I want to open a fashion museum someday: Designer Gavin Miguel

He’s no stranger to Bangalore. Designer Gavin Miguel was in Bangalore last year for the Blenders Pride Fashion Tour and he is back showcasing at the tour in the city this year as well.

“Bangalore is such a warm city. Everyone here is so encouraging,” says the designer who immediately recollects the slight misfortune his showstopper, Bollywood actor Sonakshi Sinha, had on the ramp last year, when she tripped as she was entering the ramp.

“The best bit about this city is that they didn’t mind that one bit. The crowd clapped and encouraged her to walk down the ramp,” says Gavin. Prod him on whom he intends on bringing to be his showstopper this year and he says, “I’m bringing Lisa Haydon as my showstopper. I’m confident she’ll carry off the outfit I intend to have her wear.”

The designer is excited about the collection that he is going to showcase in the city. “I am showcasing a collection called Dark Earth. This is a couture line that’s inspired from the idea of miners digging deep into the earth to find precious metals. Metaphorically, of course, it is meant to signify our own process of soul searching,” says Gavin.

The colour palette used in the collection also translates to this journey, the designer says. “From sand and brown to chocolate, it shows the process of digging deep within the earth. The blue in the collection is the water we find underneath the ground, while there will the use of gold and silver to show the precious metals we find eventually,” explains Gavin.

The collection that will be showcased here will include carefully constructed cocktail dresses to fitted silhouettes that translate into evening gowns. “You will find my signature madness in the clothes,” says Gavin, who believes Bangalore and its people make him feel very at ease.

“I’ve many clients from the city, most of them are wives of industrialists. The best bit about working from the city is that they make no fuss, which generates a very positive vibe making the city friendlier with every visit,” says Gavin. The designer, who retails out of South Africa, Europe and Middle East, is looking at expanding his presence in India beyond Delhi and Mumbai.

This is the reason why fashion weeks aren’t on his immediate priorities. “I’d rather do a fashion tour which will help me showcase my clothes across different cities and help me expand my clientele. As for international buyers, I’m already well connected and I don’t need to wait for a fashion week for it,” he says.

Gavin, instead, has other plans, which are bigger and grander than what he has done so far. “I want to open a fashion museum someday, much like the ones that we find in London and Paris. I have already done my homework on what is required. I need to look out for partners who can help me realise this dream,” says he.

Quiz him more on this venture and Gavin gladly talks on, revealing: “It isn’t only about sourcing clothes from the past. My idea of the fashion museum would mean tying up with other museums, where we can share and learn about different cultures through different time periods through their fashion. This is what I eventually want to end up doing. I would need to collaborate with a really big institution for this, of course.”