The new Ravi Bajaj

Ravi Bajaj hates being predictable. He also hates being less than fantastic. That explains why, when most other Indian designers pander to what the market wants, this man walks his own course— making the finest suits, shirts and trousers for the best-dressed Indians. But now, Ravi Bajaj is changing.

Indians need to lighten up and dress smart without being loud: Ravi Bajaj

“I am bored,” he says, as we catch up with him on a hot May afternoon in Delhi. “I just can’t bring myself to do just the same stuff any more. The problem is, in India there is no such thing as a trend as far as men are concerned. Indians do not change their fashion for years, let alone every season. I know many stylish men who travel to Paris and Milan every month but who have never changed their glasses, shaved their moustache or even tried to experiment with footwear. I think it’s time to transform things and I’m going to try and do just that,” he says matter of factly, sitting at the cafeteria he started on the rooftop of his four-storied showroom in New Delhi’s plush GK-1 N Block market.

The “change” is already showing in the choice of clothes he sports. Known to be a conservative dresser, Bajaj appears for our photo shoot clad in a green suit, green shirt, a pair of white trousers, green socks and white shoes. “This is just an indication of what I plan to do. Indians need to lighten up and dress smart without being loud,” he says.

It’s 7 in the evening and we are at his home in Greater Kailash. Bajaj opens a bottle of 1999 Sauvignon Blanc and changes into a white shirt, a smart pair of white trousers and red shoes. Red shoes? “Yeah. What’s wrong with it? Trust me, in a few years time, we will be going to office wearing red shoes. It will take time, but it will happen,” he says.

Orange pants as well? “Well, not quite that crazy. I’m all for being bold but not completely wild,” he laughs, something rare for this guy who seldom flashes his pearly whites. “I hate my teeth unless I am several champagnes down,” he reveals. So, how did the son of a man who, according to Bajaj, sells “nuts and bolts” for a living, come to design clothes? “I always wanted to be a designer, for as long as I can remember,” he says. Even at 14, as a Class IX student, he remembers buying linen for Rs 14 a metre from a local trader, sketching a design and telling his darzi exactly how to stitch the shirt. “I used to hit the party scene wearing my own creations. Shiny linens were big those days and went well with the disco scene,” he remembers.

At 19, he realised that making clothes was all he wanted to do. He enrolled at the American College of Applied Arts in London, “mainly because there were not too many fashion designing courses in India back in 1985”.

Returning to India in 1987, the young Bajaj, unsure of where to start, nervously walked into a cloth merchant’s shop at Delhi’s Chandni Chowk to source materials. “I bought some silk. When the man asked the name of the firm buying the clothes, I was caught unawares.

I didn’t have a business to begin with! So, I just said ‘Ravi Bajaj Company’. The name has stuck ever since.” In many ways, Bajaj admits that being the “first off the block” made life easier.

“Trust me, in a few years time, we will be going to office wearing red shoes. It will take time, but it will happen”

“When I opened, the only readymade stuff you could buy were CD and Zodiac. I found myself this corner plot in GK-I, bought the darkest carpets I could find and managed to source two old air-conditioners— all for Rs 50,000. I had it relatively easy since there weren’t many designers around. I remember my entire first collection was from one variety of silk, though I did manage to get hold of a few different colours,” he smiles.

Ravi Bajaj doesn’t need to tell merchants who he is any longer, nor does he depend on “one variety of silk” to create a new line. Today, he is probably the biggest name in men’s formal wear in India, along with the likes of Arjun Khanna and Tarun Tahiliani. His suits are almost legendary for their perfect cuts—tailored in the finest Italian tradition.

“Ravi was the first designer I ever went to, in 2001. I loved the way his suits fitted me and the care he took,” recalls Ashwin Deo, MD of Moet Hennessy and a regular client. “His cuts are brilliant and the inside linings are so well done,” agrees Amit Burman, VC of Dabur and another longtime Bajaj fan.

What would they do if Bajaj keeps his tryst with destiny and redefines men’s formal wear with bolder suits in red stripes or floral pink formal shirts? “I am looking forward to the change. If Ravi is doing something, it has to be great,” says Burman. Deo laughs, adding: “I’m a conservative dresser. But I’m game for bold colours. And yes, I do own a pair of red shoes.”

I really admire Ravi for his superb business sense. He really knows how to run an empire: Rohit Bal

Bajaj smiles, almost squirms, when he hears such praise. “It’s good to hear that some people are game. My new range will have a more edgy look. I’m also starting my bespoke service, where clients will be able to choose everything from the fabric to the cut to the buttons they want. It will be a tad more expensive, but worth the money. We will still do a formal suit, but not the classic pinstripe alone that you are used to seeing. What I’m trying to say is that you can wear brown shoes and a pink shirt with a grey suit and still look really cool. Indians need to try out brighter looks— something that the European market has embraced for some time now.”

While designing clothes does take up a lot of his time, Bajaj likes the good things in life. He has opened a café, plans to open a wine bar soon and travels across the world to try out new cuisines. But he also hits the gym with a missionary zeal. “I’m a fitness freak. Gymming is like office. Every day for the past 20 years, I have hit the gym at 6 p.m. Most of my waking hours are spent at the Hyatt in Delhi, working out or checking out good wine,” he jokes, as we head out to the gym in his white Merc C class.

I loved the way his suits fitted me and the care he took to ensure I got just what I wanted. They are structured and tailored to perfection: Ashwin Deo

“Right now, I’m trying to look trimmer. So, less of weights and more of multi-gym and free-hand stuff,” he says, before silence reigns. Working out is serious business and the chatter has to stop for the next two hours as he does his routine. It’s back to wines after that. “I plan to open a wine bar soon,” he says as we head back to his cafe for a shot of espresso, something he usually has every day at 12.30 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. without fail. “The café is doing quite well,” he says, sweeping his arms across as if to show that almost every seat is occupied. “This time next year, the wine bar will be open as well,” he adds.

We get him back on track. Why has he stayed clear of doing wedding ensembles for women, something that’s a guaranteed money spinner in India? “That’s what everyone does. It’s mundane. It’s common. It’s boring,” he sums up before adding: “But I do have a women’s range that is piping hot!” Does he plan to expand his women’s wear range? “Why not? It’s a thought.

Maybe you can shoot me sitting with my arms around a few female models. That will get people talking,” he smiles. Ravi Bajaj can be naughty when he wants to. And wild, too. How wild? we ask. “Well recently, we went pub hopping and at 2.30 a.m. one of us had the idea that all of us should hit the next club without our underwear. So, all us guys and girls took them off, in the car, even as the driver drove on with a straight face,” he says. Now that’s wild!

Sneak peek Known for: Classic pin-stripe suits and elegant formal wear. Also does men’s wedding suits and a women’s western wear line Next change: Wants to keep his classic cuts and structures intact but plans to introduce bold new designs, colours and patterns in men’s formal wear. Also big on waist coats. The new Bajaj: Don’t be surpised to see red stripes on a formal jacket, green socks or a whole line of checked suits paired with checked shirts. Oh yeah, and red shoes, too. T’he logic: Bajaj feels Indians need to lighten up and sport brighter formal wear at work or at formal dos. The Europeans are doing it. Why do we have to lag behind, he asks. What won’t change: The price of his creations won’t skyrocket. His suits, (Rs 17,000 to Rs 30,000) won’t suddenly cost the sky. And his shirts won’t cross the Rs 5,000 barrier.

He doesn’t regret these wild moments. What he does regret, though, is sticking to menswear all through. “Sometimes I think I was stupid to focus on formal menswear. It’s tough since you need so many machines, a large distribution network and a lot of money to survive in a market where big brands like Hugo Boss or Brioni have an unfair advantage over you. And to top it all, Indians have this strange fascination for everything foreign.”

“We are easy to please. We are okay with okay. So, we don’t mind staying mediocre. I try not to look at mediocrity. To be fantastic is the only thing okay with me. That is why I am forever unhappy and sulking in my sane hours,” he says, managing a wry smile.

“Only fine wine and good friends make me lighten up. Then I am affable and amiable—well, sometimes adorable as well.” Is that last bit a joke, too? Bajaj won’t tell.

As we discover though, behind the quiet façade is an astute businessman who has earned the respect of his peers. “I really admire Ravi for his superb business sense. He really knows how to run an empire,” says friend and fellow designer Rohit Bal. “In so many ways, he is the first among equals. He opened a store when none of us could have imagined opening one.”

But what about Bajaj being a reclusive to the point of being arrogant? “Yes, a lot of people think so since he doesn’t smile much. But just hang around after the fourth glass of champagne has been downed,” he jokes.

And if his male friends think he is fun, there’s no dearth of female admirers as well. “His clothes are what you call luxury wear. When you pick up a Ravi Bajaj, you are not just buying a dress or a suit. You are buying a fashion statement,” says model Sonalika Sahay, who has worked with Bajaj in the recent past.

Would she accept a “new” Ravi Bajaj then? “Oh yes. Whatever he does has to be good. He was always a bit of a maverick who bucked the trend. And his work will always be the best,” she says. Agrees Bal: “I admire Ravi and his work and if he does reinvent himself, as all good designers do from time to time, it will definitely be an even better Ravi Bajaj we would be looking at.”

“This fellow is the best. You better believe it, mate. And just you wait for the new Ravi Bajaj. Menswear in India won’t be the same again,” is how close buddy and designer Suneet Verma sums up Bajaj and his work.

Well, we are waiting.