Narendra Kumar Ahmed’s bio on Instagram reads ‘Story Tailor’. Whether it is a new label he launches or a fashion show he is part of, the celebrated couturier always has a story which takes centre stage. More than two decades ago, he aided fashion designer Anita Dongre in launching her label AND with the idea of catering to young woman getting into the workspace.
But a lot of time has passed since then and that woman has evolved, he believes. Hence, his new label — Tamiska by Narendra Kumar. “Tamiska brings a sensibility of a global traveller with an Indian fit — easy to wear and trendy. The idea is to bring global aesthetics to the Indian woman,” says the designer.
New store in Parel, Mumbai
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
At their newly-opened store in Parel, Mumbai, the racks display tops and knee-length tunics, dresses, bottoms, and jumpsuits in red, pink, green, blue, brown and more. “What is the first thing you notice in an outfit?” he asks, to which I respond, “colour” adding that my favourite shade is green.
Nari, as he is fondly called, proceeds to point out various prints they have in the hue. The idea behind having different prints in one colour as opposed to different colours in one print, he rationales, is that the eye is attracted to the colour before it rests on the print. With prices starting from ₹1,699 onwards, the outfits are available in fabrics such as rayon mixed with nylon and polyester as well as tensile.
What Nari has brought to the new brand is his learnings from his decade-long stint at Amazon Fashion India as their creative head. His reason for greenlighting the job was simple. “A billion and a half people don’t need mobile phones, cars, laptops, and a lot of other things, but they need clothes every day of their lives. I was going to be the conduit who would bring that alive; that was my role, and so I always had the vision of what I was going to do for the job,” he shares, adding that it is the same vision he has brought to Tamiska. “It is about understanding the consumer, how they are evolving, what are their needs and aspirations and how do you tell their stories,” he states.
There it is, the storytelling aspect again. “What are clothes without a story? Especially today, people want a sense of belonging, but my stories have never been about the Taj Mahal or something else. They are a reflection of how people in this country are changing, and my job is really to connect the dots among all these people. I bring all those thoughts together and portray them in my designs,” he shares.
Not satisfied with telling stories through clothes, Nari has found another outlet in films. His fashion film 2+2=5 was part of the official selection for the Berlin Fashion Film Festival 22 and his film The Marriage of Shayla Patel, which delves into LGBTQ+ themes, had the honour of inaugurating the Brisbane Film Festival. “I do films because I want to tell stories, because I see what’s happening in my country and because it matters. Artists have their canvas. For me, films have become a canvas to be able to tell stories,” he states.
Narendra Kumar Ahmed
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
From being the first fashion editor at Elle India to playing a pivotal role in conceptualising India Fashion Week Nari has been there and done that. But his passion for his work has not diminished. Up next for him is a streetwear brand named Ura Street, inspired by the birth of street style in Japan. “I want to explore new ideas and create new things on the basis of what’s happening around me in the world,” he signs off.
Shop collections from Tamiska by Narendra Kumar on tamiska.com starting ₹2,999