✨urvashi kaur

Written By Raagini Sarkar

I first met Urvashi Kaur in a queue. We were both attending a 3-day wellness conference at the Dubai Exhibition Center. Large roller suitcase in hand, it was clear she had just gotten off a flight. Somehow still, she looked utterly fabulous. Her gauzy long dress (crafted to perfection from her own line) was styled with a boyish blonde haircut, platform leather JW Anderson clogs and industrial silver jewelry. A walking embodiment of effortless edge. I was immediately a bit starstruck, even before she introduced herself. As we began to chat, I silently thanked my stars for this entirely happen-chance encounter. Urvashi Kaur is a vision.

Her 15-year old label has always put multi-dimensional purpose at the core of its strategy. Urvashi feels that garments hold energy. “I believe clothing resonates most deeply when it encapsulates the narratives and ethos of the communities that conceive and adorn them,” she writes in an op-ed piece for Grazia. Through her commitment to slow fashion, Urvashi explores heritage techniques and the revival of indigenous Indian weaves. “These (methodologies) prioritize community over commerce and personal expression over conformity, ensuring societal health and well-being.” This practice fundamentally lends itself to a redefinition of luxury. When each piece in a line so seamlessly blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary silhouettes, the true magnificence of the fashion lies in its story. In one of our first conversations (still in the same queue), Urvashi told me all about her love for archival Indian saris. She reinvents them for modern-day wear by reinforcing the old textiles into blazers and trench coats. By this point, I was practically begging her to style me for my wedding (Inshallah). 

Urvashi’s line is textured and layered in more ways than one. All the designs are ungendered. As someone who loves to shop in the men’s section (and my father’s closet), this philosophy specifically sang my tune. Not to mention the styling of delicately sexy, sheer pieces with chunky black loafers and combat boots (I’m actually obsessed). I read in an article somewhere that when her Dad would visit the U.S. while she was growing up, she would ask for gifts — halter neck tops, fashionable hats and a pair of Doc Marten boots. Boy, was she ahead of the curve. Her line today centers wearability, timelessness, movement and fluidity. “We strive to empower individuals to freely express themselves and embrace their identities from both gender and cultural perspectives.” Urvashi leads the fashion industry forward in her prioritization of social and cultural responsibility. 

Ratna Pathak Shah | Perfect Shadows, FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week and RISE Worldwide

Danish Husain | Perfect Shadows, FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week and RISE Worldwide

At Lakme Fashion Week last year (the biggest fashion event in India), Urvashi curated an experience like no other. Her runway was circular. Nearly everyone had a front-row seat. And in the center, a live musician performed. Martin Dubois’ vocals and melodies fused restorative sound healing with artistic expression while models adorned in functional, construct-defying pieces strutted the runway. Except the models weren’t just models. They were disruptors in their respective fields, each representing their own unique self-expression and identity through the garments they donned for the show. Danish Husain, an actor, poet and storyteller, walked the runway in a layered metallic co-ord set with painted bloody hands. At the center of the runway, he stopped to unfold his palms. Across his palms in black lettering — ‘GAZA’. Making a statement about complicity in the face of genocide is an undertaking any regular fashion designer could not even dream of pulling off, much less at an internationally recognized fashion show. But for Urvashi Kaur, it’s completely natural.

Selfie courtesy of Urvashi Kaur

Over the next three days of the wellness conference, Urvashi and I would share a myriad of conversations. Miu Miu versus Chanel, the art of boundary-setting post-breakup, perfecting an eyeliner wing, fashion as a form of resistance, identity-defining haircuts, spiritual cues from the universe — there’s not much we shied away from. Needless to say, Urvashi Kaur is now one of my personal role models. I’d like to be her when I grow up. And by the kindness of fate and the power of the universe, I am very grateful to call her a friend (I will definitely be calling her). 

Raagini Sarkar
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