Bridal gowns that trail the realm of dreamy lifetime, exotic ready to wears that infuse unique fashion sensibilities into drab everyday existences, a motley of the colors that celebrate life in each moment of its living- fashion designer Bambi Kevichusa’s flair for fashion is such that has every piece of her creation assume the distinction of donning each of her wearers with the individuality of a showstopper identity.
Her sense of style is exquisite- emerging as extravagant even in their simplicity. That’s perhaps part of the sophistication she affords as something quintessential to her expression of the sartorial. Her style is unmistakably traditional, steeped high and proud in the elements of an identity held in great regard. But even within this effort in honoring the roots of her being, there always has been a greater appeal that plays out through the characteristically gorgeous span of every dress she devotedly crafts. No wonder her creations have found international recogition as well, with a particularly simple but immensely evocative paneled silk dress on display at the Horniman Museum in London.
Embroidered motifs that represent indeed her Naga identity and the body of hand plied curation colored with vegetable dyes- pretty much every essence of what Bambi Kevichusa imbues into her signature fashion line is palpable as well upon this ‘humble’ display of pride. Summing up then the entire narrative of her creations is this one singular piece of an ordinary specialness, employing in both motif and material the elements of significance defining her identity- both in her expression as a person as well as through her profession.
So true is Kevichusa to the land of her origin that she continues to be based in Dimapur, out of which she operates her fully functional venture of immense credibility. Fine strands of the aesthetics is what rules indeed the range of her offering, each more exquisite than the other even as she holds on tight to the threads weaving the cultural and social fabric. It might occur as kind of a responsibility that Bambi has assumed for herself. Being part of the illustrious Kevichüsa family of Nagaland, it might strike as only obvious that the talented designer too would stand up to this deeply held reverence of that identity. But delve deeper into the counts of her tailored curation and the extent to which she flaunts and expresses the Naganess of her self, and it is more than evident that her honoring of this aspect of belonginess is beyond anything merely obligatory.
Today she indulges in even greater a depth of exploring the roots from where she comes, with her eponymous bridal couture label Bambi K Bridal as well as a concept store called Windfall through which she presents as well her line of children’s wear even venturing into ready-to-wear under her label and boutique Gold Dust. Indigenous indeed in their very appearance evoked by working in elements of design upon locally produced fabric, the creations of Kevichusa is steeped also in equal measure in the character of simplicity. In this simplicity though there resides an universe of effort, which takes shape out of painstaking hours of paying great attention to detail specially in curating the customised trousseau of brides seeking to avail the true feel of fantasy through Bambi’s breathtaking decoding of elegant fashion.
Lay your eyes- and possibly your hands upon one of these specimens of understated impeccabilities and one cannot help but be awestruck by the sheer craftsmanship manifested throughout the entire expanse of her bridal couture. Specialised indeed in dressing brides in exactly the desire of their dreams, and something that she believes as well to be really good at, having always harboured a penchant in this regard and beginning through this expression as well, Bambi Kevichusa has since gained a reputation for being specifically symphonic in evoking emotions through such specifications of style.
She has been awarded and rewarded as well in curating thus innumerable tales of charm, which has led her to continuously tread this path of greater demands. The artistic fulfilment and gratification that she experiences upon witnessing numerous brides avowing from under the veil of her tailoring the beautiful promises of marriage is what constantly stirs her to produce exclusive pieces of sartorial prettiness- even when she ascribes it herself as part ‘pain and pleasure’. It is then a credit of this conviction that has Bambi Kevichusa lending her creative faculties to creating works of art that has earned her also formal recognition.
Armed with a Diploma in Clothing Industry Studies from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia in 2001, Kevichusa’s conscious decision to return to her homeland for full fledged unfurling of her passion has endowed her with an image esteemed in a pride for her Naga identity. It has been a long journey indeed since then, once that she would not professionally pursue till at least a decade hence. But the unique eye she had for all things fashion meant that it would be a matter of time since Bambi’s calling would dawn also upon her the parallel identity through the graph of her career.
She has been one of the recipients of the 2021 Bendangnungsang and Khriesavizo (B&K) Memorial Award that acknowledges personalities and organisations significant in their contributions to the Naga society. Prior to her receiving this award in the category of art, Bambi had also courted the appreciation of fame at the 2014 Hornbill Festival, the Nagaland Festival 2015 in Mumbai and the 2019 North East Festival in Delhi where she had displayed her stunning creations. Of course, Kevichusa has her roots to thank in managing to eke out the stylish path of success. The draw might be obvious in the tangible influences of Naga motifs and materials being prime to her designs of the sartorial. But what also quietly but certainly flows in having her creations live for themselves the integrity of the character she lends to these clothes is a greater assertion of this identity.
The simplicity of what captures all attention through Kevichusa’s collection of couture as well as convenient fashion is something that has made its way on account of this very essential expression. Humility and honesty are the other ideals the designer swears by as something that dresses each of her creations in greater beauty- as something lovely constructed on the premise of integrity, it is no wonder indeed that the entire Bambi line exudes a comfortable sense of belonginess- something subtly but seriously significant in having art assert the appeal of what it inherently possesses.
The ultimate faith in her native identity might be what paints the silhouette of Bambi Kevichusa’s creations but it still would be some definite presence of certain global elements finding expression through the repertoire of her art. Speaking thus of the richness of her repository rewards one also with a revelation that is artistic still but reaches out beyond the range of vision. In fact her ‘primary’ consideration of the art that fashion is derives also from another attribute of creativity- music to be specific. She is a musician herself as well and while that might not be threaded prominently into her profile, the ear that she possesses indeed for music have only led her to gain a clearer visage of what would find greater acceptance as objects of beauty.
Some of her inspiration in fashion designing is then an availing out of this spectrum of the arts. Not limited though to only this arena of exploring is Bambi’s tryst with the universal language of the soul. The musicality of her nature has also been afforded veritable expression through nher pursuits of singing and writing songs as well as her melodious striking on the keys of the piano. What is even more special an occurring very much in tune indeed with her identity as a creative soul is her dabbling in music not just as an amateur. Having performed in rock bands in her young age, Bambi Kevichusa has also greater definiteness to testify for her musical abilities. She had been keyboardist and vocalist of a gospel rock band LYSTRA in Kohima while performing also as keyboardist and co- songwriter of a Chennai based Heavy Rock Christian Band named Blood and Fire across various cities of the country.
She continues to ‘pursue’ this love for music that she once indulged in more passionately, through her measures and stitches of the clothes indeed and also as the accompaniment to her drums banging son on the guitar in his many sessions of impromptu music. No wonder, Kevichusa ‘spews’ beauty in every crafting of art- living as she is the life of her dreams and leading as well so many to this path of landing up on a fairytale world through her myriad of magical musings strewing love upon wedding gowns.
Beautiful also is the belief that this proud northeasterner embodies as part of her privileged identity scouting the greatness of the arts. For her, all art is the same because art itself is the ultimate beauty in itself such that there does not really exist a boundary that could separate music from poetry or from the arts and crafts of fashion and expression. She herself is as fluid in her identity, seamlessly ‘transitioning’ into the moulds of modeling as she does in flourishing her wand of fashion. She boasts the distinction of having some of the performers at the grand Isha Ambani wedding wear her creations, while choreographing and curating sequence and events herself at reputed shows. Having served as the judge for fashion shows and modeling walks while also urging the younger generation to pursue their passion for fashion as a full fledged career in diverse capacities- Bambi Kevichusa stands up to a standard of beauty that she delivers in her self style as well as in having the nuanced beauty of creating as masterpieces of her trade speak for themselves the lucid language of the arts.
