Stop treating clothes as temporary: Hemant Sagar of Genes Lecoanet Hemant on couture, confidence and clothing that lasts

Designer Hemant Sagar of Genes Lecoanet Hemant on timeless style, couture truths, and why a sharp jacket and good posture are your best fashion investments.

Fashion trends come and go. Neon comes back every few years to haunt us, but style? Real, intentional, made-to-last style? That’s a different game altogether. And few know it better than Hemant Sagar, co-founder of the Indo-French fashion house Genes Lecoanet Hemant, a brand that has dressed royalty, ruled Paris couture week, and now stitches its story from India with an eye on the world.

Hemant Sagar from Genes Lecoanet Hemant on couture, confidence and clothing that lasts

By Samarpita Yashaswini

Samarpita Yashaswini is a Content Producer for Fashion (HT Shop Now) at Hindustan Times Digital. She has five years of experience in lifestyle writing, specialising in fashion, beauty, and trend-led commerce content. She covers everything from seasonal must-haves and wardrobe essentials to brand reviews and styling edits that make everyday dressing easier and more exciting.

She began her writing journey in 2020, but her love for fashion started long before that. Over the years, she has interned with Times Internet and Desi Martini, and worked with Pinkvilla and Schbang, building a strong foundation in digital storytelling and audience-first content. At HT Digital, she writes and creates fashion affiliate content for both the website and social media, blending trend awareness with shopping practicality. Her work sits at the intersection of style and strategy combined with equal parts aesthetic and analytics.

A self-confessed fashion enthusiast, Samarpita has a sharp eye for colours, prints, silhouettes, and textures. She notices the fall of a fabric, the mood of a palette, and the difference a good cut can make. Her expertise lies in translating trends into wearable, relatable style and helping readers shop smarter, not louder.

She studied at Delhi Public School and graduated from Miranda House, University of Delhi in 2019, where she also wrote for the college magazine. She later completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Advertising and PR from MICA, Ahmedabad.

Samarpita believes fashion content doesn’t need to be complicated or overly eloquent. It should be simple, fun, and genuinely helpful, guiding readers through daily style decisions with confidence and joy.

Read moreRead less

Genes Lecoanet Hemant is a ready-to-wear label by Indo-French designers Hemant Sagar and Didier Lecoanet, who began as Parisian couturiers. Launched in India in 2000, Genes blends Parisian craftsmanship with Indian artistry to create season-less, conscious fashion. Known for imaginative prints and purposeful design, the brand champions individuality, inclusivity, and artistic expression for a global, urban wardrobe.

HT Lifestyle caught up with the designer for a candid (and couture-worthy) chat on style that endures, the truth behind slow fashion, and why a well-cut jacket beats a trendy reel top any day.

Q: You’ve dressed royalty, shown in Paris, and now design from India. What’s one thing that never goes out of fashion?

Presence. Posture. The way someone carries themselves. You may forget what someone wore but you’ll remember how composed they looked. That quiet elegance? Timeless. And yes, it often comes from how something is made, not just how it looks.

Q: What can everyday people take from couture?

Couture was never about glitter. It was about precision and care. Dressing well isn’t about having a walk-in closet. It’s about choosing with awareness. There’s a difference between being clad and being dressed. The latter takes thought.

Q: Everyone’s talking about slow fashion. How do we actually embrace it?

Simple, stop treating clothes as temporary. Invest in pieces that hold up in quality and spirit. A well-made garment isn’t just stitched, it’s considered.

Q: Has the digital era made fashion better or just more performative?

Faster, for sure. But depth? That's rarer. In Paris, couture had rules. You needed craftsmanship, training, cultural credibility. Today, anyone with WiFi can post a ‘collection’. But real fashion, the kind that moves people, takes more than filters and followers.

Q: Is fashion becoming more personal than trend-driven?

I hope so. But bold doesn’t mean random. Great fashion comes from knowing how to shape emotion into structure. A corset, a shoulder pad, a well-placed dart, they tell stories that last.

Hemant’s quick picks:

Wardrobe staple across borders: A sharply cut jacket, to create posture magic.

Luxurious colour always: The perfect pearl (never plain white).

Instant styling tip: Stand tall. Then subtract before you accessorise.

Hemant Sagar doesn’t just dress people, he refines them. And in a world obsessed with faster fashion and louder looks, his message is refreshing: Style isn’t about standing out. It’s about standing right.

Similar stories for you:

Makeup Mantras with Masaba Gupta: Designer shares her go-to colours, tools and tricks to feel 'brighter and confident'

Polka dots are back! Here are 8 reasons why we can’t stop wearing them

Monsoon-proof your wardrobe: Top 8 fashion tips to stay stylish even in the rain

Disclaimer: At Hindustan Times, we help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and products. Hindustan Times has an affiliate partnership, so we may get a part of the revenue when you make a purchase. We shall not be liable for any claim under applicable laws, including but not limited to the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, with respect to the products. The products listed in this article are in no particular order of priority.