Divas’ designer!

An exclusive interview with Hemant Trivedi, the brain behind some of the most stupendous collections.

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Hemant Trivedi (TOI Photo) When you meet him, it's difficult to vouch for the fact that he is the person who has designed the wardrobes for almost all the reigning beauty queens in India.
He is unassuming, complaisant and prefers to be in his own cloistered world. He is so much at ease with himself that one wonders if he is the man whose minimalist chic designs earned him a territory where he is undeniably the king.
He understands the relevance of beauty pageants and it's impact on fashion. Well, when you ask him why Indian beauties are not winning prestigious titles any more, pat comes the reply, "There's no dearth of Indian beauties and I'm satisfied with their performance. Well, winning and losing are part and parcel of the game." So, is there no foul play involved in the competitions? "No, not at all. People ask me how can Miss China win the title when China is hosting the event? Why not? How many times has it happened earlier? And how many Chinese contestants have you seen who are pretty, intelligent and tall!"
Well, height has something to do with beauty and probably that's why the cut off is 5'7 now for the beauty pageant. "Well when someone is representing India at a global level, we have to consider international parameters. Even though the average height of Indian girls is 5'2, we have to be a little harsh in our judgments," he explains.

For the designer who had studied in Australia, India is where his heart is. And that's what he seeks in the participants when he is judging them. "They have to be confident and proud Indians. I look for young contemporary women who can make India proud, not just with beauty, but also with intellect," he says nonchalantly.
The designer admits that life has taken a 180-degree turn after his near fatal accident some years back. "It reaffirmed my faith in the divine. I became more tolerant and have stopped taking my life for granted. I always used to ask myself this question 'why me?' And once, at a marketplace, a 70-year old lady approached me and said that she had prayed for me and told me that I've been chosen, for God wanted me to show suffering and the blessings in disguise. From that day I stopped asking myself that question."

And is he proud to be the part of the glamour world? "As far as the fashion industry is concerned, people have the view that it's a polyester world where so much is fake. But, in reality, it's serious business, " he states. "The day I came out of coma, Lara Dutta won her crown. That shows that life has been kind to me and what I'm doing is of importance and getting recognition globally."
He hates designing for Hindi cinema, which is considered to be the most lucrative option by many designers. "Bollywood, no thanks! I can't design for films, even though my friends from the film fraternity like Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai are always after me. I can't do something I don't believe in."

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