The books published by Academic Foundation were launched by the likes of Najma Heptullah and Praful Patel with her friends, family and innumerable admirers in tow. Dressed in black, flaunting her signature red pout looking every inch of diva she is, Beri was flanked by her colleagues, comrades and confidants who were flown in from across the country and as far as France. The launch was immersed with an ambience replete with playful banter and anecdotes from the bigwigs of the fashion fraternity and her daughter reading out an excerpt from the first book.
Out of the two books, one is an autobiography which documents her life from her childhood to how she ventured into fashion. The second is a coffee table book which revolves around everything that has inspired and shaped her including her karmic connect with Paris. It’s her capturing of life with several quotes on fashion. A NIFT alumnus, Beri trained with Francois lesage, master creator and embroiderer, in Paris. One of the trailblazers of Indian fashion industry who created a name internationally, Beri has had a splendid round of success with her creative
sensibilities.
True to her pioneer instincts, Beri has had a long languorous list of many firsts. The first bridal show was conceptualised by her in 1997 as that was when she realised the magnitude of the bridal industry in India. She then went on to showcase the first ever collection for kids and eventually also presented the first fashion week in the same year called the ‘India fashion week’ where she launched 25 young designers.
It was really propitious for her to archive each and every detail of her accomplishments which made it easy for her to bring out the book. “Remembering dates and getting everything into right perspective was really a task but thankfully it was all archived well. Fashion was not even an industry when I started. I think it can serve as a very good reckoner for my daughter if she wants to know what all her mother achieved and how,” said Beri.
Besides the book holds value for any young designer who wants to break into the European market and grasp the nuances of it. Seemingly obsessed with a certain word ‘fire’ making its way almost in every other book she pens, it somehow feels very akin to the inextinguishable fervour she has for life and fashion in equal parts, much like the undying spirit within. “I think once you have done everything in life, books are the only thing left behind to leave your story for the world to know and I had lot of things to say and many stories to tell,” she told us.
Known to have created dernier cri for long, Beri, became the first Asian to head French fashion house, Jean louis Scherrer, She has achieved many milestones in her career including a few international honours bestowed upon her such as ‘Order of Civil Merit’, a civilian award by the Spanish government, the Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and letters), one of the highest civilian awards by the French government.
Having showcased her lines for past 18 years now, she is at an unhurried space and place now wanting to give back to the country by making khadi global, the fabric she feels strongly for. “Khadi is our national fabric and there’s so much that can be done with it. It’s got so much potential,” she shared.
Currently working on making khadi a global luxury wanting the world to look at it as an international fabric to reckon with. “When I think of India and its heritage I don’t see any Indian brand which has made a global impact and I realised this way back in Paris where I couldn’t see India featuring anywhere although we were the real connoisseurs of luxury especially with our royal past,” she pointed out.
Driven by the impulse to give something back to the country she has put together a think tank who believes in India and its artisanal strength. She added, “I think we have got everything, it’s just that we lack the right marketing and packaging skills with a global perspective. We have had round tables with luxury consultants to brand Indian luxury at a global level. We are promoting young designers who work with homegrown fabrics and marketing their collections.”
With the government’s initiative to popularise Indian fabrics many designers are hopping on to the ‘Make in India’ or ‘Benaras’ bandwagon. Commenting on participation in ‘Make in India’ week in Mumbai and getting an opportunity to being on board to revive Khadi, she said, “I think the Benaras story is commendable as that’s where it all started from. Not just that, I think every state in the country is promoting their art and craft. With Benaras, a big noise has been created which has definitely led people to talk about it which is great.” The only way to popularise the weaves in India is market them well at a domestic level and then venture out of India.
On what hampers the Indian fashion industry to make a mark on the global fashion map she said, “Indian fashion industry is only 25 years old which is very young and it’s absolutely unfair to compare ourselves with the global industries in international circuits which have been in existence for centuries.” There is a need to have an international perspective to make it go global; an eye which can identify what will work on a global platform. “People now believe in India, they want to wear what’s being produced here. Initially we were not so great with the western silhouettes and cuts but now we are improving on that aspect as well,” she averred.
photos Pankaj Kumar