Reema Bishwokarma

What does fashion mean to you?
Fashion, to me, is an escape from the dullness of daily life. It is the best antidote to boredom because it is constantly changing. One never knows what one might see next.

At what age did you start taking an interest in fashion?
I was irresistibly drawn to clothes ever since I can remember. Even as a child, I would sketch what I wanted people to wear and fancied myself becoming a fashion designer someday.

What inspires you?
People who dare to be different and works that are original inspire me. I have never liked copies of anything, unless they improve upon the original.

Why did you choose fashion as a career?
One has to be slightly mad to choose fashion as a career. There is no harsher and more cutthroat business in the world. But it is what I enjoy doing most and in spite of the odds, I hope to be successful in this field one day.

Your favorite designer and what is it that you like the most about his work?
During my time as a student in Paris, it was impossible not to be in awe of designers such as Nicolas Ghesquière at Balenciaga and Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy, who were changing the course of fashion right before our very eyes. They are still at the top of their game but I have a greater admiration today for veterans such as Karl Lagerfeld, Tom Ford and Azzedine Alaia. Their longevity in the fast-paced fashion industry and ability to adapt to the times are a testament to their greatness.

How different is the fashion industry abroad different from Nepal?
The fashion industry in Nepal has a deeply-rooted South Asian identity. It is not very different from Indian or Pakistani fashion. Salwarkameez, kurtis, lehengas and saris pretty much sum up Nepal Fashion Week. In the West, fashion is more diversified because there is an endless variety of designs on offer season after season. Each fashion
house and designer has their own unique identity and personal signature. Jil Sander is different from Louis Vuitton and Chanel is not Versace. But here, it is all more or less the same.

Tell us about the 'Kathmandu Fashion Parade'?
It is a fun event that aims to promote a higher standard of fashion in this country. I agreed to take part in it even though I had very little time to prepare. I thought it would be a good idea to do something whimsical and overtly-theatrical because I wouldn't be able to do that once I started producing clothes commercially. So, I gave free reign to my imagination and designed a capsule collection that interweaved stories from Mughal court-life, Urdu poetry, French opera and Italian turn-of-the-century culture.

If not a fashion designer, what would you have been?
Let me put it this way. If I was born in a previous century when fashion designing as a career was unheard of, I would earn my living as an artist or a poet. The best pair of clothes and bags you own are A Burberry scarf woven in Nepal, a pair of Lanvin slippers and a cashmere sweater from Italy. They are special to me because they are gifts from my closest friends and not because they are expensive!

Which celebrity you would want to design clothes for?
Maybe Sonam Kapoor because she obviously enjoys dressing up. But I'd prefer to dress veterans such as Rekha, Dimple Kapadia and Sharmila Tagore and non-celebrities such as Sheikha Mozah and Anna Dello Russo. Their sense of style is so much more refined whether it is simple or eccentric. Lately, the personal style of Pakistan's foreign
minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, has piqued my interest.

What are the fashion advices that you would want to give to people in Nepal?
Nepali women don't need my advice when it comes to saris and kurtas. But a lot of them make terrible mistakes with western outfits. One golden rule to remember: don't wear short skirts with revealing tops! Too much skin is never in.

Where would you want to do your first international show?
Paris, of course!