I dress up for myself: Param Sahib Singh

Param Sahib Singh is okay with not being liked by everyone. The queer artist’s colourful illustrations challenging oppressive gender norms have infuriated many but he wouldn’t cover up reality just to please others, he says. “I have been abused, attacked and threatened because of my artworks and my views about sexuality. All of this has only made me stronger. I take pride in the fact that I didn’t give in to intimidation and stood by my work and my craft” says the 30-year-old who stands out for his no-holds-barred, maximalist style.

Param’s art often reflects his own personal experiences. “It’s honest feeling put on canvas. This is why people can relate to it on a larger scale. My art gives me a sense of being myself without any inhibitions. That’s the thing with art. It’s always fearless,” he says.

Param is glad that while he has haters who can’t tolerate him, he gets tremendous support online and offline from his friends, his fans and those who work to protect the law. “This is the reason I don’t feel daunted. As an artist, I am able to bring out the truth without saying much. It doesn’t go down well with some but the way it stirs others to believe in themselves is what keeps me going,” says the designer, whose contemporary, quirky take on Indian outfits has made him a favourite of new age brides looking for designs with an element of surprise. His vibrant creations are often interspersed with wearable art that makes them fantastical and head-turning.

Not an easy journey

Finding his foothold and establishing himself as a designer has not been easy, though. Param quit his B.A. English (Honours) to pursue a career in fashion. After graduating from NIFT Bangalore, Param interned with fashion designer Manish Arora and later went on to lead his Indian design team. Param says that the veteran designer and his business partner didn’t clear his dues, tried getting his stock removed from stores and badmouthed him endlessly when he decided to set up his own brand.

“I worked with Arora for more than four years like his right hand. Along with leading the Indian design team, I headed his in-house PR and helped establish his Indian fashion brand. I idolised him and the opportunity to work for him meant a lot to me. All was good untill I decided to leave the company and branch out on my own,” shares Param.

“Arora and his business partner Deepak Bhagwani decided to make my life hell. They made sure that I was not able to stock in any of the stores or websites across Indian market. They didn’t clear my pending bills and my profit and funds. They also spoke ill about me everywhere. It was a lot to deal with but I didn’t break,” he says.

The first two and a half years of setting up his eponymous label were extremely trying for Param. “It was difficult to survive. My mother sold off her jewellery to help me with the initial investments. But God had good plans for me. All I wanted was to keep going and keep my creative hunger alive and thankfully I never stopped,” says Param.

He is grateful to God for what he has achieved today, he says. “I am able to give employment to over 40 families and hopefully we will continue to grow,” he says.

Reclaiming optimism

Right from his own wardrobe to the garments he creates to his artwork, Param picks up the most vivid and chirpy colours. Staying true to his ‘more is more’ philosophy, he uninhibitedly and instinctively groups multiple clashing colours together to create stunning imagery.

Param’s unabashed and bold use of colours is inspired by his early childhood memories. “I grew up surrounded by colours! As a child, I spent a lot of time in my village in Punjab in my grandparents’ house, where we had so much vibrancy to soak in through our culture and clothes. We Punjabis have dopamine dressing in our blood I guess,” says the designer.

Bright and bold colours are also a way for Param to reclaim optimism in a pandemic stricken world. “Nothing says happy like colours. People feel happy when they wear chirpy, joyful colours. Celebrating pop colours in clothes instantly lifts up the spirits ,” says Param.

Glamour, the perfect antidote to gloom

Fashion in the times of pandemic has the power to defeat despair and instill us with hope, says Param, who believes that we will be wholeheartedly celebrating the aesthetics of excess this year. “After what we have been through, maximalism is going to be a big trend. We will get over pandemic induced lethargy and have fun expressing ourselves by dressing up in the most exuberant ways,” says the designer.

To those who want to express themselves unapologetically through fashion and art but are afraid of the society’s reaction, Param says it’s time they listened to their hearts. “You would evoke all sorts of reactions and comments but what will keep you going would be your instinct, your hunger to be your best creative self,” says Param.