Concept For Living magazine » Vikas Shah

Vikas Shah – Designer maker profile

Wednesday, March 18th, 2009

Director of Charlotte Thomas, Vikas Shah, took time out from his busy schedule to talk to us about his inspirations and future projects.

Tell us a bit about your background.

I started my first business, a design and technology consultancy at the young age of 14. The firm grew and developed, and we worked on some very exciting projects with customers all around the world. At our peak, we had almost 22 on the team and ran our own magazines online, amongst other things. I also worked as a photographer
mainly focussing on fine art travel and fashion work.

As the .com bubble came to its end it was time for a change, so I sold off as much as I could and regained composure. I then joined the family business, which at the time was a fabrics trading company with only one employee. Since then, over the past seven years we have grown significantly. We now have a team of 20 and have activities in markets as diverse as retail, contract textiles and so much more. I have continued photography and writing and also have an economics journal.

Can you describe your work and the processes that you use?

We use a range of processes to achieve our bespoke bed linen and home textiles designs. The main focus is research based, we constantly assess what the market is doing – this can vary from fashion weeks to trade shows. This gives us a gauge of what the world is doing, which we then combine with our own inspirations and designs to create our ranges.

What inspires you?

I have always said that inspiration comes from all around you. I am a strong believer in the phrase that, “if you spend too much time looking at the ground, you never see the sky”. Inspiration is a very fluid and intangible process – the key is to be active in the process of experiencing the world around you. Inspiration can come from where you least expect it.

Who are your design heroes?

Jacques Garcia, Philippe Starck, Robert Cavalli and Tom Ford are just a few designers who I rate very highly from the world of interiors and outside. I also consider many of saville row’s fi nest tailors as design heroes along with a number of fashion and journalistic photographers.

To find out more contact Vikas Shah at: Swiscot Textiles Ltd. Tel. 0161 236 1025 web: www.swiscot.com

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