Breaking Barriers

Amit Talwar was inclined towards clothes and fashion since childhood. He loved styling and dressing up himself. It also made him realise that he loved fashion. Fashion TV and Bollywood superstar Sridevi, who died recently in Dubai, inspired him to follow his passion for fashion.

Amit joined the fashion designer’s profession out of sheer passion. In order to translate his dream into reality, he joined fashion institute IIFT. He also got enrolled in other crash courses and took several small steps towards shaping his career.

He had to face some difficulties while pursuing his goal. His relatives and friends thought if he got into designing he would become a “darzi” (tailor). One of his biggest critics was his father who wanted him to join his business.

But Amit Talwar was very clear about his goal. Making money was not his only mission but he wanted to be famous and become proud example as a designer.

In those days, when his father was against his joining the fashion designing industry, he had to finance himself for fashion studies. In order to meet his expenses, he started working at the age of 16. He would design his relatives’ suits and earn some profits.

With whatever little money he saved, Amit Talwar joined dance academy to perform and earn some more money. His friend Ronicka provided him the much needed encouragement while Padma Shri ghazal queen Penaz Masani trusted him and became his first celebrity client.

On the one hand he kept struggling and on the other hand he remained focused on his target. For five long years, he kept working from a small room on his terrace. Patience and perseverance paid. He started designing and opened his store. He earned handsome money and made about 400 clients. He never looked back since then.

Amit wanted to make money to prove to his parents his worth. He wanted to become popular for his own happiness and for many others who have struggled as he did but who gave up their dreams. He wants to be a role model for many dreamers. His goal is to design for Bollywood actors and get known worldwide.

His role models are Ritu Kumar, who never forsook Indian roots for present design, and Sridevi, because she was the one who inspired him every day.

His message to those struggling to become a fashion designer is that they should never give up hard work. He expects them to keep working harder than they had imagined and keep dreaming. “One has to dream big to make it a reality. One has to be original. But the most important quality is to be a good human being. On should never forget or ignore the people who encouraged and helped you when you were struggling,” Amit Talwar says.