Devina Juneja

If your designs could speak, what would they say?

If my designs could speak, they would say that they are original, meticulously handcrafted and handwoven, edgy with a strong design identity.

What are the signature elements in your designs?

Signature elements of my design are the use of scrap, waste, and upcycled genuine leather to embellish my garments. All garments have some leather element, however use of leather doesn’t mean the garments are for winter. We use leather the way other designs use sequins and thread embroidery. We combine a lot of our designs with dori (shoelace) and zari and our focus is handwoven overlays, wraps, and jackets.

Which celebrity or personality do you dream of dressing?

Which collection are you most proud of, and why?

I think my collection Uptown Girls is the one I am most proud of. It laid the foundation of my design language with the use of scrap leather mixed with dori, experimenting with laser cutting, handweaving, mixing leather with zari, and focus on overlays. I believe every designer should have their own identity and this collection helped me form mine.

Where do you find inspiration for your designs?

I find a lot of inspiration in scrap leather. The collection of scrap helps me decide the color scheme and shapes that I want to focus on. Nature constantly inspires and awes me. I also love geometric patterns and use these heavily in my designs. S much inspiration is also drawn from different types of fabrics and artisans whose ideas and craftsmanship help with new ideation.

Which designer in the world inspires you?

The designer that inspires me constantly is Anamika Khanna. I think she has single-handedly invented Indo-Western dressing in India and she can be credited for introducing multiple silhouettes that have now become mainstream in Indo-Western dressing. The frill saree, dhoti pants, cape, pairing a sari with a jacket are all products of her genius.

Share a memorable "aha" moment from your design career.

I am still waiting for the big “aha” moment in my design career, however getting listed on Wolf and Badger, a premier platform in Europe for independent designers was a big deal for me.