Interview with a Fashion Accessory Designer; Smriti Sain

Aug 6, 2011 by admin    6 Comments    Posted under: Designer Interviews, Graphic Design Tips

She is best known for creating accessory designs of the major fashion retailers in Europe. Some of the popular names are Zara, Massimo Dutti, Napapijri, Max Mara, Miss Sixty, Chevignon, Diesel, Next, All Saints and El Corte Ingles.

Smriti Sain has recently associated with Kevin Willis, an ex-NBA player.  She will be designing male-bags to showcase at New York Fashion Week later this year, for his denim label Willis & Walker.

Smriti studied at National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), India before starting out in the fashion industry. Her most appreciated association was with the Italian brand of luxury leather bags, Coccinelle S.p.A. Interviewing Smriti, I was able to get insight of an accessory designer and some helpful design tips.

DesigningTips.com – Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from and how did you end up being an accessory designer in fashion industry?

Smriti Sain – I am your average product of a modern Indian nuclear family – born in Mumbai, went to school in Pune, and ever since college, sold on Delhi. I ended up being an accessory designer purely by destiny! I was an all-round student all through school, and academic achievements came easy. Possibly because a familiarity with all things science and math have been with me all through my childhood being the daughter of an IIT+IIM brilliant techie father, and a MSc+MPhil zoology enthusiast mother. I always possessed an inherent talent for all this creativity, but somehow my scholastic laurels got more recognition.

I was one confused 16 year old teenager at the time of college applications, but I’d my parents support to an absolutely any career choice possibly available. There was no profession I did not seriously consider, no major college application form I did not fill and no major entrance exam I did not give! The whole ‘keep your options open’ approach was obviously exhausting! …and came the artistic entrance for National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) – the first of so called ‘entrance exams’ that I truly enjoyed – the experience was unbelievingly refreshing and liberating. An acceptance came in and I chose to go to fashion design school over acceptances at a medical school, one of the best engineering colleges and a law school as well! It was an instinct I can’t explain, to follow my heart into doing something I enjoyed even though I had no idea of my real potential in the field. There has been no looking back ever since.

DesigningTips.com – Is it necessary to go to design school to learn how to be a good fashion or accessory designer or is it enough to “attend the school of hard knocks?”

Smriti Sain – It is necessary to have a talent and love for whatever you do. Fashion designing is no different. No school or experience can give you talent. If you have it, love it, cherish it, and help it grow. Design schools can be very helpful, they help you hone your talent, channel it, give you technical skills, and a general introduction into the workings of the fashion industry in your country. But the correct choice of school is extremely important. I regularly counsel a lot of students for design or fashion school choices and it is key to be clear about your expectation from the course, the course structure, industry connections and the choice of country of study.

I have also been through a fashion design school at the Master’s level – Domus Academy in Milan, started by Gianfranco Ferré himself. Such schools serve as great laboratories for personal growth and experimentation, helping you, strengthen your individual personality as a fashion designer. Having an individual artistic personality is of utmost importance in the fashion world today with so many competing designers, labels and stores encroaching in on each others’ signature.

Experience is a fabulous teacher. Emphasizing how much you learn on the job is now a jaded cliché. True of course, but at the end of the day as a fashion or accessory designer you have to have an open mind to learn, grow and be exposed from just about any and every experience – school or otherwise. So whatever works for you is fine, in the end it is how committed you are to your art.

DesigningTips.com – What are the key elements of a good design? Is good accessory design a function of creativity … of sound experience … or both?

Smriti Sain – I have seen great designs in fashion industry come out of the most inexperienced people, so there is no set formula!

You do not need any set credentials for creating a good accessory design. In fact that is what I love about designing, it is so artistically unquantifiable. Critiquing design work is almost like art appreciation; there is no meaning of quantifying elements without looking at the references of time period, client, purpose, country or even trend. Experience helps you save the amount of time you need to get to a final design that works well; but that’s just about it. In general, I always appreciate designs for the newness of concept, innovative use of materials, emotional reaction induced or just the sheer courage of the creator for being able to conceive and go through with his idea.

DesigningTips.com – What inspires you, and your fashion or accessory designs?

Smriti Sain – Just about anything and everything! But mostly, people. Traveling to be inspired is one of those cliches that I completely subscribe to. I have traveled extensively through North America, Australia, South East Asia, the Middle East & Europe and it’s been quite an eye opener observing people, customs, cultures and histories. I am an obsessive photographer – clicking away at anything that vaguely interests me. My photographs form a huge database that I constantly refer back to, for ideas. Many of my photographic captures are up on my Tumblrblog – “Some Things I Love“. Fine art and architecture is a also very big passion. I am what they call, a museum geek. There is no major art museum I haven’t visited be it the Getty, Met, Louvre, Prado, D’Órsay and Uffizi. I’m keen on doing the MoMA, the next time I’m in NYC. Broadway and Opera are fabulous inspirations as well. I remember my first experiences at both – ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ at Broadway and ‘Romeo e Giullietta’ at La Scala in Milan for Opera. Both art forms are truly inspirational!

A lot of cinema inspires my work as well – many small budget French and Italian films have wonderful art direction, costumes and cinematography.

Music is a constant inspiration, which goes without saying! I remember taking a beautiful set of photographs at a live jazz performance I attended in Prague that later served as inspiration for some professional graphic work for a client.

Such exposures in general I believe are absolutely fabulous to fine-tune artistic sensibilities that can differentiate an average ‘accessory design professional’ from a brilliant ”accessory designer.’

With reference to my field off course, I devour a lot of fashion, design and art magazines, blogs, designer labels and fashion week runway shows.

There have been a number of instances where my love for a material have inspired a design – I see a skin of leather that I absolutely fall in love with and tell myself that such beauty demands a arty design!

Mostly, I’m inspired by my own passion to create beauty and I’m always excited when I meet people who think like me. Positivity is the air I breathe on.

DesigningTips.com – Is there any real difference between graphic designing, room in a home and clothing or an accessory for a beautiful woman?

Smriti Sain – The approach is always the same, no matter what you design. I firmly believe this. But yes, in this age of advanced technology, the tools that are required to eventually convert your idea into viable designs are sophisticated and evolved. Knowledge of these tools and manufacturing process is the key, or you look at collaborating with someone who can work with you to create your vision.

Bottom line: when you are defined by your passion to create, nothing can stop you.

DesigningTips.com – How do you work on your design projects? I mean, what design applications, software and design tools do you use the most for your projects?

Smriti Sain – I have no set process, but most design projects either start with a seed idea or research. Since I work in the fashion industry the most important need, no matter what the specifics of the project are, is to be relevant. But I find more and more, that I am a hand on person. Nothing makes me feel a project more that tearing up magazines, putting together materials and making artistic sketches to define my idea.

The research may be huge, but I really start ideating once I sketch and re-sketch and re-re-sketch!

I use a number of mediums like pastels, Pantone markers, Stabilo pens, pencils, and ink on textured artistic paper. I am a fan of Fabriano paper and could never ideate on regular A4 bond paper – it’s just too clinical!

Once I am fairly certain of the kind of designs I am working on, I rely on design software like Adobe Photoshop, Corel Graphic Suite, MovieMaker etc. to give finishing touches, material renderings, technical specifications or make presentations.

DesigningTips.com – Are there ever times when design changes are radical?

Smriti Sain – Design and fashion always have and always will reflect society. Any radical changes in society will show its effects. In my lifetime, I have not witnessed any radical changes but yes, evolutions have been many. But if you look at history, radical changes like wars and natural calamities have shown their effects on fashion time and again.

DesigningTips.com – Can you tell us about your fashion design portfolio and clientele (people you have worked with & for)?

Smriti Sain – As a part of my first professional association I have created designs for a lot of the major high street retailers in Europe including Zara, Massimo Dutti, Napapijri, Max Mara, Miss Sixty, Chevignon, Diesel, Next, All Saints and El Corte Ingles amongst others.

I have also worked on various design projects with Future Concept Lab; a leading trend research agency based in Milan and was briefly associated with Manas, a well-established shoe-maker of Italy. Apart from these, I have associated with well known independent fashion designers like Fabio Cammarata for experimental jewelry and interaction designer Massimo Banzi of the Arduino platform for TechFashion.

One of my most cherished associations was earlier this year with Coccinelle S.p.A, the Italian brand for luxury leather bags.

I have most recently begun an association with ex-NBA player Kevin Willis to create man-bags for his denim label Willis & Walker to showcase at New York Fashion Week later this year.

A lot of my fashion design work is available at my online portfolio.

DesigningTips.com – Any accessory design tips you would like to share with freshers just starting out in the fashion industry?

Smriti Sain – Live and work and think with passion and dedication and positivity. Simple! Nothing will or can stop you. Have loads of faith in yourself. Be ready to learn constantly and more than anything else learn to develop and follow your instinct. Hard work is an absolute given of course!

I am always available to exchange design ideas or guide enthusiasts in person through my Twitter and LinkedIn profiles.