Design

Fittings by Mridu Sahai

21 November 2010

Designer Mridu Sahai has created a collection of dresses that incorporate architectural fittings like this ventilation grate (above).

Called Fittings, the garments are made of jersey fabric and felt, and have different objects such as handles, bolts and latches affixed.

Photographs are courtesy of Herman Haye & Nikitas Almpanis.

Here’s some more information from Sahai:

In relation to the notion- to reveal the extraordinary in the ordinary – my collection -FITTINGS, celebrates OBJECTivity as it attempts to radically transform the context of simple objects like handles, bolts and latches used in architecture, which have not been applied in a design milieu.

This is done by re-inventing their functionality and using them in a fashion collection, so that they are appreciated clearly for the statement they make.

This is achieved by playing with the idea of stereotypical gender roles.

Fittings, which are usually considered masculine and are now being used in a women’s wear collection, thus displaying an obscure status which is shown by the usage of materials like felt with jersey in combination, thus representing the conventional characteristics of masculinity and feminity – the unrepentant male and yielding female.

I have tried to inculcate the element of humor and surprise by the strategic juxtaposition of fittings on garments.

Mridu Sahai

Despite being trained as a fashion apparel designer, and specializing in leather design, I will not call myself a fashion designer, as my work is adequately driven by architecture and product design.

I am constantly looking for inspirations further away from the realm of design, drawing comparisons, finding resemblances, questioning differences, excavating relationships, redefining their contexts and causing relocations in the roles and associations of entities.