From Classroom To The Runway

When you’re working towards your dreams, and see them manifest right in front of your eyes, it’s a glorious feeling indeed. After all, those countless days and nights you spend to ensure everything is right on track pays off. No matter how big or small your goals are, it is rightly said, that there is no shortcut to success. For Ada Malik, her journey in fashion has been no less than an adventure, and she has enjoyed every part of it. Here, she talks about her inspiration, journey, and the future of fashion, as she sees it.

Getting Started

Her tryst with fashion goes back to when she was seven years old. An art project led her to her true calling. “When I was 7 years old, my art teacher had given a sponge to the entire class and we could paint anything on it. Instead, I created a mannequin and sculpted a gown from the soft sponge. My teacher thought my mom had created it and refused to accept it,” she recalls.

But that did not stop her, she decided to pursue her passion and work on more projects while in school. “At the age of 15, I wanted to showcase a small capsule collection. My school only let me use the library as the fashion show venue so I converted the entire space. My friends transformed into quirky fashion models and my entire collection was created from fabric scraps. Didn’t have a team to help me out, so I hand-stitched every piece to bring the collection together,” she says.

Education And Experience

She went on to study fashion design at Parsons School Of Design, New York, where she was selected to work under various high-street and luxury labels. She was also selected to meet and exhibit her collection to Valentino, which has been a highlight for her from her college days.

During her sophomore year, her fashion movie was featured on FashionTV and screened internationally in over 150 countries. Once she was back in India, she decided to work on her own brand to create ‘romantic yet quirky pieces. This collection was eventually selected to be showcased at the Paris Fashion Week, as an emerging fashion brand from India. “I had lots of fun. When I arrived in Paris, I was extremely nervous because I hadn’t had any prior fittings. However my collection fitted perfectly and I couldn’t be happier. The runway energy is so powerful and empowering,” she adds about her experience from fashion week.

Back home, her collection has been featured across various fashion platforms and magazines, with celebrities donning her designs, and also a couple of collaborations that have constantly pushed her to reinvent and push her boundaries when it comes to her understanding of fashion.

The Future Of Fashion: Her Take

Given the current pandemic situation, there is a drastic shift in the way one perceives fashion. However, that hasn’t deterred her. “Virtual fashion shows and showrooms have helped designers showcase their collection. Fashion definitely is leaning towards sustainability, customisation and wearability,” she opines.

With sustainability being a major theme in fashion, as seen across multiple collections from both high-street and luxury labels, it’s clear that fashion is moving towards more ethical practices. Malik elaborates, “As a designer, I find myself more drawn towards sustainable practices, dyeing techniques and organic textiles. This approach has appealed to me since high school, my senior IB art thesis was based on sustainability where I chose to create garments from reused fabric panels. I had also illustrated and created a symbolic ‘Bleeding Tree’ to show our carbon footprint and impact on the environment. This won me the dean’s scholarship at Parsons.”

Image Source: Ada Malik