The High Fashion ‘Laxmi Krishna Label’

Beautifully designed clothes give a person the confidence he/she requires, and the best designers usually design those clothes. Fashion designing might look easy, but it is not said, Laxmi Krishna. Laxmi owns the brand Laxmi Krishna Label, which is very well known in the South Indian fashion scene. I got to talk to Laxmi, and below are the excerpts.

Tell me about yourself. Where are you from?

I am from North Karnataka, a fashion designer. It wasn’t easy for me to fulfill my dream as my family believed that fashion designing is not a promising career, and as a woman, I shouldn’t venture more but marry instead. After I got married, my husband supported and encouraged me to fulfill my dream.

What made you think of taking up fashion designing as a profession?

In my brief stay with my husband in London, I worked and took up a fashion designing course alongside Cambridge. Later, when I came back to India and wore the dresses I designed in London, many people liked them. One actress saw my work on a social media platform and recommended me to a movie director. He wanted all my designs and offered me to design a wardrobe for five actresses in his movie. It is one thing to design clothes casually and a different ball game to design a wardrobe for a film as it needs to be in line with the roles played by the actors.

At what age did you start designing?

I am 32; I started my career as a fashion designer three years ago. I have designed a wardrobe for over 30 movies and won the national award. I have designed a closet for many TV serials, Femina magazine, and portfolios too.

How or by who are you inspired?

I am a big fan of Manish Malhotra and Bollywood. Bollywood inspires me, and it helps me show my creativity through designs, color, flowers, etc. People do not accept my designs when I make them. But when they see it on the TV, they call it a trend. Honestly, it makes me feel good, and at the same time, I laugh too! Sometimes, I work for 42 hours, and sometimes I am designing for six movies in the same month. It is a struggle and not as easy as it looks.

What are the challenges you’ve faced as a designer?

The biggest challenge I have faced and will continue to face is ‘Collaboration.’ I can collaborate only with few people I know very well. Collaboration can also be why the new and young fashion designers face numerous difficulties in getting into this field.

There is a lot of pressure in the industry. How do you keep yourself updated with new trends, fashion, and designs?

As a designer, I don’t eye a particular design or actress’s wardrobe to keep a tab on trending. Making a uniquely beautiful dress is my goal. And the outcome is lavish and extraordinary.

What is the best way to know about the trends, fashion, and designs?

From a designer’s perspective, a costume is and should be something that would go with your personality. It should make you look authentic. Gaurav Gupta’s designs, for instance, are unique and impressive.

Could you please tell me what your specialty is?

My specialty is high fashion. I’m also known as ‘High Fashion Laxmi Krishna.’ I style in such a way that many actresses confuse it for high fashion. It is unique and trendy. I don’t believe in designing Lehengas, Sarees, or blouses as I don’t think these apparel need further work. That’s not my thing.

You’ve been working with many celebrities, so who is your favorite?

I first worked with Aditi Prabhudeva. She is pretty good. She falls in my comfort zone, and we have a good understanding. The same applies to Karunya Ram. Most people call my costumes ‘Laxmi Karunya Label’ as Karunya has worn many of my designs. We have a great rapport too. These two are my favorites.

What is a working day in the life of a designer like?

It usually is a busy day. There’s always a measuring tape around my neck. I want to mention my master’s. They know me very well, and we share a great understanding. There is a lot of hard work and struggle my masters put into designing a costume. They, too, deserve a shout-out as they put a great deal of effort into the making of an outfit. People should appreciate them more instead of trolling or disliking our designs.

If you were not a fashion designer, then what would you be?

I am working as an HR for an MNC. I am working from home. So it is a little easy for me to manage things as of now.

How do you manage your home, work, and design work?

As I said, I am an HR in an MNC. My husband is supportive, and he knows that I am busy most of the time. So he manages things at home mostly. I have a good understanding of my team. Therefore, it is not that difficult to manage everything. I’m blessed to have such people in my life.

There are many people out there who want to become fashion designers. What would you like to tell them?

My advice to aspiring designers would be, “Your creativity matters. If you are creative, you and your designs will be noticed. So, don’t chase trends. Create your trend. This way, anyone can become a popular designer. You have to work constantly, be creative, and think unique and out of the box.”