ASMITA MARWA, is one of the most popular fashion designers from Hyderabad. In this week’s Hyderabond column, she spoke about roots nodding to Hyderabad, among others.
SHIKHA DUGGAL
She clearly thinks of fashion as something that evolves, so the popular designer from Hyderabad, ASMITA MARWA, is a great deal in the world of fashion in our city, especially. And sharing the shaggy-dog story about roots nodding to Hyderabad, we had a great time speaking to her.
“My love for the city grows each day. I am extremely proud of my South Indian heritage. I have had the opportunity to live in many places, but Hyderabad is where my heart belongs,” says the designer, who believes in fusing the traditional with the global.
The pioneer in KALAMKARI, which really did take the fashion world by storm, chats more: “Hyderabad has always been very supportive, and I have built a business that is recognised and loved by all. Famous for its biryani and haleem, which I feel taste better when cooked at home rather than in a restaurant, I am so disappointed at the way the city is growing with no concern for the historical monuments or the rocks that have been there for over a billion years. I really hope there is some organisation or a body that can focus on the preservation of the same.” So you can figure out how she’s a lover of justice and finds it so difficult to turn a blind eye to prejudice of any type.
Besides, she added, “I have spent a lot of time living in Goa, Mumbai, and even abroad in Germany. But I guess it is my roots, which are sown so deep that I can only call Hyderabad my home. Another aspect of it could be that it has seen a lot of successful designers. But unfortunately, very few are into sustainability at its core, which today is one of the most important aspects to look into in our fashion industry.”
Marwa began designing clothes in Hyderabad in the 1990s! She was the first Hyderabad designer to enter the Telugu film industry. Numerous actors, including Nagarjuna, Balakrishna, Shriya, Mahesh Babu, Tabu, Asin, Charmy, and Anushka, have worn her clothes in films. So she goes on to share her fondest memory with us: “When I was young, I used to picnic at the secret lake, which is Durgam Cheruvu now. I dreamed of building a beautiful home close to the lake. And I guess I manifested it. The city has given me the opportunity to work at my own pace and have my atelier and studio at home, which is not something that is feasible in other fast-growing metropolitan cities. This lets me invest more time in my label and produce something creative.”
Admitting that the city is ever-growing and has seen varied cultures, she spills the beans: “It still has to evolve to be more open and experimental and have acceptance when it comes to trends and fashion on a daily basis rather than just for an occasion.”
And she very well knows how Hyderabad used to be a city of lakes, but the development has taken a toll on its beauty. And the lakes started disappearing into concrete jungles, which she’s so critical about.
