In a design-scape dominated by ethnic sensibilities, Alan’s functional and minimal aesthetics stand out.

In a design-scape dominated by ethnic sensibilities, Alan’s functional and minimal aesthetics stand out. Be it reinterpreting classic pieces such as a simple shirt and a black jacket or letting an element of imperfection define the beauty of his garments, he is certainly moving beyond conventions.

Born and brought up in Trivandrum, Kerela, he had no direct access to anything stereotypically ‘fashion’ and like every creative had a struggle with his true calling. But Alan’s interest in creative arts kept him going. For many, fashion never becomes an obvious career choice and his case was no different. After spending 4 years studying Applied Electronics and Instrumentation, at the age of 21 he left for Studio Berçot to pursue fashion design. 

Paris as a city and working with a bunch of international designers pushed Alan to experiment with his design abilities. “I wanted to create a brand of my own, as a means to tell my story and express myself through that narration,” he says. Post his return to India in 2015 he launched ‘KALEEKAL’, his label with the aim of employing traditional Indian handloom fabrics in conceptualizing a subversive take on wardrobe staples.

Alan’s ability as a designer lies in understanding fashion beyond clothes. He strongly believes in initiating a dialogue between the designer and the consumer. So far all his collections have had an undertone of contradiction. Juxtaposing ideas of adolescence against maturity, teenage angst against tranquility, gender fluidity as opposed to a gender binary, Alan is charting out fashion for consumers who think. 

With his eyes set towards fashion curation and art direction, he is on a constant lookout for new ways to narrate a story and explore the relevance of that narration in a contemporary art gallery setting.

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Early years: I was born and brought up in Trivandrum, Kerala, far away from anything even remotely related to the contemporary fashion scene.  Growing up, I was always interested in the creative arts and I knew I wanted to be in a creative field of work but fashion was never consciously in my mind as a career choice. After 4 years of undergraduate studies in Applied Electronics and Instrumentation, I left for Paris, at the age of 21, to pursue higher studies in fashion design.

As a kid, I loved getting my hands dirty creating anything and everything possible. I grew up in an environment where art and culture were integral parts of my curriculum. I used to spend my school hours in the library doodling and sketching anytime I could get away with it. I don’t think, however, that I ever tried my hand at creating garments or fashion when I was young, I do not have stories of dressing up dolls or family members as other designers often seem to do.

The philosophy behind his label 

Having worked for designers and fashion houses in Paris, I wanted to create a brand of my own, as a means to tell my story and express myself through that narration. After getting back to India in 2015, I set up KALEEKAL with the aim of employing traditional Indian handloom fabrics in conceptualizing a subversive take on wardrobe staples. I showcased my debut collection ‘The Age of Consent’ at Lakme Fashion Week in March 2015. Each collection is named after the story that is told through the clothes. The last 3 collections are a part of a continuing exploration of adolescent sexuality and the gender binary, finding alternate ways to re-interpret conventional clothing and tailoring techniques.

The inspiration behind his creative process

I feel any design to be deemed successful needs to be intelligent enough to initiate a dialogue between the designer and the consumer. Fashion like any other design discipline should be perceptible to the changes and undercurrents in our society and needs to be a necessary reaction to those changes or else it fails to stay relevant.

On his signature style

Personally, I like going against the current and questioning things, and sometimes that does rub off on what I do and how I design. When it comes to designing, I tend to shy away from unnecessary surface ornamentation, design details are kept strictly functional and I usually favour white and black over loud colours for my garments. 

On his idea of sustainability

Rather than fixating on sustainability as a mere tag, I feel each brand should figure out environment-friendly practices that can be tailored to their needs and requirements. 

With KALEEKAL, I have tried different ways to practice sustainability. One of the primary steps was to switch to handwoven natural fabrics like organic cotton, silk, wool, and linen thus reducing our dependence on synthetic fabrics and large-scale industrial wastage. Exploring zero waste manipulation during pattern cutting to reduce the wastage of fabric during garment production was another such measure. Opting for organic cotton, hemp, jute instead of regular cotton can help reduce the impact of pesticides and chemicals on the soil and also reduce the amount of natural resources consumed. Post-production techniques of sustainability have also been employed at times where we work with fabric/yarn wastes and up-cycling of consumer/production wastes for detailing and surface development. 

On his muse

I don’t believe in the idea of a muse and if I absolutely had to pick a person I would say I am my own muse.

The thought of an artist or a designer projecting themselves on to a ‘muse’ and designing based on their interpretation of the said ‘muse’ feels very counterproductive.

On his future plans

I am very interested in exploring alternative ways of fashion curation and art direction. Through fabrics, textiles, and space design I am looking for new ways to narrate a fashion story and explore the relevance of that narration in a contemporary art gallery setting.

The upcoming collection ‘VIRGINAL’ will be an all-white collection dealing with the idea of forced modesty and sexual naivety that is desired by our society. It is a conversation about our obsession with purity even though nothing is ever pure or unblemished if you look closely. For this collection, I will be collaborating with the luxury shoe brand OCEEDEE to create a custom-designed line of footwear.