Brother Manoj Bajpayee pushed me into designing: Poonam Dubey

Poonam Dubey, who debuted on the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) runway Saturday, says her elder brother, actor Manoj Bajpayee, pushed her to pursue her dream of becoming a fashion designer.

"Manoj has always given me full support in whatever I did. Today, I am what I am because of him. When I completed my graduation, he was the only person who pulled me out of our village in Bihar and told me, 'You have such caliber, why can't you do the fashion designing?' He asked me to follow him and come to Delhi and pursue designing," the designer told IANS.

Even for her debut show Saturday, Manoj did his duty by tweeting his support for her via microblogging site Twitter.

"My sister Poonam Dubey is showing her design at the fashion show in Delhi. So excited. Catch the show if you are in Delhi. Self made," Manoj had tweeted in the morning.

Dubey came to Delhi in 1992. During her initial years, she stayed with Manoj in Laxmi Nagar in East Delhi for two to three years.

Did he take fashion tips from her too?

"Yes. For many occasions and functions in my hometown, everybody looked at me and asked for tips," said Dubey, who has been in the design industry for the past 20 years.

Her collection for WIFW was titled Desert Rose. She found her inspiration for it in the craftsmanship, weaves and colours from the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

"A desert is often associated with a barren piece of land that is unused and unsuitable for any productive activity. However, for me this is an inspiration, where thousands of people survive even in extreme conditions," said Dubey.

"Though daily activities in such regions might seem tedious to an outsider, but for the locals, it is a celebration of a gift called life. They celebrate with full fervour and jubilation," she added.

Her collection incorporates techniques like tie-and-dye, embellished with artistic mirror work and prints. The fabrics used in the collection vary from chanderi, khadi, silk, mulmul and cheese cotton in an assorted colour palette of ivory, mustard, indigo and brown.

"Women in such regions dress up more than women do in urban areas. Despite the climatic conditions, women adorn themselves in beautiful ghagras with motifs, colourful cholis and dupattas. This beautiful ensemble of clothes is again teamed up with bangles that go all the way till their shoulders," said the designer, who captured her inspiration well in her show.