The most fascinating aspect of the mixing of two cultures is the new perspectives that are formed. It is a cultural collaboration of sorts. Not the brand deal variety, just identities from distances near and far fusing together to form a new persona. Experimenting with their diverse values, these designers bring in a new level of awareness on heritage and traditions that ultimately feed into their clothes.
COME TOGETHER
The traditional sensibility of French couture brought New Delhi-born designer Hemant Sagar and French designer Didier Lecoanet’s future ventures into alignment. Their paths crossed while studying at the world’s pioneering institute, the École de la Chambre Syndicale de Couture in Paris, where they both specialised in couture. It was in Paris, in 1981, that they opened the doors to their couture house, Lecoanet Hemant, on the popular 8th Arrondissement on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.
“I was a dressmaking apprentice in the 70s,” recalls Sagar, who shifted to Germany with his family as a child. He worked in the blouse manufacturing business and later moved to Paris to learn the craft of his current trade at the prestigious couture institute. Lecoanet, born in Chaumont, in the East of France, studied fine arts and worked in advertising before he found his calling. “It did not take me long to realise that my heart lay in dressmaking,” recounts Lecoanet. Despite their diverse backgrounds, they bonded over their similar vision of fashion.
Lecoanet Hemant also reflects the designers’ synchronicity. “It is the coming together of our heritage, lived experiences, and a common vision for authenticity,” he says.
This story is from the May 2021 edition of Grazia.
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This story is from the May 2021 edition of Grazia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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