She is a tour de force in fashion, most sought after but she is wanting to give back generously, by making artisans from various clusters in Gond and Pichwai self-reliant, that’s her mission for the next three years.
By Asmita Aggarwal
Anamika Khanna has been a trooper of sorts ever since she won the Damania Award in 1995, her journey has been interesting in more ways than one. “I didn’t know then what was even one meter of cloth,” she laughs. Today she is Sonam and sister Rhea Kapoor’s go to!
So, when she went as a newcomer to London Fashion Week, “putting yourself as a new label AK-OK was a challenge, we got an overwhelming response”, says the Kolkata-based guru of meaningful details. Though she was impressed by the working style, professionalism in London, it was simply “humbling”.
At AK-OK, which she is showing at LFW X FDCI is for her “what we dream we do, hoping to offer global pret, this product has the wherewithal to become that”. Couture is hand crafted, we can’t compromise, completely hand done, nothing digital, even the jewellery perspective is Western with an Indian soul, wear it in New York or Dibrugarh. “We mix ancient temple motifs, with contemporary acrylic, 3-D printing, and two dynamic materials. I’m having a lot of fun with AK-OK (began when she was unwell, her twins would ask her AK- are you ok?), it is limitless, feel like a child in a candy store,” giggles Khanna.
Though the designer now wants to give back, her new project is making women artisans 101 (she doesn’t know how she got that number in her mind) financially independent-craft clusters over the next three years. “Let’s say the Gond or Pichwai artisans, the idea is to spotlight them, as I use their craft in my bridal wear, hoping it brings awareness to the clusters and make women self-reliant. This will be a recurring initiative not a one-time passion but will continue,” says Anamika.
Her fame has crossed borders, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leye wore her fitted bandhgala satin silk self-on-self, handmade embroidered on Jan 26, this year. “I knew she would like something like that, seeing her crisp no nonsense suits,” says Anamika.
Her more recent love has been double ikkat Patola, sometimes she uses it as a traditional sari, other times as a base to enhance different experiments, mixing it with lace and Banarasi. Patola is sourced from Swadesh (Reliance Foundation to support master artisans like Kanubhai Salvi and Hema Patel, GI-certified handwoven in Patan, Gujarat, almost 750 years old).
Though her one desire remains unfulfilled– to dress the iconic actress Rekha, her beauty frozen in time, “she would look ethereal in our organza sari, wouldn’t like to alter her look, or personality,” says Anamika.
Dressing Rashmika Mandanna, from Coorg, in a rust-orange silk saree with a bold red border inspired by “Deccan Temple” embroidery in antique gold for her D day with Vijay Deverakonda. “We had to tone down the brief, or it would look like a costume, not too ethnic India,” she clarifies. It took two months to create, several months for R and D, as “research couldn’t be random”. She explains how concepts varied from shikar; they indulge in down South motifs for Vijay as well as South temple structures for the veil for Rashmika.
Her two boys have made a place for themselves outside the shadow of their mom—Viraj the shy twin is an artist, Vishesh, has a master’s degree in design from Central Saint Martins. “He is in touch with Gen Z, I don’t know them, this is a big advantage, so I listen. He is the one who sent me sketches for menswear and I really respect his opinion. We three are good for each other,” she says.
Her LFW line is an homage to flowers she loves, like Coco Chanel, her obsession with camellias, plus she is looking at an alternative to fur, vegan and sustainable. “We have explored knits, versatility is the key here, Japanese fabric was added for the first time, denim was cut and slashed last time, this year we have taken a detour. I work with my instinct to design for women, knowing what they want,” she signs off.