PERSON OF INTEREST | HEUMN

Pranav Mishra and Shyma Shetty of Huemn, are not only altering the way we perceive fashion but the way we perceive life. Their sensibilities seem to come out of a fashion fission reaction, where they are constantly doing the ‘next thing’.

How do you define fashion | Pranav: It’s difficult to define fashion. Like a giant cosmos, the world of fashion is yet to be fully discovered. But since you asked, I’d say, “fashion is style went viral”, or “a particular something from a certain age that has been widely accepted”.
Shyma: For me, fashion is a sensibility of doing things in a way that finds acceptance.

How has 2015 been for Huemn | P: 2015 has been challenging but good as we got to learn a lot. We veered away from our earlier perception as a sports luxe and day-wear brand and ventured into the luxury segment starting with our SS luxury collection. While we have retained the androgynous element, we have made it more dressy and feminine.
S: We believe in constant movement-a don’t stop policy. For example, not too long ago the saree-trouser earned us a lot of media attention but instead of resting on our past laurels we decided to give 2015 new twists and turns.

Traditional tribal embroidery plays an important part in your designs | P: It’s not just us; tribal embroidery is a major global trend right now. The tribal spirit resonates with us in a very personal way, as it’s about survival and rebellion.

What is Heumn’s story | P: We were yet to find our bearing after college when we started working with other designers. After that, we traveled to remote villages to work with rural women and learn about their traditional crafts, like say tribal jewelry. When we decided to get together as a team, we wanted to create something that’s ‘lacking in the market’, to be innovative and be accepted for that.
S: When we started out we knew that we had nothing to lose. We were careless and unafraid and that’s what made us come up with our best work.

What would you term as “classic” from your label, over the years | P: I think it’s too early to call any piece a classic yet, but in terms of sheer acceptance, I think the Heumn saree-trouser can be termed as a classic. At Huemn, we are not about creating, but completing a design. If you compare the red we used four years ago, it’ll be different from the one we use now.

Please tell us a little about your latest collection | S: As a brand, we are perceived as Indo-western. We started out as sports-luxe and androgynous. We even put sneakers on the ramp (2012 Autumn). But we do not like to be categorized, we like to stay between categories, it’s more interesting that way. And 2015 has been a paradigm-shift for Huemn. We have taken the brand to a more luxurious level and have focused on the many plays and techniques of embroidery. We also tinkered with 100% silk velvet and were stunned the see the result that a cliché, Indian wear fabric like velvet can create while retaining the Huemn essence.