Bibhu Mohapatra on Sabyasachi's controversial Insta post: Hard to choose right words when talking about one's craft

The designer called Mukherjee a 'purist', adding that his craft is everything to him.

By Shannon Tellis, ET Bureau | Sep 04, 2019, 12.53 PM IST

Bibhu Mohapatra calls Sabyasachi (R) a purist.

Designer Bibhu Mohapatra feels that sometimes it becomes difficult to choose the right words even when the motive is right, take for example Sabyasachi Mukherjee's recent Instagram post on women and make-up that stirred up a storm on social media.

Responding to a question about designers being misunderstood, the 47-year-old said, "There is always going to be a gap [in understanding] because we live in our own world. In Sabya’s [Sabyasachi Mukherjee] mind, he was expressing himself. When you’re talking about your craft, it’s very hard to choose the right word. His message could probably have been delivered with a few shifts of different words where he could have come through without sounding judgmental."

Adding, "But I know he’s a purist and I know his craft is everything to him. And he immediately apologised [for his Instagram post that said women who are ‘caked with makeup and armoured with jewellery’ are most likely emotionally wounded]. That speaks highly of who he is and how he sees women in his life.”

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#Sabyasachi #ParadiseLost #SabyasachiJewelry #TheWorldOfSabyasachi @sabyasachijewelry

A post shared by Sabyasachi Mukherjee (@sabyasachiofficial) on Jul 5, 2019 at 8:10am PDT

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I thought a lot about whether to post this, but sometimes it is important to set the record straight and get the right message across. Having been in the fashion industry for over 20 years, I have encountered it firsthand and commented about it in many of my interviews - how, while many women use fashion and beauty for joy and self-expression, others use it as ‘retail therapy’ to fill in the gaps and voids in their lives. We, as a society, often get extremely judgemental about peoples’ clothing choices, calling them ‘overdressed’ or ‘tacky’ or ‘inappropriate’. We fail to understand that maybe some are using these as coping mechanisms to put on a brave front to make up for the lack of a support system. The true essence of the post was to ask people to be aware, empathetic, and not judgemental of peoples’ personal clothing choices, which could be a manifestation of their internal anguish. One of the bigger issues in society today, that very few people address, is mental health, and a little bit of awareness, empathy and kindness go a long way in acknowledging it. I have coped with crippling depression as a teenager for 7 years. I found my coping mechanism through radical clothing choices.I was sneered at and bullied, but it helped me find my way again. When I was creating this jewellery collection, I referred to Tagore’s ‘Monihara’ because it talks about these issues, which are sadly more relevant today. And I, for one, have never shied away from speaking about uncomfortable truths, no matter how disruptive it might be for my personal gain. Because when power is given, social responsibility should not be shunned. The mistake, however, was to use the reference as a blanket statement, as sometimes when we are passionate about an issue, we end up becoming overzealous and hence, tone deaf. My sincere apologies for that. The original post (however flawed) was put up to invite introspection and debate about how love, sensitivity and compassion, alongside expressions of art, beauty and fashion can create a net positive in the world. I invite everyone to democratically join this debate. Regards, Sabyasachi

A post shared by Sabyasachi Mukherjee (@sabyasachiofficial) on Jul 7, 2019 at 12:53am PDT

National Handloom Day: Sabyasachi, Anita Dongre And Others Who Made Us Rediscover Weaves

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Handlooms, once thought to be the grandmother's attire, have now become the fashion industry's favourite. From rich Benarasi silks to khadis, every designer is turning to the country's craftsmen for their collections.

On National Handloom Day, here's a look at the designers who have made us fall in love with weaves.