Designer Arpita Mehta Gets Candid About Plagiarism In The Fashion World, Flagship Store And How Has Pandemic Changed Things For Her

© Vineeta Kumar
Designer Arpita Mehta

Renowned fashion designer Arpita Mehta has completed 10 years in the fashion world and has recently opened her flagship store in Khar, Mumbai. Set in the middle of a hustling-bustling city, her first flagship store exudes the calm of a cottage from a bygone era. Arpita Mehta is known for her hand-embroidered mirror work and vibrant colours, the designers have dressed almost every big name in Bollywood. In an exclusive interaction with India.com, Arpita talks about her flagship store, how pandemic changed things for her, plagiarism in the fashion world, and more. Excerpts:

10 years is a huge time and nothing comes with flying colours unless you have worked extremely hard. Please talk about the struggle days or the time when you pushed yourself and your team while experiencing some sort of crisis at work?

After studying fashion design at S.N.D.T. University, I began my career working for one of the most reputed designers in the country and gained a lot of insights into the industry. I didn’t come from a family with any connections to fashion or any contacts from the industry, what I had was the passion for showcasing my designs to the world, which inspired me to persevere towards my goal. I did face the same struggles that any young fashion entrepreneur would face in terms of getting my vision of designs to life.

I literally walked into the lanes in search of the right karigars and masters who understood the desired fit and embroidery I was looking for. I would like to count this as an investment I made as most of my team is still the same, who I initially started with. We experienced days of struggles and challenges but all of those were a part of our learning curve but on the flip side, there were also some days when people in influence wore our clothes and from there our brand received recognition.

Back in 2012, I designed my first sample of a full sleeves mirror work & cut-work vest which was further modified in 2013 with a new sample without sleeves in a gold colour palette. I absolutely loved the outcome as it was exactly how I imagined it to be. In the same week, we received a request for Deepika Padukone to wear this for her movie promotions & she wore it! Right after that, we received so much attention & I was glad that my work had been appreciated. Moments like these stand out and you realise that it was just about persevering until you reach a landmark that gives your brand and business exactly that push that it needs.

What does a flagship store mean for any designer in India?

While E-commerce comes with its own set of benefits, the experience of walking into a store and being able to touch and feel a garment is unparalleled. For us to be able to interact with the client to understand their needs and give them a service adds to the overall experience of shopping couture.

Congratulations on achieving this feat in your career. I am sure opening a flagship store must have been a dream from the very beginning of your career. How do you feel looking back?

Opening a flagship store has been a dream from the very beginning and it was brought to life this year. I always wanted the store to have a quaint, cottage-like feel and I was so glad to have found a space just like that in the heart of the city. The process of opening the store was delayed owing to the lockdown, but it was a dream come true nonetheless. I am so glad to have hit major milestones this year like launching an E-commerce website along with the physical store to round up the brand’s experience.

How has the pandemic changed things for you? What difference has it brought in your style of work?

This pandemic has been a much-needed pause for me. My trajectory before the lockdown was quite fast-paced – very little time to think things through and put plans to action. Taking these months off compelled me to contemplate and gain clarity and I am very satisfied with the way things are aligning to form the brand’s identity. After the lockdown started easing up, we started out slow but owing to the opening of the store along with the festive season looks very promising.

I have been a follower of your work for the last few years and have always loved how you maintain a certain kind of simplicity in your outfits even while going big on prints and your signature designing with mirrors. What has been a thumb rule of designing for you?

Ever since I started out, I had a very personalised outlook towards designing clothes. Over the years I have developed an intuition that guides me to design what my customers would like, which has largely also taken over my personal sense of style. After much trial and error, we realised what works for our clientele is to have one key feature in the garment that is complimented by all the other details.

What does Arpita Mehta, as one of the most loved designer labels, mean to you and where do you plan to go from here?

Every day I feel more grateful and blessed when I reflect on how everything has worked out for me thus far. We started out with creating Indian-fusion clothing that was different but fun and we want to continue to cater to women everywhere. Plans for something very exciting are underway, and I’d just have to ask you to watch out our social media handles for more information.

How do you personally tackle plagiarism at your end? Has there been any incident where a known designer tried to rip off your designs or maybe got “inspired” by your work?

Plagiarism in the fashion industry is inevitable. Initially, it bothered me a lot but over time, I started taking these things with a pinch of salt. I find it funny when people copy our designs, then post it on Instagram and tag us in return.