MODA Designer Profile: Arjun Kilaru

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure to sit down and chat with Arjun, second-time designer and a long-time friend, in the little seating area outside of Philz Coffee. Social distance style. Excuse the relative colloquialism — we had a fun conversation over hot chocolate!

Introduce yourself! 

I am a second year from the Bay Area, California, currently majoring in Economics, Statistics, and Sociology – trying to make that work. Besides being a MODA designer and stylist for the magazine, I’m into mixed martial arts, jujitsu, and I was on the wrestling team. I’m also the co-founder of MODA Podcast and Midway Radio – 9:00 PM, me and my friends DJ every week, different types of music, different kinds of people, come through if you like.  

What are some sources of inspiration for your collection? 

I really wanted to look at why people wear clothes. Why are they doing this? Do people wear clothes to make some sort of artistic statement, or do people wear clothes to just show off their wealth, their drip?  

I want my pieces to challenge what people think about when they decide to wear clothes. In response to this question, my collection is purposefully ambiguous. I'm using a lot of different fabrics: Louis Vuitton logo print, a lot of velvet and lace, which are associated with opulence and wealth, but I’m also going to use “normal” fabrics like nylon. It’s meant to make people think about their relationship with fashion.  

 Have you ever done fashion design work before? What are some of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of the process? 

I designed last year, and it was pretty fun. A lot of a lot of mistakes were made along the way, but I learned a lot, especially because a lot of this stuff I had to teach myself, but it was also nice. The rewarding aspect is obviously the show, you know, being able to see the fruition of my work and see my models come through. They did a great job. Moreover, it was cool seeing what everyone had to say about the show.  

 

What are you looking forward to most about the show? 

Given the virtual format this year, I look forward to the lack of nervousness on the “show day” compared to when we used to have a massive crowd and a lot more to live up to. It’s taped, and it has chiller vibes. 

 

Who do you have in mind when you’re designing? 

Young Thug standing up and adjusting the models live during the Alessandro Trincone. Basically, during the show, he stood up and he fixed the models outfits. He was just in the audience.  

 

If you could give yourself any advice on the design process, what would you say to your younger self? 

Find time every week to just sit down and do it. It's very calming, and you'll find it more engaging than you think it is, especially at a school with such academic rigor. It is also easier to concentrate compared to last year with the pandemic. I made a couple of outfits just for fun during the quarantine.