Meet GFF Talent, Shubhagata Mittal from Nottingham Trent University. Shubhagata鈥檚 final collection is called MIRAGE and is inspired by art she created as a child. Bridging the gap between reality and dreams, the collection brings together poetry, photography and paintings. 鈥淢y inspiration births from the perception of the ten year old Shubhagata, on-Mirage, a phenomenon that has enticed me since forever. An illusion giving rise to hopes that 鈥榯hey鈥� say, do not exist. However, my mirage is a doorway to the oasis and not a lurer of dismay.鈥� Read more about Shubhagata鈥檚 work below!

What is the most valuable thing you have learnt at university?

I have learnt to 'unlearn'. When I started viewing the world from the perspective of a design student, I realised, there were a lot of stereotypes and conditioning that I had to let go of. Certain things that I had painted as black and white, techniques that I had learnt with no flexibility- I had to unlearn( in concept ) and allow myself to explore, work with pleasant surprises and give myself room to make blunders even! Then only could I create and innovate by thinking out of the box.

What was the starting point of inspiration for your final project?

Fashion Design, to me, is a way of life, an experiential journey that begins with an idea culminating in creation of magic with material. All existing matter in the physical and meta-physical world has a story to tell. I have chosen to weave these stories in frayed threads of blue into fabrics that are a reflection of one鈥檚 experiences, thoughts and emotional odysseys through a lifetime鈥� Psychology imbed topics through Symbolism, Minimalism, breaking the norms of perfection and finesse and allowing myself to delve into the core of my inspirations are certain norms in my playground.

Going through the paintings I had made as a ten year old, I was transported back to the time when I saw the world through a lens that was free of any conditioning, rules or codings- with fish flying in the sky and and birds taking a dip in hot summer springs, with the Sun beautified with confetti tattoos, singing their song of praise and goodwill as guards of our Earth. My inspiration births from the perception of the ten year old Shubhagata, on-Mirage, a phenomenon that has enticed me since forever. An illusion giving rise to hopes that 鈥榯hey鈥� say, do not exist. However, my mirage is a doorway to the oasis and not a lurer of dismay. MIRAGE speaks about reality and dreams and the bridge between the two- where life thrives and souls grow. That limbo of what is and what can be, the world behind the veil revealing predictable truths and unexpected surprises is what I aspire to depict through my collection.

What form does your final project take?

The final culmination of the final year project was a final garment, 5 toiles and a portfolio. The concept of Reality and Dreams saw its realisation in several tangible and intangible outcomes through out the process. Poetry, photography and paintings helped me explore and discover new facets of my dynamic perceptions on the concept. After creating a pool of words, visuals and ideas- I slowly went on to streamline my interpretation of reality and dreams to a few keywords- reflection, blur, depth, crossroads and surprise. These words found form through choice of reflective fabrics, layering, dismissal of predictability and monotony in silhouettes and fabric manipulation.

The concept of 鈥榃hat if鈥� runs through the complete process of design derivation. Just as there is an element of unpredictability and surprise in the limbo of reality to dreams- the ensembles highlight the 鈥榳hat if鈥� across every individual element constituting a harmonious whole. Julian Roberts who conceptualised and executed the technique of 鈥榮ubtraction鈥� cutting has beautifully explained the role of chance, luck and hope in the paradigm of fashion viz-a-viz life. I have basked for several months in his words, ideology and methodology on this technique that I have used to create my collection with. This style of pattern cutting is all about unexpected surprises and 鈥榳hat if鈥� experimentations which reveal new possibilities with every exploration.

He says, 鈥渂eing amateur is an advantage鈥� and this statement put me on a drive to city dreamland for I always struggled with traditional pattern making both in skill and in credo. To be able to pack up the rulers, pattern masters and pencils and ship them to never-land was another step towards breaking the conditioning I had developed as a fashion student. I used my fingers, elbows, legs, boxes and plates to develop my initial patterns and allowed myself to understand a woman鈥檚 body without wrapping a measuring tape around her hips.

What materials have you used and how did you source them?

I spent a lot of time sourcing fabrics which would be a tangible representation of the concept- in terms of texture, weight and visual appeal. I used silver hologram paired with bamboo fabric to highlight the contrast through shine and dulness, futuristic and organic, stiff and flowy to represent dreams in distinction from reality. I used heat set pleated fabric and Chinese smocking technique to give 3-d texture and depth to the hologram fabric symbolising unraveling of hidden dreams.

Through the process, I also experimented with several digital prints, hand painting and embroidery samples that were derived from the following excerpt of poetry I wrote on the concept of reality and dreams: 鈥淚 float away to the Earth with lavender sky and golden grass A hypnotic play of the sun rays chasing the luminance of the moon Smiles are found fallen on road cracks mended with candy floss鈥�.鈥� I sourced the fabric from local stores in the city, fabric complexes, online websites and I worked with handmade hologram buttons, wool threads, silk threads for embroidery on top of digital printed (prints I developed on cad) fabrics.

How has it evolved from your initial ideas and what have you learnt along the way?

My inspiration - MIRAGE speaks about reality and dreams and the bridge between the two- where life thrives and souls grow. That limbo of what is and what can be, the world behind the veil revealing predictable truths and unexpected surprises is what I aspire to depict through my collection. While researching on my theme of psychology in fashion, I studied brands on Not Just A Label, primarily Xenolith and Saramaino and undertook trend study of Gamescape S/S 20-21 on WGSN. I identified and studied a few designers who have worked with subtraction technique of pattern cutting, namely- Rick Owen, Res Kawakubo, Peggy Pei-Chuan Tsai etc.

The concept of Reality and Dreams saw its realisation in several tangible and intangible outcomes through out the process. Poetry, photography and paintings helped me explore and discover new facets of my dynamic perceptions on the concept. After creating a pool of words, visuals and ideas- I slowly went on to streamline my interpretation of reality and dreams to a few keywords- reflection, blur, depth, crossroads and surprise. These words found form through choice of reflective fabrics, layering, dismissal of predictability and monotony in silhouettes and fabric manipulation. The concept of 鈥榃hat if鈥� runs through the complete process of design derivation. Just as there is an element of unpredictability and surprise in the limbo of reality to dreams- the ensembles highlight the 鈥榳hat if鈥� across every individual element constituting a harmonious whole.

When I had started working on the concept, I had taken on the challenge to shun the limitations and rigidity in my way of working which meant embracing and accepting the outcomes rather than controlling or dictating them. Whilst exploring the subtraction technique, I was able to ingrain in my style, the beauty of spontaneity. So, when I am asked if my expectations were met or objectives achieved, it would be safe to say that the whole idea behind 鈥榳hat if鈥� was to defuse the expectations, not to fall short of them but to allow the creative juices to flow and let pleasant surprises plate themselves before me as I learn with every step through the design process. It was an empowering experience to let go of imprisoning restraints and live the concept, work with freedom and welcome mess-ups and re-dos alongside discovering something about fabric I did not realise was possible.

What are the messages and themes behind your project that you want people to take away? Do explore any topics like diversity, sustainability or politics in your work?

The world in today鈥檚 time is at crossroads- a fight to harmonise the inner with the outer. We all face conflict between the world of reality- our surroundings, environment, the society and its ways v/s our inner being, our deepest desires, aspirations and dreams. Working with psychology imbued concepts addressing current issues, events and 鈥榮tates of mind鈥� help introduce reflective practices in the fashion industry thereby enhancing the emotional relevance of ensembles that have scope beyond mere aesthetic appeal.

In wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, my perception on reality and dreams saw a facelift. When the world is forced to face pain, loss and grief, the people unanimously discover a common thread that connects them and their realities and hopes merge to form the bigger picture. The collection is a message of empowerment, a plea to all dejected souls to wear their armours and fight. The dynamism in the visual array of the ensembles instills confidence, hope and the drive to keep chasing your dreams..

What鈥檚 an aspect of the fashion industry that you鈥檙e passionate about fixing or having a positive impact on?

As a student of fashion, I have always experimented with conceptual design. I believe that design has depth beyond its mere visual or aesthetic array. I have never studied subjects in isolation and strongly believe that a multidisciplinary approach is mandatory. I am driven by a strong sense of responsibility to act as an agent of change towards making the practices in the fashion realm more ethical, reflective and progressive. Hence, I wish to be a part of the fashion industry by integrating psychology and expression as the main pillars in my work. Mental health, emotional relevance, understanding of consumers, harmonising the varied objectives of the stakeholders- and making the fashion 'experience' not just more commercially lucrative, but more satisfactory and enhancing the contentment amongst all the stakeholders of the industry.

What is your plan once you finish your BA?

Fast forward five years, I wish to work towards bringing all the stakeholders of the fashion realm to a common platform- 鈥榓n experience centre鈥� wherein the ideology of expression, concept and harmony revive the emotional relevance of the design process. I aim to do this by setting up a physical space where likeminded designers work together keeping in mind psychological and societal needs alongside commercial growth. I will act as both a facilitator and curator overseeing the activities and growth of the model devised to initiate integrated design through workshops, newsletters, consultancy services and cultural exchange programs. I am to do this by studying fashion entrepreneurship and innovation as well as applied psychology in fashion. I am currently enrolled for 2021 for the masters course at LCF.