Meet Designer Sumita Bhojwani of KalaXpress

Designer Sumita Bhojwani  graduated with a degree in Fashion Design from New Delhi in India and she launched her fashion label in 2013, KalaXpress. The origin of Kala art according to Sanskrit scholars is derived from the word ‘Kal’ which means “beautiful” or “which gives pleasure.” Kala is a Hindi word which means “expression of human creative skills and imagination.” Sumita believes one should always dress to express.

Luevo: What goals have you accomplished that you are most proud of thus far, when it comes to KalaXpress?
S.B.: Participating in Fashion week Tampa Bay is my huge accomplishment in 2014. And I am proud that I have designed three collections successfully.

Luevo: What is your favorite thing about being a designer? What path would you have followed, had you not become a designer?
S.B.: I have a passion for fashion design, so will always remain one. Outside of fashion design though I work in the IT sector. But when it comes to designing…It relaxes my mind and soul ..it is like a meditation to me.

Luevo: What do you think has helped you most with your designing to date?
S.B.: Being able to have a picture in my head and sketching it down exactly point to point, my artisans who can stitch exactly to those details, and my selection of fabrics, are some of the factors that helped me most. In my perspective, clothes can make people feel confident and powerful and they have to be comfortable.

Luevo: What obstacles have you had to face and overcome to get where you are today?
S.B.: Designing and showing a final product has a whole life cycle. For me- clothing is an artistic expression and projection of the image people want the world to be. Every year there is a challenge where all designers show their designs and I think this is a very competitive so I have to be serious, and very dedicated if I want to become a successful designer. I worked hard to develop strong business relationships with my artisans, and suppliers to give my customers a quality product.

Luevo: What inspirations did you draw on to create this collection?
S.B.: I traveled to the Middle East to select and bring here the artistic fabrics and textured decorative fabric, and based my current collection on these prints.

Luevo: What is the thing that makes all this hard work and effort worth it for you?
S.B.: As I said earlier, this is relaxing for me – almost like meditation. But when you continue to get admiration and appreciation for the designs, the fact that I get to work with talented local models and stylists and that I can through my work also give them an opportunity; these factors definitely make it worth, and keep me going.

Luevo: What was the turning point in your career that made you say “Yes I’ve finally made it”?
S.B.: When I showcased my designs on Christian Fashion Week first time in 2013 runway .

Luevo: How would you describe your process of inspiration? What do you do to keep your ideas fresh and interesting?
S.B.: My undying love for my work and my immense creativity is the inspiration of my creations. Things around me keep my ideas fresh and interesting. It could be a different culture, country or same old nature things but in a new way 😉 I think as a Fashion designers being creative is a must and you should be a keen observer all the time.

Luevo: If you could describe your new collection with one word, what would it be and why? What would you say the overall theme of this collection would be?
S.B.: Vibrant – The collections are elegant – almost like a fusion of various colors, fabrics and prints. The blend of rich color and textured fabric, and addition of modern silhouettes, creates surprise element in every ensemble in this collection.

Luevo: How did you start your design journey?
S.B.: Since childhood.. early as a child, I was a very creative person and I loved to draw paintings, knitting, embroidery, stitching…when I started fashion design college formally, I always tried to create different and unique designs. Somehow , I had my mom’s influence on me as I grew up watching her creating and stitching new designs for people.

You can soon pre-order Sumita’s KalaXpress 2015 collection straight from the runway here.