Avant-Garde Inspiration And Intuitive Design

Yashana's designs are characterised by their billowing volume, often balanced with intricate details or structured elements. Each piece tells a specific story, whether it’s a playful nod to her childhood attire, but in oversized silhouettes or a more refined garment that reflects her current state of mind. Her design process is unconventional and intuitive, driven by the fabric itself rather than pre-drawn sketches. “I let the fabric inform the design. It’s very spontaneous—I lay it out, cut it, join it together, and it’s done,” she says. This organic approach allows her to create pieces that are not unique but also a direct reflection of her current mood and energy. She shared her process with me over our call and mentioned how, “Even now, my designs are not thought out; they just happen. I get a fabric, and when I’m in the mood, I cut it up and wear it.”

Authenticity is unwaveringly at the heart of Yashana's design philosophy. She describes her creative process as spontaneous and organic, allowing the fabric to inform the design rather than forcing a preconceived idea onto it. “If the fabric wants to hold structure, it isn’t going to be flowy,” she explains, illustrating her intuitive approach to design. This method, she believes, keeps her work pure and free from the overwhelming influence of external fashion trends.

Her designs are deeply influenced by her artistic sensibilities, which she cultivates by immersing herself in the world of art rather than fashion. She avoids consuming too much fashion content, preferring to draw inspiration from galleries, sculptures, and performance art. “I think like an artist, and I want to present as an artist, even if it's through fashion,” she explains.

She shared how even shows like "House of the Dragon" have inspired her design journey and exploration. The deliberate distance she keeps from the mainstream fashion world, she believes, is something that allows her to maintain her perspective, and to remain untainted by the over-saturated fashion imagery, but rather being able to create pieces that blur the lines between fashion and art.

The Path Ahead; Out of Your Gaze

Looking ahead, Yashana’s goals are clear: to continue creating from a place of freedom. Whether it’s through clothing, art, or any other medium, she is driven by the need for a creative outlet. “There’s nothing else I would rather do than be free and create,” she shared. For her, garments are not just about fashion; it’s about living a life that is true to oneself, a life that allows for continuous evolution and exploration.

While she crafts pieces for herself, Yashana has also started doing commisioned pieces for dedicated customers who know and love her design approach. She shared how she even has a returning client for whom she makes ‘surprise’ boxes that are almost the antithesis of couture. For these, Yashana crafts original pieces for the client, and they have no idea what the design is going to be until they open the box with the finished garment, instead of the typical approach in custom attire where all the designs are made to fit the demands of the client.

She does understands that a lot of people might have self-doubt when it comes to wearing larger-than-life attire like she does. So for her clients, she does pare down design elements, while still staying true to her creative vision. Through her pieces and her page, Yashana Malhotra is crafting attire and starting a dialogue around fashion as a form of unbound self-expression. Her designs and her content are not limited by fleeting trends, but rather driven by the need for creative freedom to show up as who you truly are, beyond the limits of social acceptance and established norms.

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