Designer Profile 2023: Parth Wokhlu

Introduction:

Hi, I’m Parth! I’m in MODA as part of the Designer Bootcamp program.

I’m still finding my personal sense of style, and haven’t been into fashion for that long, but I do like mixing from different genres, like wearing formalwear with streetwear. I don’t necessarily fit within the same genre every day. Sometimes I wear something I don’t feel like myself wearing, so it’s a process of discovery still.

I have no background in fashion design specifically, but I have played music since I was very young and consider that to be a prominent part of my life, but I don’t really think of myself as someone who is artistically inclined. I have always enjoyed consuming art but haven’t done much art-creating.

My experience with music translates pretty heavily into my experience with art. The artists that I listen to are extremely involved in the fashion scene, so a lot of my interest in them and how they build their works translates to my interest in fashion— to the point that it directly inspired my concept for the upcoming show.

The Concept:

All of my pieces are inspired by a musical album—not necessarily the cover of the album, but the sound and the values that emerge in it. The first look is Cosy Tapes by Asap Mob, a very chill and laidback trap album. That is the vibe I wanted to go with for my first piece, a mix of streetwear and casual— cozy-wear, I guess. The second album was Bloom by Beachhouse. That album sounds very dreamy and very glossy. It is a dream pop album. The entire thing is about growth, self-reflection, and growing out of adolescence. That piece is probably the most out there. One of the pant legs is cut short and then "grows" into another pant leg with a flower blooming for that dreamy look. Finally, there's Stevie Wonder’s Key of Life, an album about family and loving the people around you. The design I did, is based on my family, which is from India. I did a spin on traditional Indian menswear and combined it with traditional-western wear to create the final look.

Visually, it is not a very coherent capsule. The designs are very different, but at their heart, they are all based on albums about humanity and how we live. So, at their core, they are pretty similar but expressed in very different ways. I thought about whether this was the right idea multiple times. But since this is my first time designing, I might as well give it a shot and do it the way I want.

I would summarise my collection with the word "freestyle."

I think that is the core of the commonality between each look. I also don’t think I could pick a favorite; I love different aspects of each one. The Cosytapes is the most wearable, but I love how out there the Bloom piece is. I don’t know if anyone would wear it on the street, but I think it's cool. The third one is the most sentimental because it's based on my culture.

In terms of designer inspiration, I think every designer looks up to creators like Margiela, McQueen, and Rick Owens. But, none of them have resonated with me enough to the point of inspiration. Most of my inspiration comes from non-fashion artists, for sure.

The Process:

I wanted to join MODA for a relaxing creative endeavor, but sewing is not relaxing! It is very tedious, and I am also a perfectionist in my approach, so it’s a whole process. I do like exercising my mind in a different way than I do at school and I’m enjoying it a lot. It is very cool to make clothes on my own. It reqired more focus than I expected and more mathematical than I originally thought. It's not exactly the same math I am doing in school, but it's nice to create something with mathematical and aesthetic beauty.

DBC has given me the foundation I need for this endeavor, and Janelle, the wonderful lady teaching us, has been so awesome. As I mentioned, I had no previous knowledge of fashion or design, so being able to get behind the construction of different garments was great. The way she taught us was insightful, and I would recommend applying to anyone who wants to get into design. If you are interested in fashion design this is something you should try! It doesn’t hurt to spend some time learning something you think is worth doing. If you don’t like it now, you'll at least know how to sew and alter your pants. If you do like it, though, you can alter your pants and also make cool pants!

Through the design process, I have been exploring the relationship between the model and the design. For example, the Cosytapes-inspired look features some jeans that will be painted on by the model, Yasmin Baldo, who is an artist herself, so I’m letting her paint whatever she wants on the jeans. I think that model-designer interaction will make walking in it, will be pretty cool and demonstrate the role a model plays in both the creation and display of fashion.

The Models:

All of my models are artists and awesome people in their own right. Yasmin (Baldo) is very chill, and everything about her fits the garments' aesthetic, and she will be painting and putting down her interpretations and thoughts onto the piece. I am the designer, but I don't think that takes away the fact that whoever is wearing it is, in a way, also contributing to the design in how they want to style or wear it.

Another one of my models, her name is also Yasmin— Yasmin Ali, is also super cool. She has a great sense of fashion and is wearing the Bloom piece. She is a good friend of mine, and we have had conversations about growth and who we are as people. So, I know she fits the entire idea of that design very well. I also think she is the most likely to have the confidence to wear the piece off the runway.

Keshav (Narendra-Babu) is a fourth year. I know him a little less than the others, but from our conversations, I know he is also in touch with South-Asian culture and other South Asian people at UChicago. I met him around the time he walked for MODA. I got a general vibe that he was a dope person and, he was also good-looking, so I felt like he fit my vision.