A Contemporary Love Letter to Write
My Personal References, Absent Findings‘ debut collection, develops like a personal letter to South Asian ancestry. Shivin Singh intentionally draws inspiration from his heritage by using materials from his mother’s and grandmother’s saris in his designs. These vintage components communicate stories and are more than just decorations. Through their closet, they allow wearers to experience the resonance of culture, memory, and family when worn or layered into modern shapes.
Where Rebellion and Minimalism Collide
The line skilfully balances avant-garde elements with minimalist design. The silhouettes are fundamentally simple: fitted forms, structured trousers and gentle colour schemes. Unexpected touches, however, give these life: pleated barrel jeans, hoodies with floral patterns in georgette reminiscent of 1980s saris, and pleated tote bags that are both familiar and adventurous. Each item finds space for minimalism in assertiveness, while tradition wears a defiant edge.
Innovation Recast as Heritage
Singh turns well-known textiles into vibrant fashion narratives by reimagining cultural signifiers. When paired with cummerbund-inspired trousers, a silk sari blouse honours its origins while defying expectations. Heritage becomes flexible as a result of this fabric and form interaction, existing in the present while nevertheless evoking the past.
Story, Sustainability, and Craft
An important aspect of the collection’s philosophy is sustainability. Each item rejects waste while honouring tales thanks to deadstock materials and upcycled sari fabric. The clothing is made more emotionally charged and environmentally conscientious through limited editions, immersive craftsmanship, and deliberate sourcing—not in defiance of legacy, but in support of it.
Worldwide Sensitivity Rooted in Memory
Singh’s artistic odyssey takes him from South Asia to America, Italy, and Dubai. This broad viewpoint contributes to a design language that is both realistic and grounded. He grounds international techniques in personal history while working with craftspeople such as Dario, an Italian craftsman. The finished look is unified but multi-layered—a garment that embodies memories while blending in perfectly with a contemporary story.
A Dialogue between Eras
Absent Findings traverses the tug-of-war between eras by striking a balance between tradition and innovation, rigidity and fluidity, and stillness and expression through my personal references. Every article of clothing is a subject of difference, a negotiation between imagined and inherited. Wearing these items allows one to participate in a generational dialogue.
Blending bold silhouettes with subtle cultural nods, the collection invites wearers to embrace individuality while honouring heritage, creating garments that speak to both personal identity and collective memory.
Conclusion:
The first collection by Absent Findings is a masterfully planned conversation between the known and the unknown that sits at the nexus of tradition and rebellion. Singh crafts items that are both intensely personal and profoundly relatable by transforming traditional textiles into contemporary shapes. The collection’s strength is its harmony: cultural heritage recreated rather than maintained, elegant minimalism infused with deliberate disruption. These clothes tell stories in addition to providing clothing. They enable wearers to actively participate in changing narratives—narratives that honour memory, welcome innovation, and use fashion as a means of exploration and connection.
