Rimzim Dadu is a ‘progressive texturist.’ Dadu’s maiden collection ‘My Village’ was introduced in 2007. Deconstruction, structural changes and unusual assembly has been her calling card since way back then. Dadu grew up in Delhi, India and was surrounded by fabrics all her life- her father was a garment exporter. “I am not a cut and sew designer, I could never just pick a fabric off the shelves and work with it.” This explains her innate desire to create her own textiles. She has worked with all sorts of materials such as but not limited to paper, metal, plastic, acrylic, fibre, glass and cords. Her design philosophy is guided by her artistic instinct; this has paved a unique path for her unorthodox designs.
Instead of starting each collection on a drawing board, Rimzim usually begins in markets sourcing, touching new materials. She plays with them by disintegrating and re-engineering back together to create new variations. The technique of working with cord can be dated back to the Mughal era in India. Rimzim’s take on it is fresh, she changes the characteristics of textiles by breaking them down into cords which she then combines. This changes the original nature of the material to transform into something completely different. Soft chiffon can become structured and grunge while a material like steel becomes very soft and malleable. For Rimzim, design goes beyond just clothes. She sees it as a medium of communication for her ideas and tries to present garments with an experience. She has interactive shows with long process films, sculptural elements made of her textiles as well as even having the artisans who manufacture the clothes be a part of the show.
As a brand who uses artisans, Rimzim is very conscious about how important they are to the heritage and craft sector of India. She explains about the challenges that the community faces. “Most of the artisans do not want their kids to grow up to do the work they are doing, as they don’t see enough opportunity for skilled handwork in the future. This also means that with time—we won’t have enough skilled artisans in the country.” She advocates in raising minimum wages, creating mandatory health insurances and a good work environment etc. to make craft something the younger generation may find lucrative to pursue.
Dadu has taken 12 years to open her first ever store. She is experienced with using online retail, pop-ups, trunk shows and luxury retailers but she believed that the people need to see and touch her clothes to understand the essence of what she does. Her store has an austere feel which stands out especially amongst her neighbors’ heavily gilded showrooms. This air matches the armor like resemblance of her pre-draped saris. The steel chords, chiffon, metallic leather etc. create futuristic garments that stay rooted in traditional form. She says, “Sari needed a bit of reinvention. We wanted to be different yet maintain its essence. Our steel-wire and ripple cord saris are a homage to this amazing garment. When we did our first steel wires sari, we never thought it will reach a cult status.” Her brand’s core identity lies in the material not the technique. She likes to keep traditional Indian techniques at the heart of everything she does.
When asked about what she sees for the future of her designs, Rimzim says, “Who doesn’t want to own a piece of art that they can wear, especially when it’s functional and comfortable?” She insists that once people will be able to visit her store and actually interact with the materials, they will begin to feel connected. She says in the future she wants to experiment more and more. The Rimzim Dadu label’s core ethos involves constant evolution and experimentation and she never wants to lose that message.
