups, says "India as a market makes absolute sense" for her brand.

"Lakme Fashion Week invited us and I can see huge potential here in the market because what we do on a daily basis is like bringing fashion and technology together and we have both of that here, so it makes total sense for us to come here.

"You have (India has) technology, a long tradition and design. I can't emphasise enough how important craftsmanship is for me, because we are into high fashion. We hand-stitch pearls as well as micro chips. I think fashion is a very emotional subject and we use emotions to produce designs."

She has loved her maiden visit to the country, and India's "patterns and bold colours" have left her spellbound.

"In Germany, people are not so bold enough, so I love colours in India and I love big and bold patterns," added Lang, who wants to stay in India longer and is hoping to associate with Indian designers.

How about bringing her forte to the world-famous Bollywood too?

"That would be so fantastic! I am such a Bollywood fan since years. If that happens, then that would be my dream come true. It's on my bucket list," she said, concluding that she has been enjoying exchanging hugs as Indian are very open to it unlike Germans who are a "bit stiff" at times.

(The writer's trip is at the invitation of Lakme Fashion Week organisers. Nivedita can be contacted at nivedita.s@ians.in)