SHAlINI SAKSENA talks to UMANG HUTHEESING about the revival of royal textiles
He may belong to one of India’s most historical and privileged families, having grown up in a rich cultural and artistic environment, but he is a man who is extremely frugal when it comes to his individual needs. Umang Hutheesing is not a name that Delhi may be familiar with but the who’s who in the Capital not only know of his background but also know of his philanthropic work and the fact that his passion lies in promoting Indian textile and fashion across the globe.
He studied at the Babson College, US, for his undergraduate studies in Business and Science and went on to get a banking diploma from Japan and though this is in total contrast to his passion, Hutheesing tells you that it was something that was bound to happen. “My family is into textiles and we were the first ones to open up a boutique in Ahmedabad. Sarojiniben Hutheesing established the first fashion boutique — Chitra — in India in 1974 and its elite client list included former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi. Everyone from the elite class at that time was wearing saris from Chitra,” Hutheesing says.
Despite the fact that he is a fashion consultant, he doesn’t want to be labelled as a designer. “Fashion is my passion, it is not my livelihood. I am not a designer. I am a revivalist. I am not your run of the mill designer who is looking for glamour. I come from a very traditional Gujarati family and find our roots that date back to the 8th Century to the royal family in Rajasthan. We are Gandhian true and true. When I am in Gujarat, I prefer to wear khadi. Gandhiji started his Independence movement on the land that was given by our family. With such an illustrious background, there comes a responsibility. If I were to present myself as a designer, people will see me differently. I sit on the Board of several trusts. Why should I only portray one side of myself when I have the necessary degrees to present another sideIJ” Hutheesing asks.
But his claim to fame is not that he belongs to an elite family but that he has been instrumental in reviving the royal textiles and presenting them to the world. He is the one who has the distinction of showcasing his collection in the Baroque International Museum in Mexico and National Museum of Bahrain. He has a set a benchmark for not just other designers but also himself by creating over 300 pieces of royal costumes that are on display at the Bahrain museum. For this he was also presented with five gold coins by the queen.
“It is always an honour to be graced like this. The Hutheesing Design Company (HDC) was established by Magganbhai Hutheesing in 1881 to provide employment to artisans and at the same time create design solutions of high standards for the international audience. Today, I have 65 artisans who work with me and create what has almost been lost. We were the first to participate in international expositions at Paris and london. HDC enjoys a unique position due to its affiliation with Tiffany and its designer lockwood De Forest. HDC and Tiffany together executed interior, textile and jewellery design among many other other projects,” Hutheesing says, who has designed for almost all the royal families.
He is also the man behind the lakmé India Fashion Week during its early years. The invites for the 2000 lakme Indian Fashion Week went in his name. But he prefers to be the man behind the scenes. “I don’t have to prove myself to anybody. People know me and the family. Doors open for me so even if 99.99 per cent of the people don’t know. I am happy promoting royal Indian culture globally,” Hutheesing says.
The only reason why he didn’t showcase his collection back in 2000 was because earthquake happened and then the riots. “One couldn’t be Nero and play fiddle and let Rome burn. I rushed back to Ahmedabad and took up the cause of the common man through our various foundations. It took me 10 years. It was in 2010 that I started the revival of historic textiles,” Hutheesing says.
One thing that he is clear on is that no two pieces of his are the same. The motif can be same but the layout is different. “I don’t recreate. I don’t give in to the whims and fancies. Yes, I will keep the colour coordination in mind but if I am creating an outfit with badal as a motif, I should know that it has to be only blue because it was something that the Mughal royals wore with the advent of the monsoon, sat in the court and listened to raag malhar to celebrate the rains. This can come only if one knows one’s history,” Hutheesing says.