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Courtesy That Antiquepiece
Name: Yash Patil
Profession: Fashion designer
Education: Knitwear design from NIFT Bengaluru, class of 2019
Current residence: New Delhi
Why you should know him: For his bespoke corsets that have a cult following that includes Masaba Gupta, Rhea Kapoor, and Sobhita Dhulipala.
A closer look at the construction of a lace corset
The designer’s sanctuary in Delhi
A work-in-progress corset featuring a print inspired by fresco painting
His fashion gods: Alexander McQueen, John Galliano from his Dior days, and Sabyasachi Mukherjee.
Why he named his brand That Antiquepiece: “My dadi used to call me ‘Antiquepiece’ because I was obsessed with things like old textiles and beautifully engraved brass objects. It was her way of affectionately calling me a crazy person who finds joy in weird things.”
A denim corset in the studio
A striped jacket with contrast corset lacing
A work-in-progress ‘Anaaro’ corset
His clientele: “A lot of women in their 40s and 50s specifically come to us for corsets. Compared to younger clients, they’re just more comfortable with their bodies, open to ideas, and ready to explore. They usually go for an under-bust corset, which is also called the waspie. It can be styled over a shirt and it cinches the waist by one or two inches. Apart from corsets for Bollywood—where we’ve had to add extra cups, butt pads, and all of that—and one-off studio projects, we’ve barely had any requests by people wanting to cinch the waist by an extreme three or four inches.”
The project that stressed him out the most: “My first bridal client, because I was terrified of ruining the most important day in someone’s life.”
Patil’s first bridal client, Jessica D’Cunha, in a bespoke hand-beaded French lace and duchess silk satin gown
The ensemble featured a cathedral length silk tulle veil and comprised three different pieces which could be detached to transform the look
How he’s dealing with Delhi’s heatwave: “My phone is hot 24/7. It’s almost 50 degrees today. They should shoot Part 3 of Dune here. But for us to expand right now, Delhi is a good city to be in. I can have my own production unit within the studio and I’m grateful for the community we have built. I’ve had friends who are also designers come to help me bead a skirt or finish a project. I would love to move to Bombay to be closer to home [Pune] eventually.”
Patil sewing pearls onto a multi-layer tulle skirt
What he wishes people knew: “A tube top with four boning channels being sold on Shein or Myntra is not the same as an actual corset.”
What he fears: “There’s this super-famous store in Chandni Chowk in Delhi called Sudhir Bhai Saree Wala. At times I wonder, what if people start calling me ‘Antiquepiece corset wala’! But I do enjoy the fact that we’re able to grow in a niche. Once I get a good hold on it, I know I’ll want to do other things.”
