Rimzim Dadu

Eponymous luxury fashion brand Rimzim Dadu- launched in 2007- fills a gap in Indian fashion for contemporary luxury ready-to-wear. The New Delhi-based designer's collections of handcrafted apparel and accessories has received national and global recognition for its progressive surface texturing made using steel wires, silicone, metal, acrylic and even paper.

To say that Rimzim Dadu marches to her own drummer is an understatement. She's been called futurist, couturier, sculptor and artist. She says she's just a designer. A designer who is a rebel and acclaimed for using traditional and unorthodox materials with handcraft techniques, deconstruction and re-engineering. A fashion designer who reinvented the ancient technique of cord work - dating back to the Mughal era - by threading silk with nylon coated steel wires, silicone, metal, acrylic and paper to handcraft saris, cocktail dresses, draped tops, menswear and accessories with matte sheen. In short, fusing science and fashion design to create retail- friendly statement looks.

Rimzim Dadu graduated in fashion design from Pearl Academy in New Delhi and launched her eponymous label “my village by Rimzim Dadu” which she later shortened to Rimzim Dadu. She then applied for Lakmé Fashion Week’s Gen-Next show in 2007 - and made the cut with her unorthodox materials and silhouettes. “I love exploring new materials and cords as an element help me re-engineer textiles almost like Lego—where I can disintegrate a material into cords and then use them to bring the textile back together. This changes the original nature of the material and results into something completely different" she tells Vogue. “For example, a material like steel becomes very soft and malleable and the soft chiffon becomes structured and grunge. Re-engineered textiles have now become synonymous with my brand and cords are the building blocks to these textiles."

Re-engineered textiles using cord work and constant experimentation is the base of all her collections. Under her design baton, steel becomes soft and malleable and chiffon is structured! One of Rimzim Dadu's challenging projects was 'Fracture' at Devi Art Foundation- an exhibit showcasing the works of modern textile artists. Here she designed a Jamdani sari by disintegrating silicon sheets into cords and then weaving those silicon cords to handcraft a sari. Weaving silicon was daunting and the design team created special looms and trained artisans for the project that spanned over two years. Another milestone that comes to mind is the leather Patola dress — her interpretation of the traditional weaving technique where each leather cord is carefully woven to create a contemporary look!

She explains her design aesthetic to Vogue: “Traditionally cord work has been used to create an array of different motifs—floral, geometric, the typical jaal embroidery etc. For one of our collections we used cord work in leather to recreate traditional Patola weave of India. We used leather cords in different colours to recreate this very intricate weave. The leather Patola was also eventually shown at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London as part of their exhibition called Fabric of India'.”

Rimzim Dadu's experimentation with materials' appreciation for the process as an art form has led her to be globally acclaimed as a 'progressive texturist'. The design philosophy is lead by instinct which lends an alternative perspective to the use of traditional materials by the way of unorthodox yet intuitive hand craft techniques and vice versa. Often this involves deconstruction, modification and reassembly into a new form. Common design details feature micro elements being enlarged into macro proportions or on a similar strain printed patterns being built into three dimensional surfaces.

At Rimzim Dadu cotton is treated in a special technique to make it crisp and prevent unfinished edges and thin steel wire is sewn together to create a structured yet fluid silhouette. “For me design goes beyond just clothes" she explains in a note on her official website. "The way you communicate your ideas and build an experience is an equal part of design. Our recently-launched flagship store also tries to create a signature Rimzim Dadu experience."

It's a labour- intensive process. The silicon jamdani sari the designer made for Devi Art Foundation in 2015 took two years to create. The core team disintegrated the material into yarns and then wove it back together to create a jamdani sari. The steel sari launched the following year grew into the brand's most iconic piece even though the team is continuously tweaking and improving it since.

The luxury label continues to remain relevant on the global fashion map. “I focus on creating designs that are both innovative but functional, like our pre-draped saris that combine both the versatility of a regular sari with the convenience and comfort of a pre-stitched garment” she tells Elle. "Because we produce designs that are both unique and functional which is appreciated by a wide spectrum of clients, our brand is relevant on a global scale. We always aim to experiment with different materials and push the boundaries of fashion by producing something original and unique."

For Rimzim Dadu design goes beyond just clothes. The way her ideas are communicated to build an immersive experience is an equal part of design. Her recently-launched flagship store in New Delhi also tries to create a signature Rimzim Dadu experience as a part of her design philosophy. 

Rimzim Dadu envisions experimenting with materials as an art form and this design aesthetic led her to being acclaimed as a 'progressive texturist'. The design philosophy lends an alternative perspective to the use of traditional materials by the way of unorthodox handcraft techniques and often this involves the deconstruction, modification and reassembly of materials to craft something new. the collections shimmer on wearers' bodies like liquid mercury — blending sensuality and science, the fashion designer threads silk with nylon coated steel wire and metal cord to handcraft saris, cocktail dresses, draped tops and menswear with matte sheen.

Indian fashion designer Rimzim Dadu uses traditional and unorthodox materials with handcraft techniques, deconstruction and re-engineering to create new materials for her collections. She has reinvented the ancient technique of cord work by threading silk with nylon coated steel wires, silicone, metal, acrylic and paper to handcraft saris, cocktail dresses, draped tops, menswear and accessories with matte sheen. 

Rimzim Dadu Autumn Winter 2016 was a hit after a two year haitus. Per Explosive Fashion: ‘Blending sensuality and science, Dadu played hard and soft by threading fabric with wire cording to produce sheen. A strong metallic vein, faux leather and 3D appliqué dominated the collection and I loved the way she balanced shredded dresses and saris with wire-corded pallu.’