Amit Aggarwal: I Like to Think of Myself as an Artist Because Fashion Truly is a Medium of Expression

A new world of endless possibilities, defines Amit Aggarwal’s design journey best. As an artist and designer, Amit is one of India’s most experimental creators who genuinely looks like he loves what he does.

After garnering love for two successful stores in India, Amit has opened doors to his third flagship store in DLF Emporio in Delhi. The launch was attended by friends from the film and fashion industry including evergreen superstar Zeenat Aman and actor Uorfi Javed, among others. Surrounded by friends of the brand, Amit Aggarwal with the help of his craft created a space that feels like a moment in time, ready to make new memories.

Speaking to News18, Amit Aggarwal about creating a unique design language that transcends barriers, picking the unconventional colour black to enhance his store interiors and the impact of celebrity sourcing in the world of fashion.

Excerpts from the interview:

Creativity has always been at the centre stage in all your collections. What drives your design sensibilities and how do you stay relevant in today’s social media life?

I have always been inspired by the fantastical and ethereal elements in nature and everything I see around myself. Sometimes that can be the creatures of the ocean, a tree outside my window, or a lady walking past an architectural marvel. I believe inspiration can be found wherever you look, I just tend to see it from a much more microscopic lens and delve into it deeply. This approach is what you see in our couture collections as well as on our social media.

As a brand we have never focussed on just selling garments to our patrons, rather we wish to create to take them on an experiential journey that is the world of Amit Aggarwal and storytelling has always been an important part of it. We do this through our concepts and social media becomes another medium of expression for sharing our narrative and helps us extend this experience to patrons beyond just our stores and clothes and straight to their screens at home.

Form and function are two integral aspects of your collections. When did you realise that this would be the stars of your brand?

My ideas about form, function and structure took shape by observing my father working on his engineering projects. I was intrigued by the aesthetics of his complex mathematical blueprints and I would make similar drawings with coloured chalk on the walls of my house. It was something I enjoyed more than anything else as a kid and what stayed with me from those times is an understanding of how simple units come together to make a whole.

Amit Aggarwal the designer or Amit Aggarwal the artist, how do you manage to create wearable art and make it viable for the fashion industry?

When I started the brand, my vision was to create a unique design language that transcends barriers. I like to think of myself as an artist because fashion truly is a medium of expression and I believe everyone who wears an Amit Aggarwal is saying that I celebrate myself. That is the seed idea I design with.

I use fashion as but one mode of expressing my art through the design language I have established and this flows very organically across different forms of art which I hope to explore.

With your third brand new store in India, tell us about the thought that went into creating the Delhi store?

When I started putting plans for the new store together, my vision was to craft a space that feels like a moment in time. One that absorbs you into the brand experience and is yet reflective of your own interpretations. A blank canvas, where the possibilities are endless.

The walls of the store is coloured in black, what made you decide to pick an unconventional colour which is a rare shade, most stores would pick?

To me black is reflective of infinity, where nothing limits you and your own imagination defines your path. I wanted people to go on a journey when they entered the space, similar to being in a meditative void.

For this I leaned into the paradox of the surface of the dark deep sea that is calm on the surface yet carries an entire unknown thriving ecosystem within it. Using a juxtaposition of surfaces, where the jagged textures of charcoal sand textured walls blend seamlessly into fluid metallic wavy curves, the gleaming flooring emanates walking on the deep layers of the abyss, reflecting the world that floats above it.

The ceiling, a serene oblivion of black with little sparkles reminiscent of stars on a moonless night as it reflects off the boundless mass of the waters. The beauty of black is that the same colour when used on different materials and with different lighting can absorb light and also reflect light and this truly made it the perfect choice for what I wanted to create.

What’s that one thing that Amit Aggarwal likes celebrating in fashion and does it reflect in every collection he creates?

I like celebrating the joy of everyday. The nothingness of fleeting moments. The people who cross your path and the awe inspiring elements of nature and science all around us.

From Priyanka Chopra Jonas to Ananya Panday, your designs have been adorned by an array of celebrities. Does celebrity sourcing make an impactful difference in the business of fashion too?

I definitely think they make an impact in the way of communicating the feeling couture is made with and how it is a celebration of the self. These remarkable women have built a community around themselves and I think seeing them in the outfits inspires those who love them to also understand the philosophy and emotion intended with each ensemble.

When you are not designing, what’s that one thing you enjoy doing?

When I am not working, I love spending time with my partner and dogs. I also make it a point to try and plan quick getaways to explore untapped parts of the world. In solitude I spend my time sketching which I believe is truly my outlet of expression.

If you had to change one thing in the fashion industry today, what would it be and why?

I don’t believe in trends. If I could change one thing it would be to shift focus from trend based fashion to timeless fashion that is relevant for years to come. Nothing is more sustainable than loving and re-wearing clothes that stand the test of time.

If you had to tell something to your younger self, like when you started out, what would it be?

Follow your heart and the rest will flow.

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