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A 1990 alumnus of the National Institute of Fashion Technology,
revivalist designer Sonam Dubal’s experiments with tradition led to the
birth of his label Sanskar in 1999. Sanskar is a 20 year odyssey of
design interpretation inspired by Dubal’s Buddhist heritage, Asian motifs,
symbols and cultural studies. Hand designed block-print remnants are
recombined in vibrant silk patchwork stripes for zero waste. Recycled
vintage silk saris in brocade and Ikat mix with velvet, silk and handloom
cotton, Khadi and wool in textural play. Dubal’s collections seek to
reconcile modern influences and traditional creativity through storytelling
in his embroidered jackets, wraps, coats and hand painted capes.
Suzy Menkes, International style writer notes that, “His work has both
dignity in the silhouette and subtle craftsmanship
It was in 2003 that his debut Indo- Asian collection caught the eye
of L’eclaireur store in Paris. Dubal was soon invited to participate in
the Rosemont Australia Fashion Week in Melbourne (2006). In the
same year, Dubal earned the distinction of being named in the Top
50 achievers in Global mainstream median in the Fashion category
instituted by the University of Leicester Law School, UK. This was
followed by his 2007 collection that caught the attention of Hilary
Alexander and earned him the Elle Global Award for Fashion.
“Sonam Dubal treats his collections with
the spirit of an academic using indigenous
fabric.” -Bandana Tewari
Eclectic women across various walks of life have always inspired
Dubal and have played an important role in his work. His label
Sanskar, has been endorsed by many such women, including
documentary film maker Leslie Cockburn, screen writer Rania
Hanano, Film director Deepa Mehta, journalists and writers
Barkha Dutt and Madhu Trehan, Actresses Tabu and Sonam
Kapoor, Artist Mithu Sen, International icon Isabella Rossellini.