Tailors were my real gurus: Tarun Tahiliani

Tarun Tahiliani has been instrumental all along in bringing the ‘fashion week culture’ to India. The co-founder of Ensemble, India’s first ever multi-designer boutique that started way back in 1987, he was brought up as a Westernised Sindhi in Mumbai’s Colaba area in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Fired by the hunger of exploring Indian culture which his childhood and early adolescence didn’t allow for, Tarun’s clothes always hit high notes in terms of quality, the precision of cut and drape, fabric detailing and craftsmanship all wrapped in the diaphanous mist of “Indian-ness”.

As part of the guru-shishya jugalbandi that pays homage to an age-old Indian tradition at the recently concluded grand finale, the couturier presented his India-modern ready-to-wear collection. He speaks about his gurus, industry at large and changing tastes of Indian consumers.

“Unfortunately, I never had the good fortune to train under a guru,” recalls Tarun. “I started off as a shopkeeper, became a retailer and proceeded to design garments. I believe, my real gurus were the tailors and embroiders — especially one called Rahman. They were my gurus. For values, I always looked up to my father who was an amazing man. He taught me to be straight-forward and transparent in life. Also, I consider my own hard work as an important guru. I wouldn’t be anywhere if it weren’t for my hard work.”

One of the many stores of his collaborative vision, Ensemble’s new outlet was unveiled at the posh locality of Khan Market on Saturday as well. Ask him what had initially led him to bring multiple designers under one roof and he says, “People in fashion want to work for themselves or pull others down to go up the ladder. But I personally, never believed in that concept. Talent is going to flourish anywhere, anytime. It can never be stopped or stalled or brushed under the carpet. I always believed in celebrating, encouraging and recognising talents, be it established or new entrants. Ensemble was started keeping that in mind and I am extremely happy that it still stands for that principle.”

For years, Tarun has been exploring and creating structured drapes, as the industry knows. Explaining his fascination he says, “The draped form has always been the mainstay of Indian fashion — if you go back in time, hundred years back, you would still recognise people from different regions, by the way they draped fabrics on their body, as with the weaves or craft. It’s unfortunate that our women who once wore drapes so easily now want sari drapers to drape them in one.” So, is that why he has ventured into the ready-to-wear arena? “No, not at all. The modern and stylish fashionistas prefer to form their own identity. That’s what I learnt from the people who wear my fashion. It’s sometimes exhilarating to watch that the wearer’s individuality gets inspired by a garment. Having said that, I am also a believer in garments that one’ll buy and wear for 40 years before passing it down.”

Lastly about his shishya, Amit Aggarwal and being a guru himself, he says, “I don’t know if I am a good or a bad guru but I am an open archer. I am very open-spirited — be it sharing an ideology, knowledge, principle, vision, technique or even my food. I believe only if you give out your best, you will receive the best. I have been brought up like that. And about Amit, I have learnt a lot from him as well. He is someone who has always had a strong technical knowledge, shows integrity, does what he believes in and is a to-the-point person. I loved working with him.”