There’s an intriguing factor in the name of your brand, what’s in the name? 
I was extremely particular that the brand name should be a malayalam term; should be quirky and with many different. Rouka in malayalam means a bodice and it apparently also means a ‘corridor’ in japanese. Both these meanings convey exactly what I wish to do through my brand. We promote a very simple aesthetic which is handcrafted by the many people for whom we are a corridor.

How did the rainy season inspire you?
Having lived in Kerala, one takes the rains for granted. It’s when you leave the boundaries of that you realize people celebrate rain so much. So I asked a lot of people what they do when it rains. The answers were fun. Some of them said they play with their grand-dads old umbrella. Some others go out on a drive. A few kids told me they play paper boat races. So as a brand that celebrates the concept of a beautiful every day, we believe in embracing these little luxuries.

I am a textile designer, and that vocabulary is my language. So a stripe represents rain. A check represents a field. So when you overlap a stripe with a check, I say it’s raining on the field.

What does your designs communicate? 
Rouka believes in clothes that are simple. I feel that it is a design sensibility we’ve lost over time. From the extreme minimalism of a ‘puliyila kara’ we’ve gone ahead to machine embellished polyesters! At Rouka, we want to go back to simplicity but at the same time with a deep understand of the way people live. I look at people around me when I design. We make simple clothes that we feel would make a difference in their today’s life.

Keeping the weather eye open, what are the textiles that you have used for the collection? 
Weather forecast, as a collection uses cottons, cotton silks and pure silks, most of them handloom. We work with different weaving clusters that make beautiful fabric which are simple and elegant. Handlooms have to be nurtured and to find it a sustainable future, it needs to be developed into a luxury product because there are a lot of hands involved in the making and they need to be valued and respected.

What are the elements in your design that reflect your passion? 
By principle, I only do what I feel is passion driven. As a brand, it’s a conscious decision to only create products that reflect the spirit of Rouka. Rouka stands for three things- the beautiful every day, textile hand skills and an element of quirkiness. I’m passionate about all the three and they’re evident in the clothes I make.

What was the stream of your thoughts while coming up with your designs? 
Simplicity is not an attribute of just this collection. It’s a part of Rouka’s sensibility to embrace minimalism. Like I mentioned earlier, I look at the women around me. They have a hundred things to do. So we decided to simplify dressing for them.

The color palette of your collection sets a certain mood, is it evoked by what you see around? 
This collection predominantly uses an achromatic palette. It’s mainly blacks, whites, greys and accents of purples and blues. Rouka began a few days before the stormy month of Karkidakam, and these are mainly the colours that one sees at that point of time.

You have beautiful sketches on your clothes; do motifs create a cultural connection?
Yes. These are things people told me they do during rains. And at some point of time, as a Keralite, I might have done it too. The connection was easy!

What’s the most distinct and indelible moment you enjoyed during the glorious monsoons?
Before I started working on this collection, I took a train to visit a few weaving clusters. To just sit inside a train and see visuals of rain outside through the moist thick glass was wonderful. In fact it’s that trip which triggered the whole collection!

The trends are constantly changing in Kerala; do you see Kerala embracing a fashion evolution? 
Definitely. People are widely travelled and they’re no longer just inspired by what they see around them. The whole world is their canvas. They understand global trends, they live a modern lifestyle, and more importantly understand clothes. I definitely see this bringing about the change. I personally believe in fashion that is inspired by the world but created out of one’s own roots.
Quickies

Who’s the most stylish Mollywood celebrity?

Shobana. From those pearl chokers in the 90s to the handloom sarees in 2013, she rocks them all.

Your next favorite season that may inspire a new collection?
I think I’ll move from Karkidakam to Chingam. The Onam season! I’d love to do a collection with just the pookalams!

Any rain theme song that got you into the groove?
Oh yes, Mazhaneer thullikal from Beautiful! Varmukile from Mazha…so many!

An Indian designer who has a similar taste like you?
Designers like A&T and Rajesh Pratap Singh have an aesthetic that embraces minimalism.

If you had to describe your collection in one word it would be? 
Effortless!

What material would you select if you had to launch a footwear collection?
Leather, only leather!

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