Soucha Interview
Q. Your illustrations often take everyday Indian objects and culture—flowers, regional aesthetics—and transform them into wearable art. Can you walk us through a moment when you realized an 'ordinary' element from your daily life had fashion-forward potential?
As a designer, I’ve always been multidisciplinary. Whenever I learn something new, my instinct is to connect it with something cool that I already know, to find creative links between ideas, visuals, and forms. That way of thinking naturally extends to how I see the world. When I look at everyday objects, I can’t help but imagine their possibilities, what they could become, how they could be reinterpreted.
As a teenager, I was deeply influenced by drag performers. Shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race and artists like Violet Chachki and Sasha Velour completely transformed how I understood fashion and self-expression. They showed me how ideas, concepts, and identities could be turned into visual stories through clothing, and that garments could exist far beyond convention.
Designers like Jean-Paul Gaultier, Thierry Mugler, and Alexander McQueen further expanded that understanding for me. They blurred the lines between the ordinary and the extraordinary, between the mundane and the glamorous, and that’s something I’ve carried with me ever since in how I approach wearable art.
Q. You've pioneered the 'Chatpata Fashion' movement—a term that suggests bold, spicy, unapologetic design. What's one fashion "rule" you broke early in your career that became central to your design identity?
Honestly, for me, fashion is about bringing a little bit of stupidity back. I just think we take it way too seriously sometimes. At the end of the day, fashion is supposed to be an artistic expression, right? The world is already sad enough, so why should fashion be grim too?
I feel like my identity as a designer is a mix of being a little silly, a little humorous, but still very much about glamour and Indian-ness. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. If anything, I think the rule I’ve broken is that designers are expected to always look serious and professional. But honestly, who said silly can’t be professional?
Q. Many of your reels show the evolution from initial sketch to final illustration. Is there a design that surprised you most as it evolved, where the final piece looked nothing like your first instinct?
Yes, obviously, all of them. I think it’s a little vulnerable for designers to admit that they’re not always sure of what the final result will look like because it can make it seem like they’re not in control of the process. But I think there’s a certain beauty in that 'letting go'.
I’m never completely sure of how something will turn out, and that’s exactly what makes it exciting for me. The uncertainty is the rush. It’s what keeps me going. Not knowing what’s coming next is what makes the whole process feel alive.
Q. Your flower dress series (lotus, hibiscus, sun-inspired designs) has captivated audiences. If you had to design a dress inspired by a mundane daily routine task, like your morning chai or evening commute, what would it look like?
I’m not a very spiritual person or someone who follows strict routines, but if I ever turned something from my routine into a design look, it would definitely be inspired by my obsession with skincare.
I imagine a gown that takes inspiration from a bathrobe? Almost like comfort turned into couture. The hair would be wrapped as if in a towel, but actually created as a sculptural wig that mimics that look, because who doesn't love a little unit.The face would be covered in a clay mask, maybe with cucumber glasses for a touch of humor. It would be fresh, fun. Oh girl, I'd call it niacinamide chic.
Q. Beyond fashion design, what's one habit or ritual in your daily routine that keeps you creatively charged, something that has nothing to do with sketching or Instagram?
I feel like music really keeps me sane. I grew up singing Indian classical with my mom, and over time I started really getting into Western pop music. These days, you can usually find me sitting alone with BandLab open, recording harmonies by myself just so I can listen to them later. It’s not content. I don’t monetize it. It’s just for me.
Q. You balance being both a fashion designer and illustrator. How do the two disciplines inform each other in your work, and do you approach them differently in your creative process?
Design and illustration really go hand in hand. Anyone in the industry will tell you that if they do one, they usually do the other in some capacity too. Most designers I know are also illustrators, though everyone has their own area of expertise. I know some incredible fashion designers who are also brilliant illustrators.
For me, being a designer is who I am, and illustration is the medium I use to express that. Drawing is the language I speak in.
Q. Looking at your Instagram presence, you've built a community around fashion illustration. What's the most unexpected piece of feedback or request you've received from your followers that shifted how you approach your content?
Until last year, I mostly posted finished illustrations and I loved it. But one day I asked people what random thing they would like to see turned into a dress, and someone said a flower. That simple request started my journey in this direction.
I realized that while people enjoy art for its visual beauty, what they love even more is getting to peek into someone’s mind and see how that art comes to life. Once I started posting my design process, my content began to truly connect with people. That’s when it clicked for me that my online presence should not just be about sharing the final pieces, but also about sharing the journey that keeps me passionate about creating them.
Q. If you could illustrate an outfit for any fictional character (from books, films, or folklore) who embodies the spirit of 'Chatpata Fashion,' who would it be and why?
I feel like I have done a lot of them, and the word chatpata, to me, essentially means a mix of sweet, sour, spicy, and salty all at the same time, just like how chaat is. That is where the word comes from, and I feel like my work is a mixture of all of that.
Right now, I am working on all of the looks that Madhuri Dixit wore in Devdas. I have always been inspired by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and his work, as well as his predecessors like K. Asif. There are so many people I look up to that I cannot name just one, but this is what I am focused on right now.
Q. You're clearly passionate about making fashion design accessible and relatable. What's one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you first started creating fashion illustrations?
I would tell little Soucha, who spent all those afternoons and evenings sketching his little designs that your interests are not very mainstream.You like fashion and glamour, not cars and football.
Even if your peers and the adults around you tell you that drawing girls all the time is not something you should be doing, just keep going. It is going to work out, and it is going to work out in ways that are far more beautiful than you could have ever imagined. And more than anything, be kind to yourself.
Bio:
Soucha aka Soumitro Chakraborty is a 22-year-old fashion illustrator based in India. They transform everyday elements into imaginative fashion designs and create colorful and chic illustrations inspired by Bollywood and Gen Z trends and pop culture.
Interviewed by - Divya Darshni
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