We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Abhisaar Saxena ("AS").

Abhisaar Saxena is an Indian fashion designer based in Mumbai. He excelled through his graduation in Fashion & Lifestyle design with the best student award. In 2016, he launched his label Pamilone which revolves around the juxtaposition of minimal extravagance and structured fluidity. His collections at Pamilone have been featured on various websites, blogs and print magazines like Platform and Destig. His designs have also earned him the prestigious black sheep tag on NJAL (Not Just A Label). At Pamilone, Abhisaar believes in making fashion that is rebellious and feminine with an ineffable sense of enigma and raw energy.

Abhisaar Saxena Designs

We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Abhisaar Saxena.

Designer Interview of Abhisaar Saxena:

DI: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?

AS : I am a fashion and lifestyle designer based in Thane, India. Growing up I have always wanted to take up a creative field of career. I chose fashion as my subject because it connected with me more. During my education I have focused on the history of fashion and the construction techniques, this really helped me understand the journey of fashion. The major factor that lead me to become a designer was the desire to create something that very expressive and passionate. I grew to address my vision of fashion by translating it to a brand, I like to create a perception of individualism, something that lasts beyond a product.

DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?

AS : Pamilone is a luxury label that frames its design aesthetic to be understated elegance. Influenced by the linear form of structure, timeless fashion ethics and diverse contemporary ingenuity, the label is synonymous with finessing the sophistication and desire to out do the expression of modern fashion. Under this label I create fashion that is rebellious and feminine with a sense of enigma and raw energy. I ensure that the design process of the label encourages the garments to have a voice and structure. The label revolves around the juxtaposition of 'minimal - extravagance' and 'structured - fluidity'. My design studio is based in the outskirts of Thane, India which is a neighboring city to Mumbai.

DI: What is "design" for you?

AS : Design to me is the evolution of a desire to a vision and further into a beautiful and functional product. The purpose of a design is to fulfill needs and wants of the people. Every design is created to either enhance an experience or to present a solution to an existing problem.

DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?

AS : The beauty of a product lies in the perception drawn by the design to define 'who you are!'. I enjoy creating pieces influenced by structured minimalism. I begin with noting the experience that I want the client to perceive when they wear my designs, and build my way to the look, feel and construction of the garments. I work on creating an image rather than a singular product. It is exciting to build the complete look that compliments the garment, with appropriate footwear, accessories, just the perfect make up and hair.

DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?

AS : Till date I have loved the Celeste Signature Dress from the Bird of Passage collection. It involves a lot of hand detailing like braiding, cording and hand basting finishes. I have incorporated subtle details of paneling and color blocking that adds to the minimal look of the dress. The silhouette of the dress is very bold and it elicits a pose that is both mentally and visually empowering. I personally feel this garment is an equal parts blend of glamour and minimalism.

DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?

AS : Towards the end of my graduation I had already started working on my label and was mapping my plans. The first collection that I developed for my label Pamilone was a 5 ensemble capsule collection inspired from the cuts of a jewel. The entire range had glimpses of avante garde techniques, fabric manipulations and structural modifications. Noticeable details such as power shoulders, exaggerated paneling and contrast color blocking were absorbed in the collection. The complete range was made in pure silk fabrics using skilled processes of hand basting, hand dyeing and manual pleating.

DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?

AS : I always look forward to work with a variety of fabrics and materials. Every fabric has its unique property which makes it respond differently in different silhouettes. In terms of platform I enjoy working with Adobe software such as Photoshop, illustrator and Indesign. I also use the software Final cut pro to develop fashion films.

DI: When do you feel the most creative?

AS : I certainly prefer to work at peace and in my comfort space. The concepts, outlines of the collection and major elements in the collection are developed over a number of hours where I am completely anchored to my zone in the studio. Although being relaxed and focused is my planned approach to channel my creativity, I often find myself to be most creative when I am working under extreme pressure and with close deadlines.

DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?

AS : The strength of my designs come from the extensive research that precedes it, I believe that a good research on the inspiration can introduce several aspects to the design. I emphasize a lot on all the other aspects like construction, finishing and packaging. As I see, it is the complete process that needs focus rather than a single process or aspect.

DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?

AS : While designing I am in a reverie, completely drowned in my concept, the look, the story, the details and so much more. I think being occupied with your work solely is rewarding and intensifying simultaneously

DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?

AS : The experience of seeing your design come alive is really enriching and reassuring.

DI: What makes a design successful?

AS : A design should have multi-fold aspects to be appreciated and it should connect with the audience. Good designs that have the potential to be expressive are often successful.

DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?

AS : The visual composition created to display the design is very important, that is what gets my attention first.

DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?

AS : A designer is one of the key influential people. I believe a designer, can create awareness about the social unrest, can encourage sustainable practices, make people rethink their choices, change fashion trends to benefit the planet and do so much more.

DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?

AS : Design field is pretty much changing always, through the fads and classics, conventional designs to contemporary art, the next ''new thing'' is always ready. What I have recently observed is that many designers and fashion houses are promoting their products to be long lasting and versatile as a process of encouraging slow and sustainable fashion, which is definitely the need of the hour. Fast fashion is being rushed out of market fearing the massive heaps of wastage. Looking at the pace of development across industries in the world, the future of design seems to be getting very user defined. The creators are now giving more thought to the probable responses from the consumers prior to the production. A noticeable change can be felt in the current industry trends that indicate a positive future.

DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?

AS : My design inspiration comes from around me. My work is influenced by nature, architectural structures and people. To explore my creativity, I love to travel solo. It gives me an uninterrupted space to observe everything around me. I have several dialogues within my mind to understand the beauty of a place or a structure. I believe my inquisitive nature is my foremost source of inspiration.

DI: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?

AS : I find beauty in simplicity. I have learnt from the beautiful creations of nature that the complexities of structure when enveloped in simplicity, astonishes the admirers. I love to design pieces that are not easy to comprehend but that look effortless and sharp.

DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?

AS : From my experience I would like to share that designing comes from within, but good designs are created only when you are aware of your surroundings. Being relevant is as important as being creative while designing. Young designers often have to struggle in the industry to create their identity but it essential to remember that failure teaches alternative and better approaches. As a designer one must always remember that art is for self-expression, design is for expressive creations. It is important to be smart and take as much experience possible by working with different individuals and organizations. Constant learning from personal experience as well as borrowed experience gives a designer a better vision.

DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?

AS : I aim to maintain a semblance of simplicity in all my designs. I trust the ‘less is more’ philosophy and seek to achieve visual minimalism it in all my designs whilst being true to the inspiration.

DI: What skills are most important for a designer?

AS : Power of visualization, enthusiasm, potential to work hard and a strong will are very essential to a designer.

DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?

AS : Designing definitely is not a time bound task. During every collection development the designing continues round the clock till the outlines and details of the range are finalized. I prefer to work in a defined time frame that stretches over a couple of days rather than a 9 to 5 approach. Setting boundaries of time or scheduling fixed hours for designing everyday seems unrealistic to me as I believe creativity cannot be summoned in a mundane routine.

DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?

AS : A complete process of design development for a single piece can take up anytime between a couple of hours to even a few days, it completely depends on the details of the design.

DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?

AS : My next collection is in process and will launched in a few months. It reflects the uninterrupted rhythm in repetition and is closely influenced by the structure of corrugated roofs.

DI: How can people contact you?

AS : Anyone can connect with me on my email designer.pamilone@gmail.com for getting further the insights to my collection. For business related queries please write to: business.pamilone@gmail.com