Next in groom’s couture
Jatin Malik is dedicated to showcasing luxurious bespoke fashion clothing, hand-stitched footwear and complementary accessories for men
How did you get into designing?
The story goes back to my school days when I made a few changes in my school uniform. Some of my friends liked the changes, so I designed and altered their uniforms too! Though I was reprimanded later, that is how it started. I was in the eighth standard then, I used to travel and procure fabrics from different markets across Delhi and get outfits stitched for my personal use. My friends and family used to buy the outfits I had worn and whatever money I made from the sales went into buying more fabric. Now, when I look back, I think I was wired this way as I was always sketching and creating outfits from scratch.
Tell us a bit about your journey into couture.
I started my Facebook page in 2015 and began posting pictures of my own clothes, while simultaneously working full time for a corporate. I didn’t have enough resources to hire a professional photographer or a model, so I used to model myself and the building’s security guard or my vegetable vendor shot my pictures! I did that for a year and kept posting pictures. In July 2016, I decided to quit my job and I subsequently launched my first full-fledged collection. That is how my journey started.
Who inspired you to start your journey as a designer?
My journey began in a very small city that did not have any designer showrooms. I used to go out on my bicycle and get monthly copies of magazines, just to look at what new fashion outfits had been created by the top designers of those times. I dreamt about looking at those magnificent outfits – not just in magazines – and always wondered how they came to life. The whole process is what inspired me to start a journey of my own.
Why have you focused only on men’s haute couture?
I want to put groom’s wear on the same pedestal as bridal wear. I positioned myself as a wedding couturier because I felt there was a need-gap and that no one was paying groom’s wear the attention to detail it deserved. The crux of the matter is that if the bride is going to somebody like Sabyasachi for her wedding attire, the groom should come to Jatin Malik Couture. That’s the positioning.
What makes the Jatin Malik brand stand apart?
My “why” of being in this industry is completely different from other people. I want my clients to feel the same joy and passion I have for clothes. Then again, the effort we put behind designing an outfit, like using a ‘three-tier embroidery process’, for example, to provide a more authentic look to the outfit, is what sets us apart.
Now that people have started to recognise the brand as parallel to the top brands in the market, I cannot express how this makes me feel. I am the same kid who used to buy magazines just to have a look at what the veterans had created and now people compare me to them! My story could end here and I would be happy. But fortunately, this is just the start and I have a long way to go.
Why is handwork so important to your designs?
I am a process-oriented designer. I love the process of creating designs from scratch. From getting the fabric weaved to getting it colour-dyed to creating surface texturing on the base and to doing the handwork. One has often heard that women or girls wear their mother’s or grandmother’s saris on special occasions, but there is no such ritual for men. I want to start a legacy for men, where the Jatin Malik outfit gets passed on and is worn by generations. And one can only make such a timeless outfit by handcrafting it.
“I WANT TO START A LEGACY FOR MEN, WHERE THE JATIN MALIK OUTFIT GETS PASSED ON AND IS WORN BY GENERATIONS”