Varun Bahl: 'Knew I was going to be in fashion by the time I was in grade six or seven'

VARUN Bahl had a typical upper class Delhi Punjabi upbringing, with all the privileges it brought with it. A well-to-do family in the business of exporting garments, schooling at Modern School, and supportive parents who were only too glad to see him sign up for National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), New Delhi.

“I knew that I was going to be in fashion by the time I was in grade six or seven. I was always surrounded by samples at home. My parents were such a well-dressed and elegant couple especially when they went to dinners and weddings. We were really quite the ideal family, even doing all our businesses together, like my brothers’ food malls,” Bahl, 47, says.

So much of this beauty and perfection that surrounded him has translated into his collections. It isn’t for nothing that Bahl is called the “couturier of flowers”. His embroideries are lush with beautiful, European-style floral motifs, grand embellishments and, now, patchwork embroideries and applique. His colours are quiet and sophisticated thanks to his luxurious but tasteful sensibilities. I always say when you think you’ve seen enough of kitsch and bling in Indian bridalwear, turn to Varun Bahl – few get Indian couture to be as refined as he does. He is like a palate cleanser.

Few will recall that Bahl actually made his debut in fashion in 2001, and not 2004, when he first showcased at the Lakme India Fashion Week in New Delhi. He was commissioned By Ensemble’s Tina Tahiliani Parikh, quite the career-maker in Indian fashion, to make a small capsule collection for her Mumbai boutique. “Ensemble was reopening after some renovations and had planned an elaborate party. When she invited me, Tina told me that she had a surprise for me. I was thrilled to see my clothes were displayed on the mannequins upfront, with stalwarts like Rohit Bal and others behind,” Bahl recalls. It was a head rush, and he could barely contain his glee. Sensible, young Bahl decided to slow things down for a while. “I wanted to study a little more. I wanted to learn all there was to learn about this business. I wanted to come back ready for it,” he avers.

Then, in 2004, he was invited to show at Milan Fashion Week and White in Italy. Bahl, who made elaborate and embellished western wear then, was honoured with the most creative collection award there. This was a summer line. By the end of the year, he would be making his grand India fashion week debut.

There was such a tizzy when he presented his first fashion show in India. Fashion week was already a handful of years old, taking shape rather steadfastly. Sabyasachi had had a smashing debut just a few years prior, and the country was on the edge waiting for the next sensation to arrive. Bahl came closest to satiating that hungry fashion watcher. His debut collection was sensational.

“I’m grateful my brother nudged me to showcase in India. After Milan, I was already selling in 40-45 stores in Europe, but the market was on a decline. The Indian fashion customer was just growing,” he explains.

He made the switch to designing lehengas or India’s money-shot bridalwear. “It made sense as my work was steeped in Indian crafts and arts and techniques. I never thought I would be making lehengas, but let me tell you, they are the toughest things in the world to design. I mean, how many times can you keep designing lehengas and making them look new?” he laughs. “Indian couture is a fabulous space. It is your sensibility married to your fantasy.

Bahl’s collections now are based on beauty with a little whimsy. “I like unpredictability in my clothes, I’ll take two days to make a motif so it can capture my two different moods. This also allow me balance in my clothing, there’s a balance in colour, embroidery and a little edge factor too. And yes, there are 50 different techniques in one outfit.”

During the pandemic, Bahl began to experiment with upcycling. It’s now his mantra as he has enjoyed it so much. “I’ve run out of leftover swatches so now I’m actually creating swatches to make clothes out of. I love putting bits of me from the past, present and future all patched together. It’s also making me ask people to wear couture in the day, to wear it as separates. I like the idea of using one little thing in various different ways,” he smiles.

Bahl, despite living in far-off Delhi, has been a steady favourite with movie stars. He has dressed Madhuri Dixit, Karisma Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan.

He introduced Rashmika Mandanna to Delhi’s fashion crowd when he got her to walk on his runway last year. He had even launched a successful menswear line with his one-time good pal Karan Johar, its debut had Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan on the runway. “That was a lovely collaboration. It lasted three-four years and then Karan got busy with his films,” Bahl explains.

Bahl’s focus is in expanding his label across India. He says his luxury pret line is going to “explode” all over India by this year’s end. He also wants to open more stores, and reopen a space in Mumabi which he had lost during the pandemic. And he would like to return to Aurum too, his wedding decor company which took a backseat as it took him away from his first love: making clothes.

Namrata Zakaria is a seasoned writer and editor, and a chronicler of social and cultural trends. Her first book, on late fashion designer Wendell Rodricks’ Moda Goa museum, is due to be published shortly. Zakaria is especially known for her insider’s take on fashion, luxury and social entrepreneurship in India. Her writing is appreciated for shaping opinions, busting myths, making reputations and sometimes breaking the odd career. Zakaria is also involved in putting together philanthropic efforts in the field of economic and environmental sustainability.

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