One day in Delhi, the next at Kolkata and then flying to UK, Sabya as he is lovingly called is a designer who has his hands and appointment book full. It is hard work to be perfect but it is harder to maintain that perfection and this designer is striving to achieve it. Sabyasachi Mukherjee takes some time out to give our readers a quick interview.

Sabyasachi (you) is a designer who has revived crafts and creations which existed during the times of the Kings and the Nizams. How easy or difficult is it, to do it perfectly and so well?

Traditional crafts are very important to me, such as Khadi.They are the soul and DNA of my brand. My brand supports many weaving communities in India which were dying out and although I don’t want to sound like somebody on a social mission, it gives me the greatest joy and fulfillment when my company contributes to the revival of an entire crafts village.

Two years when I went on a trip to Pochampally to source cotton and silk sarees. It is there that I realised that a family of four makes less than Rs 4,000 a month. Half the money is eaten by middleman and also because of pressures of the fashion industry have a big impact on it as well. The handloom industry is a slowly dying industry because very few Indian designers patronise Indian textiles. That’s when I decided to pick the cost as part of a CSR initiative of curating and reviving Indian sarees and selling them at zero overhead business model with only inclusion of freight, local taxes and packaging.

Tell us about the new season of your show Band Baajaa Bride?

Every season we try to explore new avenues, new romances, different kinds of brides, back stories, ways of shooting and even styling and we try to be progressive with different kinds of wedding concepts.

The biggest challenge is always timelines! Trying to coordinate 13 brides in a span of three months and make sure we cater to each of their whim and fancy can sometimes be a very hair raising experience. This season we’re dressing up both the bride and the groom, and not just mentoring the bride on physical beauty but in inner beauty and the evolving their mind as well. Also we’re looking at taboo subjects like second marriages and so on, its all very interesting.

How would you describe an ideal Sabyasachi bride ?

An ideal Sabyasachi bride is someone who holds a job, is intelligent and has a mind of her own, is respectful towards her family, traditions and those people around her.

How much time does it take for you to complete one heavy bridal outfit?

It takes upto 3 months for bridal outfits.

Do you remember the first bridal collection you designed? When did you know that dressing brides is the job for you?

In my early years I was doing the New York circuit and was getting restless for recognition on home front in India. That’s when I felt I need to do something back home as pressure to get recognized in my country was getting a lot to me.

In India to be respected as a fashion designer you are expected to make a statement with western clothing. I wanted to demystify the same – its like a commercial film also getting critic’s praise. This put the bug in my head and I designed the collection of “Chaand Bibi”.

Lastly, some advice for our readers. What are your tips for brides to be?
• Always remember to remain true to your heritage so that you can uphold traditional values before going over to a new family.

• Keep smiling and stay calm. Do not stress as a stressed bride will come across as an undesirable bride.

• While there is bound to be an inclusion of modern clothes in a bride’s trousseau, vintage collections should also be a part of it – heritage pieces passed down over generations.

• In your quest to become a gorgeous bride, do not try to overdo the wedding look that it overpowers your personality totally.

A beautiful bride keeps everything simple and classy: be it her make-up, jewellery, attire. 🙂