Hyderabad has emerged as a competition to Delhi-Mumbai for couture, even though the lawyer turned designer believes going green can be possible in couture!
By Asmitaa Aggaarwal
She is a lawyer, who always had an interest in environmental law, and decided to mix her two passions –legal eye with fashion. Upcycling, applique to molten metallics, Aisha Rao, from NUJS (law) to studying in Barcelona Istituto Europeo di Design, IED and then garment construction at Parsons New York, she knew her heart was in making clothes that bring out the vibrancy of India, its unabashed celebrations.
Showcasing her line “Wild at heart” at the ICW for the first time, she has said ‘no’ to plastics for a long time, and was in fact debating whether she really wants to work in fashion, known to be the most polluting industry in the world. “Whenever you cut a bias skirt, there was a lot of waste generated, along with this was when we used sequins, bugle beads, bullions on the ‘khaat’. We wanted to find a way to use both these and we did, by upcycling them. I wanted to make a viable business, but reduce carbon footprints,” says Aisha. And of course, a degree in law always helps—specially when recently Bloomingdales sent her a contract she was able to maneuver dexterously. “Brides don’t understand the concept of waste, all they want is to look pristine,” she laughs.
Mother of two kids, Aisha often finds inspiration in their stories, like Roald Dahl’s Matilda to Paper dolls, though Indian couture is enjoying the spotlight, with China slowing down–Ambani wedding, Prada introduced Italian version of Kolhapuris, LV embroidered bags. Sabyasachi Mukherjee has stated, he would like his jewellery to not be locked up but worn on linens and skirts. Plus, couture is now functional, not just about heavy lehenga cholis.
“We are doing dresses you can wear at your friend’s wedding, the crystal one-piece blouse can be teamed up with palazzos, traditional peacock motifs top this is now your companion to a date night draped skirt,” she says.
Couture was earlier reserved for the OGs, very tough for young people to break in, it is also manpower heavy and super expensive, till now Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata were hubs the South largely ignored. Two designers have broken the glass ceiling and given Hyderabad, a great representation—Jayanti Reddy and Aisha Rao.
“I have always loved the Banarasi weave, this year also it finds a representation, in my collections, pure gold zari saris in Kanchipuram. Girls have a mind of their own, they will wear a tiny beach blouse, but mom-in-law still prefers classic woven sari,” she laughs. Her kasavu tissue saree, zari with satins, have done well, for cocktails, to white weddings. “We did sequins overload in the Barcelona line, as an ode to Antoni Gaudi, the acclaimed Spanish architect, I’ve always wanted to tell a story,” she affirms.
This season Aisha offers jackets with bustiers inside, a sweater shape you can add over your lehenga, with a smattering of aari work and zardozi. “I’m sitting in Hyderabad, so Bollywood is tough to crack for me, though what celebs wear is aspirational, gets instant results, when a lehenga sells in volumes, it is good for business,” she says. From palms, peacock colours, chintz, maximal flora, lush teak berry, there is a little bit of Aisha in each piece she crafts, “of coursen o lehenga comes within a pocket as that was my pain point at my own celebrations,” she concludes.