My first task at Armani was to design a classic white shirt. I got placed at the fashion house following a masters from Domus Academy, Milan. I came from a couture background – after graduating from NIFT, Kolkata, I had worked with Sabyasachi (Kolkata) and then Varun Bahl (Delhi), so when they asked me to design a white shirt, I went numb. I kept wondering what new I could do with a white shirt to prove myself. I did some fabric manipulation, added pintucks; basically over-designed it. Thus, failing miserably at the task. To be honest, I was a tad bit overconfident because of my background, and my first experience at Armani was humbling. That is where I learnt that the right approach to be a designer and artiste was to keep evolving and never stop learning. From that point, I started working on myself. At Armani, I learnt that designing is not about going through rulebooks and studying theoretically. It’s about working on yourself first, and then designing for people.Meeting Giorgio Armani, which was the obvious dream of any young designer, happened much later though. The brand naturally followed a hierarchy and there were several Armani studios across Milan. I was not working out of the place where he used to sit. I finally met him nearly three months later when all the employees at Armani gathered under the same roof for a session. I was a starry eyed 26-year-old with a glass of wine in my hand, trying to absorb everything that I could. That is when he walked up to me, welcomed me to the company, patted me on my shoulder and left. I was so tongue-tied that I couldn’t even say, ‘Hello.’ I still get goosebumps when I recall that meeting. That was in 2016. He was in his eighties, but he was the most energetic man in the room. Age was truly a number for him. I never met him again, but I continue to carry the learnings from year-long experience at Armani till date.Armani had a weekly ritual. Every Friday at four in the evening all the designers in the studio would gather in a hall with all kinds of stationery lying on a massive table, and on a projector screen would be a word. Everyone was expected to make a sketch inspired from that word to get their creative juices flowing. I have started a similar practice at my label (TIL in Delhi) to encourage people to be innovative.Armani’s attention to the tiniest of detailing was mind boggling. That is something I have incorporated in my label as well – in the way my fabrics are done, the finishing on my seams and garments, from buttons to small loops. At Armani, I learnt that luxury doesn’t come from the embroidery or print on the garment. It comes from the finish.I studied leather studies at NIFT, so at Sabyasachi, I could further my interest in textiles. From Varun Bahl, I learnt about marketing one’s brand. At Armani, I learnt that less is more. Although I came from a culture which was sort of maximalist, I was sceptical considering the understated aesthetics of Armani, but I was always told not to limit myself. I was encouraged to work with my unique aesthetics and was taught to give it the Armani spin.My time at Armani also paved the way for my stint at Bottega Veneta. My seniors at Armani encouraged me, although I was apprehensive, to participate in a competition held by Bottega Veneta in collaboration with Università Iuav di Venezia (IUAV University), Venice, and I am, till date, the only Asian to have cracked it. My design is part of their archival museum. Ankur Verma, India, is going to be there forever, next to my work. And that was possible only because, at Armani, I learnt to believe in myself.© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:ArmaniGiorgio Armani