'I wanted to celebrate curves. We should thank Kim Kardashian for their return'

Easy’ isn’t a word one associates with Indian couture. Yet it’s at the centre of everything Tarun Tahiliani. That’s the way he wants his clothes to feel, and why he celebrates the sari. The designer, who just marked three decades of his label at a showcase in Hyderabad, talks to Mohua Das about the underbelly of fashion, and the fixation with Bollywood-inspired bridal wearYour show opened by reclaiming volume — eaggerated hips, corseted bustles, padded trousers — inspired by late 18th century Company paintings of nautch girls. You’ve described this as celebrating curves without apology. Was this a deliberate pushback against fashion’s obsession with cinching and correction?I wanted to show that even in a tailored form, a voluptuous silhouette can be extraordinarily beautiful. Even older Indian women, no matter how voluptuous, look incredibly sensual in a sari. So many women today are trying to fit into slim, western silhouettes. That’s perfectly fine if that’s what you’re comfortable in. But I wanted to celebrate the Indian body and its curves unapologetically. I often tell people that we should be grateful to Kim Kardashian. She freed women from the myth of the narrow hip and broad shoulder. Indian dress has traditionally been unstructured, which gives the body freedom to be what it is. Today, many are no longer comfortable with that. Our job as designers is to give structure and freedom, and most importantly, confidence.Your father once asked why you wanted to become a tailor after a Wharton degree. Thirty years on, what are you most proud of?My father was chief of naval staff and governor of Sikkim and my mother was an engineer. They worried about me because I was a dreamer interested in art. They wanted something safe. But I’m lucky, I get up and go to work at what I love.Your pret line OTT is such an irony because it’s anything but over the top...OTT (when it launched in 2024) was meant to be called TT. But I was opposed by a company that makes underwear and baniyan. I said, people call me TT, I’m not stealing your name. That’s when someone pointed out the irony of naming these simplest clothes OTT. It has a separate design team and separate shops. Bridal dazzle would swallow it otherwise.But Indian bridal is what still drives Indian couture …The mistake is treating bridal like a costume. Everything is influenced by Bollywood. People say, ‘I want to look like X.’ Find the best version of yourself. Our mothers didn’t grow up with this insecurity. Fashion has fed it, and it’s not healthy. People want lighter clothes. My couture exists because of it. Recently, Nawaz Sharif’s granddaughter-in-law (Shanzeh Ali Rohale) went viral in a red TT sari for her wedding. Even many Indian brides don’t wear saris anymore, so it was powerful to see a non-Indian bride choose a sari with a veil. India Modern, for me, is layered, muted, rooted yet international. Ease defines my philosophy now. We don’t live in palaces anymore. Clothing has to support movement and modern life.What is uniquely Indian about the draped form that makes you obsessively hold on to it?India is the only textile culture that wraps fabric. Five and a half metres; no petticoat sometimes. There’s sensual intelligence in drapes and it’s a part of our identity. Just as the tailored frock coat became a French identity and evolved into modern forms at houses like Chanel or Dior, our thread through history has been the textile wrapped around the body. Over time, it absorbed embroidery and craftsmanship. I find that beautiful and distinctive.Designers talk a lot today about respecting karigars. Has it actually become a level playing field?Come to our Delhi studio and see the working conditions. Fashion isn’t just who’s wearing it on the ramp or at Cannes. There’s a whole other side to it. You can’t say ‘I respect you’ and then pay karigars three months late. Respect starts with basics. People these days don’t care about the backend. Fashion has become like a theatre set. Beautiful in front, a working mess behind. Also, if you’re doing machine embroidery and calling it made by hand, it takes away jobs, culture and livelihood.So, you’re saying handwork is being misrepresented?A lot of work is authentic. But a lot is passed off as handwork when it’s not. We also do computer work, of course, but if we all do computer work and call it handmade, then karigars will be out of jobs. This is happening a lot out of Bengal — big machines, beautiful quality, passed off as hand. Look after workers better, and be honest about what you sell. Nothing wrong with full computer work… just say it.What are the challenges you face as a founder?I have vultures circling my studio trying to poach staff. Even designers I thought were friends steal your people. Also, growth is the only thing that sustains a business. Otherwise, you remain a small mom-and-pop bridal operation. Building something like OTT that can go to hundreds of stores in India or globally is what interests me now.