Ara Umrigar’s fashion career began
at the age of 7.
She would watch her mother, renowned
Indian wear designer Sabita Dhanrajgir Umrigar at work, and began
sketching at an early age...
After pursuing her higher studies at
the London School of Economics, Zara completed her time in London with a
detailed course in Fashion Design at The London College of Fashion. Upon her
move home to India, she worked under her mother for two years before launching
her own couture label: Zara Umrigar.
Now she’s coming to Paris
Fashion Week!
When did you know you wanted to
be a fashion designer? How did your mother Sabita Dhanrajgir Umrigar
influence you?
Fashion and art was always a passion
of mine, and I knew from a young age that it would be a part of my
future.
I grew up watching my mother design
and create beautiful Indian wear with the most intricate hand embroidery. I was
always in awe of her passion and the intricacies that went into making each
piece.
I grew up watching my mother design
and create beautiful Indian wear
I soon developed an undying
love for all things couture and learned that true beauty lies in the details.
Above all, it was about making dreams come true. Creating an outfit for someone
that would reflect who they are, and a moment that would become a memory for
them.
What are your other influences?
Your work definitely has an Old Hollywood / Bollywood glamour.
I love portraying different sides to
a woman and blending both strong and feminine aspects in each design. I try to
express the contrasting sides to life and human beings, while showing how
beautifully all aspects of it can come together. I have always been
inspired by Old World Glamour, which is dying in the world we live in today.
I have always been inspired by
Old World Glamour
My aim for each creation is to
really help bring to life an era that has gone, and mix it in with the modern
world we live in today.
I grew up visiting the palace in
which my maternal family was raised and where many of them continue to live.
From its detailed carvings, statues, and art, to it’s beautiful grandeur, it
sparked my love for anything Old World, vintage and handmade.
I grew up visiting the palace in
which my maternal family was raised
When are your dresses meant to be worn? Who is
the “Zara Umrigar woman?”
The Zara Umrigar woman is brave,
passionate, elegant and glamorous. I would say our outfits are best suited to
cocktail parties, weddings, and red carpet events.
Your garments have painstaking
detail. Tell us about the process of creation. Which elements are handmade, and
how long does it take to make a full dress?
The process of creation is intense,
exciting, and even overwhelming at times. I immerse myself completely in each
collection, and believe in perfecting every detail of anything I create. Mood
boards, sketches, embroidery patterns, and swatches become my life as I work
toward my inspirations for each collection. Drawing out embroidery designs and
watching them come to life is enthralling.
Drawing embroidery designs and
watching them come to life is enthralling.
Pushing boundaries, and telling a
story through these designs is the best part of it all. It takes an
unfathomable number of hours, patience and effort to hand-embroider each of
these outfits, requiring a team that is highly skilled and devoted to what they
do.
I mix in various different types of
hand embroidery into each piece, and keep the cuts classic … aiming to make
them timeless and unique. We usually take one month to make an embroidered
Studying and exploring different
fields not only taught me how to create the pieces I envisioned, but also
helped me gain the knowledge I needed to run my own business, proving to
be invaluable to me. In a few short years I launched stores across India and
have had my pieces worn by some of the biggest actors in both Hollywood and
Bollywood.
In a few short years I launched
stores across India
While my course in fashion was a
short, detailed one, that taught me many technical aspects that went
into making each piece, I’d have to say that what I learned on the job taught
me most of what I really know today. Nothing compares to what you learn
when you are not afraid to fail and find your way.
Nothing compares to what you
learn when you are not afraid to fail
Tell us about what we can expect
to see at your upcoming Paris Fashion Week show.
My SS ’18 collection is inspired by
the planet, celebrating its beauty while also shedding light on the parts of
it that are dying and becoming extinct. Staying true to my
love for couture, you can expect intricacy, elegance and glamour!
you can expect intricacy, elegance
and glamour
What do you see for the future?
What are your ultimate goals?
In the near future, I hope to have
my brand at big department stores across different countries, while my ultimate
goal is to have independent luxury stores all over the world, making
it an experience for every person who walks in.
I hope to continue to express myself
through fashion, and hopefully find ways to use it, to spread awareness, and
make a change.
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