Gurgaon boy spins a yarn of ethnic clothing

Hailing from Sirhaul village in Gurgaon, being a designer was not an easy road to take for Kanishk Bhardwaj.

Hailing from Sirhaul village in Gurgaon, being a designer was not an easy road to take for Kanishk Bhardwaj.

HT Image

From family to relatives and friends, opposition came through every door. ‘A well-educated tailor’ and ‘man in women's profession’ were some of the taunts he faced as he geared up to join a design school at the age of 18, right after his class 12 exams.

The 21-year-old today has launched his own brand of clothing and is known for his unique designs in ethnic wear. “My parents had also opposed my decision earlier. However, after getting good grades in class 12 exams, I argued my way to the design school. Now, they are proud to see my work,” says Kanishk.

Coming from a family of IAS and IPS officers, Kanishk, since childhood, was attracted towards fashion week programs and sophisticatedly-dressed people. This motivated him towards the profession, which is rather unconventional in his family.

At college, his teachers became his inspiration and guide. “My instructor Archana Ranjan guided and helped me giving shape to my imagination. She taught me various techniques and finishes which would distinguish my style from others”, says Kanish, a final year student at Institute of Apparel Management.

His clothing brand called ‘Har-Yarn-V’ is on Indian wear and is mainly for middle-aged women. The name struck Kanishk while he was interning with designer Ajay Carpet last year. “They had a lot of yarns from different parts of the world that I would weave together”, says Kanishk adding that the idea is to suggest that we have all kinds of yarns that you want.

Har-yarn-v focuses on ethnic wear and combination of styles from various rural parts of the country. Kanishk keeps travelling to different places such as Manali, Rishikesh and Bhagalpur in search of good designs. Kanishk has set up a design house in Gurgaon.