Tulika Ranjan

SCHOOL

National Institute of Fashion Technology

INSTAGRAM PROFILE

instagram.com/RANJAN_TULIKA

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

I was born in a small town of Indian province called Bihar, which is believed to be the cradle of Buddhism. I believe that design is a beautiful medium to make this world a better place.

I am completing Bachelor of Design at National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi, India.

Before getting exposed to the inspiring world of fashion, I used to study Science and Computers. Physics was my favourite subject, which is why I believe that concept is very important to me in every aspect of design. As a designer, I immensely value the concept of environment friendly, hand-made, handloom with an essential touch of modernity and functionality. I owe it to India’s rich cultural background, textile resources and handloom societies. I believe that fashion is a solution, a character builder and a method to propagate one’s philosophy. Conceptualization and social activism have always been the starting point of all my works. I believe that the purpose of my life is to make this world happier, more beautiful, peaceful, clean and fashionable through the energy that design and fashion possess.

I believe that our environment needs us now, more than ever and we should contribute to its well being in all ways possible. Fashion being the second most polluting industry in the world, needs to work harder for its contribution. Therefore, every piece of clothing that I have designed for this collection or earlier ones, I made sure leaves negligible amount of carbon footprint. That is to say, from using ‘kala cotton’ or ‘khadi’ which grows organically, other natural yarns like linen, recycled silk and bamboo bought from leftover stock, to using natural dyes to paint the warp yarns during weaving in order to cut down the dyeing process, to using creative zero waste patterns and reversible construction to ensure multiple ways of wear-ability, to using highly sustainable merino wool to felt the scraps for accessories and footwear, this collection takes on a spiritual and sustainable journey.

Designers are known for spinning stories on the runway and creating fantasies. I, while trying to narrate my dreams through my work, also love to focus on social issues at large. I do not believe that one can help the society only by being a doctor or by working in an NGO. Philanthropy can also be a byproduct of fashion or design industry. Hence, a big motivation behind this collection was also to find a designer solution for specially abled people. Handmade adaptive clothing with a bit of science brought smiles to my consumer.

I am a keen learner and I like to experience learning in person. I have always found my designs to have a deep connection with Japanese culture and aesthetics. Hence, I pursued a full time internship in Japan and learned the art of felting from one of the finest artists, Ms. Jorie Johnson. Every minute spent

in Japan inspired me to new possibilities. I firmly believe in the concept of Wabi Sabi and my designs always possess its properties. Natural fibers, natural dyes, subtle intricacies, surprises that unfold with wear and tear, organic characteristics combined with a minimal, geometric sensibility reflect in my approach towards design. A lot of the minimalism and geometry has also seeped through because my parents are architects.

I love travelling, which helps me understand human interactions and opens possibilities to inspirations and problem solving approaches. I have been to a lot of places like handloom societies, dyeing studios, embroidery clusters, garment manufacturing industries, etc. in my country and abroad for research purposes. I have worked as an assistant designer and photographer at an Indian designer label called Eka. I have spent a lot of time in managing backstage and public relations in Indian fashion weeks. I have been an apprentice at Joi Rae Textiles in Kyoto and I have currently started working at an upcoming designer label called SuketDhir, the first menswear designer from India to win the International Woolmark Prize.