The idea was to keep the treatment complex but cutting techniques simple and ensure linearity in the silhouette, but Arjun Saluja achieved much more than what he set out to do. His mesmerizing shapes, pleated Patialas, precise slashing to create an effect, zipper details on dresses, jackets along with interestingly placed flaps, made it a heady Fall.
The kilims of Azerbaijan, a region surrounded by the stunning Caspian Sea, which the locals use to eat, worship and sleep were the ornate inspiration for his embroideries. We wanted it to be placid in ways that it looks clean and minimal, but we worked hard on the fabrics, linen wools, satins and linen silks, says Arjun.
Most of the printing is digital, though Arjun feels many think it is easy, but it requires a combination of imagination and aesthetics to create an ingenious pattern. I was trying to achieve small wonders based on my thought process at that time, oneness or nothing. So, through de-saturated prints I depicted the ageing of carpets, an essential component in the lives of the people I was mirroring, he adds.
Living in India, for the past six-seven years, the challenge for Arjun in his line Aik was to keep it uncluttered, and cut close to the body. The woman I am dressing is a traveller, she in many ways is an artist, who has a distinct identity, and one who has immense mental strength to be able to overcome all that life throws in her way, yet she lives life on her own terms, he adds.
For Arjun, it was a personal journey too that was depicted through his line, whatever, he was experiencing, in those four months before the line was finally showcased at WIFW, found a place either in the motifs, prints or layering. We are a country of drama and tradition and I never forget that while designing, so I keep essence Indian, choosing to do things my way, staying away from bling or embellishment. As my definition of success is identifying my market, growth in design and constant learning through the little moments that make a big difference in life, he concludes.