Your name, age?
Vandana Kapoor, 25
Where are you from?
New Delhi, IN
Your occupation?
Designer / Product Developer
Educational background?
PG Fashion Design
Current Company?
Kering Global Services
If working/interning, what is your position and what tasks do you do?
Designer/ Product Developer; Trend forecasting, sourcing, sampling, design presentations, etc.
Official accounts to connect with you?
Instagram: @kapoorvandanaa
Gmail: vandanakapoor43@gmail.com
When the pandemic hit, what were you working on and how did it affect you?
We majorly work on sourcing and design proposals to offer to brands. Pandemic hitting hard has changed the way of work in many ways, for e.g., it is more of a supplier based proposals, continuous to and fro struggle with the suppliers to get the right/ more relevant proposals.. sample picking has gone down the road, as going digital with the suppliers has still been a struggle for us. However, with things now opening up again, we are hopeful to find measures to pull things back together again.
What positive changes have you made in the past few months in your routine or yourself?
I have inclined more towards yoga and journal writing.. It helps me keep my sanity intact. Eating clean, hydrating well has become an integral part of my lifestyle now.
What strategies are you using to keep yourself busy and creative?
I've been reading and taking up quirky tutorials from various platforms to get better at the design tools I have been using. I also have taken up a course on Duolingo to get back to my French lessons.
What creative tasks irrespective of fashion have you been able to do this lockdown? any hobbies you picked up?
I love making random illustrations/ drawing things here and there depending upon how I feel.. I am glad to take it up again this lockdown.
What is your opinion about fashion weeks in the future and the fashion industry?
Looking into the situation, I think we have a major loophole when it comes to taking up the road to sustainability.. With so many fashion weeks being held every year/season, nobody is actually thinking about how and what to do with the existing crisis. I think rather than having multiple fashion weeks/ year, we can do well with only one each season. Luxury brands also need to come out with a way to handle their inventories and rework their brand strategies.
What problems do you see on a global fashion level and what solution would you like to propose?
Recycle. Up cycle. Where are we? The world knows where we stand, but it is still running on denial. Every crisis is taken with an attitude to make money out of it, look at the utility wear category these days.. We do not have another world to suffice and function as per our consumption. We need to make the best use out of what has been done and utilize what is left with efficiently. Tons of apparel is thrown into the ocean every year, when people would actually buy it at a cheaper price. Rather than discarding it, make some amendments/ add embellishments/ details on what you already have and relaunch it. And lastly, a big no to fast fashion.the idea is to promote value and longevity. It is very important to understand and implement the idea of reuse/ sustainable living or I should say 'less is more'.
As an integral part of fashion's future, what change/s do you plan to make in yourself and your work?
I think buying efficiently is very important.. With awareness being already spread, and people moving towards more personal and well thought buying, we can move towards no-waste fashion. The idea of upscale and reuse is going to stay, and it is always a great idea to play Rubik's cube with your mind to keep the design thinking working.
Lastly, what positive advice would you like to give to your fellow fashion lovers?
Hang in there. Figure out the niche. Work with the artisans and learn from them, the crafts are losing their essence and it is our duty to keep the heritage alive. :)
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