Interview with Sidharth kumar

Sidharth kumar ("SK") interviewed on Tuesday, 1 May.

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?

SK : I live in Inda, New Delhi.It doe's has a strong connection with its culture.India is rich in heritage craft's and textile's and has a great history. These are the advantage of being in my country.However, since it's easily available there is chance's of getting any craft-oriented design to get exploited easily, and it can lead to exploitation of craft people who preserve's a craft as their traditional element, it's the part of their lifestyle. Another cons is the huge population, due to which most of the generation coming from the cultural background is unemployed. it lead's to a compromising situation for them to accept any kind of low wages work.I feel India has a great potential and culture can be preserved in a more sustainable way, if we focus more on quality and do justice to the people who are actually creating it as a Craft's person.with my project on sustainability, I am trying to bring thing's together on a wide scale by making my design's Globally acceptable.

How did you become a designer?

SK : As an Artist or, A Designer I have been always attached to nature since my childhood.This is my starting point where I started developing feeling's and emotion is of's nature in any form. I am a Graduate of N.I.F.T Delhi fashion and Apparel design Department, where actually I learnt to develop my skill's in Fashion Design and it helped me being a professional Designer.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

SK : I work parallelly by keeping the inspiration, which is the starting point of any design. And equally making a product to solves the purpose of its existence.The 3 main aspects I follow is Shape, Texture and aesthetics( depending on the kind of product utility).My inspiration is always bee driven by nature, culture and history. And transforming into a surrealism.I do lot work on Mix media mixing technology with hand done to create a product.I do mock-ups.My approach to a new project always start's and revolve around my feeling's for nature, it's always been there with me, its a continuous thought process.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

SK : Happiness. the journey of design. The most interesting part of designing any product is when I am capable of bringing different element's together in various possible ways.I feel passionate and happy.

What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?

SK : Being a Shy and a soft-spoken person and the Fact that I always felt different from society, because of my orientation as a gay child. I never really understood my own existence to fit in the society.Nature has been the main source where it made me comfortable and I developed a sense of liking and happiness.Nature helped me in being a person who I am today, Gardening has been my true passion since my childhood, it always gave me back thing's in its true sense.

What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?

SK : So Far I have been able to successfully support an unrecognised Craft from India, Along with I have given a Sustainable design process A different example through my design process and finding a new way to support Sustainability.My biggest achievement will be when I will be able to Use Technology and a traditional process of design together.I want to create a 3D design garment or a product out of Dakmanda Craft.

What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?

SK : For any startup I will suggest designer's to use your inner skill's first to make your business unique and sustainable, it can be your design process, managerial skill's, every thought process should be evolved from inside you.The main trouble you face in running any business is the management part, And if you would know every step one by one, eventually you will be able to alter all the trouble which you may face in between.Apart from getting advice's from my mentor, I have been the one who actually has to create my world of creation and sustain it, I will say there has been a traditional approach to it but it also has been evolved with time and me.

You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?

SK : Fashion is like a Bubble, So I will suggest to not to follow anything which makes you live in a delusion.Follow your own intuition, in terms of creation, business. It should always come from inside you.

What is your day to day look like?

SK : The daily Routine process changes with the kind of time you have given in your business, It always evolves.I started with a small design studio, by managing all kind of work including design. Although I still like to work on my own design process till I finish it. As I said it should reflect your true character.After Four years being in this process, I have learnt how to balance few requirements and cut down on unnecessary business protocols. it makes me focus more on going ahead rather getting stuck to something which is not generally required to run the traditional process of a design studio. I grow my team accordingly.

How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?

SK : I am not into fast fashion, so trend's for me is just an idea about what's happening in the fashion world.However, it helps me to build my own sensibility of being above this.My inspiration is always about growing through nature in a true sense, within me.