Fashion is a lifestyle, says Yogesh Choudhary who has created a label for himself in the fashion industry with his own expression of contemporary designs. “To me fashion is not just what we wear but how you carry yourself, whom you hang out with, food you eat, what goes on in your head, it is everything. It has a deeper meaning that talks about ones inner personality.”

From his childhood days, Yogesh has been a person who had an ardor for art. He loved taking those exuberant laps and being lost in his own galaxy of colors and paints. It is not just fashion but the creative side that attracts him. “So if not fashion designer, I would have been an artist because of my love for hands-on work.” This zeal for art made him apply for a course in NIFT.

Yogesh graduated from NIFT, New Delhi. He has done his masters from National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. It was during his final semester that he applied for the GENNEXT Programme, Lakme Fashion Week at New Zealand. He got selected for it and that marked the emergence of Yogesh’s collection. He says that is how it all began. He reminisces those unfading moments when he and his partner Manas made a smashing triumph and made it to the front page of the cover stories in New Zealand. While the entire territory was immersed in the chaos of Commonwealth Games in 2010, he says his story made them levitate from it to something pleasing. This enthralling victory is one of the best moments in my life. It took me back to one quote that as a teenager struck me always; ‘I better make the plot good. I wanted to make it grip people on the first page and have a big turning point in the middle, as there is, and construct the whole thing like a rollercoaster ride.’

The Supreme award that he won at the World of Wearable Art, New Zealand is when he was standing at the crossroads of his life and decided to go the designing way. It was the moment he listened to his heart and made up his mind that he is going to have a collection of his own, create a brand of his own. He says his mom’s way of dressing, his cultures and traditions have been the foundation to his contemporary designs and patterns that set him apart at the global platform where he is trying to make a mark for himself. ‘Your life is a message to the world, make sure it is loud and inspiring’- is what I believe in.

Yogesh has started his own label called SURENDRI with a vision to make it a world class brand. ‘Surendri’ is the name of his beloved mother, a Haryanvi lady who has always be an inspiration to him. My mother has been my constant, like the sunshine, the moon, the stars and I count on her. She has been the guiding force in my life ever since and is my idol. All I am or hope to be, I owe to my mother.

The imaginations and innovations is something that I like about fashion. Choosing the fabrics, stitching a garment and bringing out an enhanced piece of art is all that I give an eyeteeth for. He is not a person who fancies a fashion show. He attends one only when he has to showcase his collection. Presently he is more into the retail market, so it is all about buying and selling his creative idea in the market. I’m more of a business man who wants to sell his piece of art; I only become a fashion designer on the day I showcase my collection at a fashion show. He emphasizes that any design is more attractive to him if the garment carries the tag of affordability along with the beauty. That is what catches the eye of a customer in the retail market.

Stating the challenges that he faces professionally, he says that finding good skilled labor is one of the serious grievances. It is important because your breathtaking idea that could conquer the world can only be brought into existence with efficient labor else it goes in vain. Another common hurdle in any field is that your dreams of expanding a business and adding more decors can be fulfilled only with large finances which is not an easy task. For the youngsters who are willing to dive into the ocean of fashion designing, he says all you need is your creative flair and artistic mind that can help you sail through any storms that pass by. It is not really necessary for you to attend an outstanding institute to train yourself because basic skills remain the same which can be acquired over a period of time and it all comes down to your way of sculpturing your thoughts.

‘Have Faith in your Skills. Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.’

On the whole, Yogesh’s life has so many lessons that can fill you with loads of motivation and he remains one of the outshining gems studded in the jewellery named Indian Fashion.