His is a young mind engaged in the pursuit of heritage and history. A scion of a historic lineage that wants to keep his family legacy of nurturing craft clusters alive. Employing master weavers and creating what can best be called threads that celebrate history. Meet Deep Khatri, the young couturier behind Khatri designs.
Deep Khatri, who belongs to the ancient lineage Somvansh, spends all his life promoting what he believes is the only true form of fashion in India: Slow fashion. “Our country is steeped in handcraft and a legacy of artisanal luxe that far surpasses any.”
The seat of power of the ancient Kartavirya Arjuna, who was a king of an ancient Haihayas kingdom with capital at Mahishmati, which is on the banks of Narmada river in the current state of Madhya Pradesh, the empire disintegrated much before the advent of colonial times. And, many members of the family then got engaged in creating craft clusters and weavers villages. Like Deep’s ancestors whose footsteps he dutifully follows.
“I take my inspirations from vintage art, royal costuming and historic architecture from around the world including India and its re-emergence in the modern couture and present-day luxury vocabulary,›› he says.
Hence his design story is all about working with the weavers of Maheshwar and Paithan, two regions his family nurtured the weavers of. While he himself loves Patolas of Patan, Gharcholas of Gujarat and Ambi Kairi weaves of Varanasi. Also a designer, he adds the design element creating shoes for men that are duly embellished with zardoz, lehengas. “I don›t call myself a designer, rather I am an artist who is engaged in promoting any kind of artform that catches my eye and soothes my aesthetics and I am compelled to work for,” he says.
“For me, the Indian heritage, royal architecture and vintage jewellery are that segment of inspiration, which drives my thought process whenever I decide to design something. I don›t really like and believe in ‘fast fashion’ and mass retail because for me fashion is the most personalised visual of an individual which best describes its muse. Craft-oriented designing, keeping things simple and grand at the same time, classic for that vintage look, are the stylistic identity of our brand.”
Besides creating masterpieces for his own couture studio, he also works with artist Ravidarshan Vyas of Gondol to co-create an art story called Suramya, or wearable fashion. In this brand they together create digital prints based on Vyas’s art that further get tailored into shirts, saris and odhnas. “Ravi bhai is deeply inspired by the era of Ravi Varma’s residency in Baroda. The Rajya Vaid from Gondol, he works closely to re ignite the aura of this era, whilst I interpret into art that you can literally wear on your sleeve.”
A young mind that thinks old and recreates the ancient, Deep is quietly winning the title of a conservationist.