Before enrolling himself in NIFT for a postgraduate programme in 2002, Samant Chauhan was a relative unknown in the fashion world. Since, the designer’s proudest moment was inviting his parents for his debut fashion week show in 2007. Chauhan’s shows are high on theme and theatricality. His vision is to design luxury prêt whilst creating a brand identity for Bhagulpuri hand-woven silk. The waste generated when harvesting and processing cocoons presented an opportunity for him to develop silk with a coarser weave that he then used to create panels on men’s jackets and the waste at the fabric cutting stage evolved into textured layers of appliqué.

Subsequently the designer made headlines for making ‘non-violent silk’ a way of life. ‘Silkworms are killed while producing silk. I want to condemn such an inhumane practice. The silk used for my collections have been hand woven and made from an eco-friendly process without the use of any dyes,’ he explains. Continuing his commitment to ethical fashion, Chauhan showcased hand-woven and knitted raw silk, linen and cotton linen blends made using eco-friendly dyes and processes at Ethical Fashion 2008, Paris. The powers that be clearly see good things on the horizon. Chauhan was invited to showcase his collection at an event organized for The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and The Earl of Wessex in Jodhpur. Their Royal Highnesses interacted with select designers who were part of the British Council Young Creative Entrepreneur Award Programme and Prince Charles spent much of his time in understanding the Bhagalpur silk craft. Today he is proud owneer of his first flagship in New Delhi and one opening in Patna. Amen.