It gives me a certain stability, ” explains Datuk Seri Bernard Chandran, referring to his daily ritual which sees the iconic fashion designer rising before sunrise after which he goes through an almost ceremonial process that sets the tone for the rest of the day.
These include a demanding yoga practice, followed by his morning offerings in accordance to his Hindu faith.
“When I do that I feel more confident, everything will seem right when I do, ” he states.
“I realise that more when I go through the discipline, that it is me and that I need to do it consistently, ” he says.
Taking the spiritual path is something Bernard has done throughout his life. In his late teens, he was already attending prayers in temple without being directed by his father. Early on, he formed a connection with the fiery goddess Durga. At the time, he felt that his worship gave him a sense of strength.
Over the years, his “spiritual” self has taken many permutations. Now, the practice of yoga has given him a different perspective of things.
“The older I get, yoga has become very important to me, ” he says. “It allows me to look at myself from the outside in.”
The focused approach of yoga has allowed this creatively driven individual to slow his pace.
“Before I would rush and rush and I never had a chance to reflect, ” he says. “Yoga gave me that because the whole practice requires that.”
The practice of yoga which requires one to transition from one pose to the next has taught the designer to remain focused, if not “you lose the process.”
Accomplishing this has enabled him to take the same focus to his creative process. He approaches his work now with greater contemplation and with a stronger sense of ethics.
“It has taught me to take my time, ” he states. “There is no rush. When I work, I have so many creative ideas. I used to put a book aside to write down any ideas I had. Then I realised that even that was wrong. You are supposed to have all these ideas and then forget about it.”
Instead, the ideas are supposed to hover in your subconscious and over time, emerge at the right time to be developed and worked on.
“It is a mind practice, ” he explains. “You shouldn’t accumulate a list that you can’t execute. That will confuse things. The ideas may be coming but whether they are necessary – for now – is another thing. Yoga practice will remind and tell you when to do it.”
Bernard admits that he has always been tough mentally. In the past he channeled it to rigorous workout sessions at the gym. He even participated in triathlons. The discipline was always there and he admits that to a large extent, his working out was driven by vanity.
“You go through that phase, ” he says.
But when Bernard who is now 53, approached his late 40s, he felt that there was something lacking and that his body needed something more.
“I had an injury and was asked to try yoga, ” he says. “Initially, it was very slow. I combined it with gym because I really enjoyed sports. But I soon learned that this was defeating. Yoga requires a hundred percent focus and so I cut everything off, even swimming.”
And through the introspection that yoga demands, Bernard found himself evolving and looking at things through a different lens. The result is an “easier” and “happier” individual which has positively impacted his work as well.
“I learnt when to shut up, ” he says, with a laugh. “I learnt that my opinion doesn’t matter on a lot of things – as a father, husband, friend. You don’t have to correct them because you recognise that they have their own perspective.”
This is unlike before, when he felt compelled to give his point of view when he observed things amiss. This tendency, however, came from a good place. His intention was to draw on his vast experience to help others learn. However, now he sees things differently.
“Sometimes when a cup is too full there is no point pouring into it, ” he aptly describes. “Some people are like that, so there is no point telling. But if they really need something, then I will give my input.”
And he is willing to share. The Bernard who entered the fashion industry in his 20s was fuelled by the desire to achieve fame and financial security.
“That is why everything is archived this way, ” he says, pointing towards his creations that fill the vast exhibition space. “Power and money are not really things that I desire now. What is important is that I enjoy what I am doing. I am more driven by wanting to make right the things that are lacking around me.”
The exhibition is an example of this. Bernard conceptualised it late last year and within a couple of weeks was ready to open to the public.
His rationale was to uplift the dampened spirits brought about by the pandemic through a creative showcase that would serve to inspire. At the time, there was little indication that things would become worse.
But rather than be disheartened by it, Bernard says over the years he has learnt to abide the Chinese proverb Xun Xu Jian Jin which states that one should take things “step by step”.
“What I have learnt is that you can have plans like Spring/Summer and Petang Raya but that is what it is, a plan.”
But a lifetime of cultivating his spiritual side has enabled him to now just take things as they come.
“Make the best out of what you see in front of you, ” he says, referring to the Chinese philosophy.
Drawing on the theme of the exhibition, we ask him to describe his current reality and his dreams for the future.
The reality, he says, is evident through the impact of the pandemic and the various socio-political issues it has brought to the forefront. But the time for reflection has allowed him to emerge stronger – physically and spiritually.
“It has also become a time to strengthen the bond, ” he states. “For my family, my team and my friends. I have learnt to cut out the unnecessary. Everything has been narrowed down and prioritised.”
Where dreams are concerned, he looks to his children. He describes his early ideas about family, a house filled with activity, shared with his wife Datin Seri Mary Lourdes.
However, eventually as the kids grew and went off to study, Bernard prepared for a different kind of dream he has for his five children – Terimunite Lournard Chandran, Trunan Lournard Chandran, Tanzanite Lournard Chandran, Tanestrran Lournard Chandran and Thanyakumari Chandran.
“I want them to be knowledgeable, to set them free and see the world, ” he says. “When you have knowledge, you know how to handle things, which is very important. When I see the way society is developing I believe this is very important.”
Adopting that philosophy means also being able to accept being challenged by his children. The fact that he is the “provider” doesn’t mean his word his law. But it is the upbringing he decided with Mary.
“This is our dream, ” he says. “To see them stand on their own feet and fight for their rights. My goal is for them to reach a better path in life. There’s no point having 50 stores around with a broken family.”
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