Drashta Sarvaiya adds an edge to her designs

Designer Drashta Sarvaiya’s personal style is pleasantly peculiar and very individualistic
If you were to judge a person by their clothes, Drashta Sarvaiya would come across as approachable, individualistic and a lot of fun. The designer, originally from Ahmedabad, loves texturing surfaces, unusual colour combinations and that little edge to femininity.“To me, a dress is complete only if it has an unfinished hem,” she says, her dimples flashing under her asymmetrical haircut. One of the luxuries of her life is being able to travel, and she buys most of her personal wardrobe from small boutiques and unknown designers who marry design with function. “I also like buying from big brands because they stand for a certain dependability of quality,” she says. Her current hunting ground is a bylane in Champs-Élysées that is filled with heritage family stores that work with leather.
For day-to-day functioning, Drashta relies on jeggings in different colours and fun T-shirts, but the rest of her closet is filled with cheeky surprises.
Drunk frock: “I would wear this dress for a fun drinking night out,” Drashta says, pulling out a neon green mesh dress with un-hemmed edges, bits and bobbles all over. Even when designing, Drashta needs to dress according to the collection to get into the mood.
Night gown: Drashta’s style is in no sense traditional and were she to go out for a formal occasion, she would wear this deep blue gown. “In every collection, there is one dress which is nerve wracking to do because of the detailing, but I still do it because I think my team and I enjoy it,” she says. “This one is handpleated. It took three or four tailors to form each pleat by hand, while the other steam-ironed it in place, and another tacked it in. The unfinished hem is a surprising addition to this sophisticated dress, which I think gives it an edge.”
The functional shoe: “I have come to love heels, but prefer flats since on a working day, I travel between the workshop, store, home and might go out sourcing. So I look for interesting flats such as these. I love the hardware on these sandals from Zign and bought a pair in beige too,” she says of her go-to pair.
The colour fix: “I love make-up and was looking for the perfect red lipstick for ever,” she says about her current make-up obsession. It is hard to find a red that goes with the Indian complexion and I came upon this Versace red in Paris. I just love it now and wear it every chance I get.” Drashta also loves bright nails - neon green, yellow, coral, vermillion, aqua blue are the colours for summer, and when the weather turns colder, she goes for black, cherry red, military green and navy blue.
Sparkler knuckle-duster: Drashta is not a girl for traditional diamonds, but this gift from a buyer appeals to her love of unexpected accessories. It’s a ring that goes around your middle and ring fingers (or index and middle) and the solitaires peek from in between your fingers, while the ring is invisible. “I wear it in the day as well as the night, with jeans or a dress,” she says.
Penguin earrings: These she picked up from South Africa for their sense of fun. The earrings are made of an alloy and are feather-weight. “Since I have short hair, I wear earrings more as they stand out,” say Drashta who also changes her hairstyle every few months. “I’ve worn my hair long, short and blond, and now it’s brown with an asymmetrical fringe.”
Mitali.Parekh @timesgroup.com