Against war, Sushant pens protest
Centographs mirror world unrest through camouflage to crochet, cold pigment dyeing, paying tribute to Kantha, crafting arches where you least expect it—on a functional bag at FDCI’s Boys club showcasing by Countrymade. By Asmita Aggarwal Fashion is not an archipelago, it’s affected by socio-economic factors, even though it is low on the food chain it is affected by geopolitics-what’s happening in Iran to Ukraine-war that has destroyed the lives of millions. It is not something that’s new to mankind—only problem is that they refuse to learn from past mistakes. It was only natural that this LFW, his line is aptly titled “Cenotaph”, or memorial, a tomb of sorts. It symbolises the architecture of what remains, every city you go to has a tomb—India Gate, to Taj Mahal or even Arc de Triomphe to the Glorious Dead (Yasukuni Shrine), Japan. “History is a witness to wars and angst,” says Sushant Abrol, of the label Countrymade. He is not being preachy, but gently urging everyone to open their eyes, think, and witness history being manufactured. He shows his despondency through buttonholes that are stitched but left without buttons, as linings remain unfinished. He has been travelling all over the world in the last three months, seeing unrest with the war, Trump’s decisions that have affected the daily lives of billions of people. US President Donald Trump met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, lowered tariff burden on Indian exports to the US from 50% to 18%. Earlier manufacturing hubs like Ludhiana, textile-rich hubs such as Tiruppur, Panipat, Surat, Bikaner, and Coimbatore are also facing instability. “The best stores in the world are hesitant to work with Indian designers, due to tariffs-trade uncertainty has caused massive drop in sales,” he affirms, adding, “buyers have to pay more duties now, so many are revisiting bulk orders due to geopolitical unrest. Market is price conscious, I’ve started thinking about costing, as fashion is commerce, not just about self-expression and runway applause.” Channelling the theme, “absence is presence” through Centograph, how stone texture fades over time, chips off, decays, displayed in linen, along with cold pigment dyeing. His bag designed like the India Gate is fully functional and usable, resembling the arches, used as a recurring motif through camouflage to crochet. Sometimes as a geometrical element that is hand embroidered, or patchworked. For LFW X FDCI he has introduced ripstop and herringbone, two fabrics that reveal crisis, to represent a “lived in” look, even the runway walk by models was emblematic of pensiveness and despondency, an emotion that the world is grappling with now. “We have added sun fading, depicting how over time the monument gets textures –rays affect the stone in multiple ways. “The theme has been researched 360 degrees,” he says, as he enters the seventh year in fashion, learning that it is ever evolving, important to stay relevant, stay in the present, absorb things that happen around you. “Right new luxury is the last priority, many want to consume fashion, but are unwilling to pay the price for hand techniques,” he rues. Denim, known for its ruggedness, has been washed out, bronze coating added to mimic how every centograph is often accompanied by a bronze statue, which we can also see at Amar Jawan Jyoti. “I never forget my signature-hand kantha mixed with German architecture Bauhaus (minimalistic, geometric shapes, and industrial materials like steel and glass),” he concludes.
Khadi denim takes centerstage
From burnt orange leather to khadi denim Pawan Sachdeva’s journey in dressing men has been a discovery of sorts-meet the new experimental man, who likes his shirt with zippers, pants with not so useful buckles and a stitched dhoti for some extra zing. By Asmita Aggarwal The craziest offering by Pawan Sachdeva till now over the last 20 years has been his experimental leather line—rust, burnt orange, to shiny emeralds, not so surprisingly it was well accepted by men who maybe wanted a break from stripes, black and greys. He explains, menswear is where the real play is now—they are loving embroideries to bling, it is a no holds bar situation. This year for the FDCI NavDhara khadi show, he discovered a loom in Naraina, that crafts khadi denim, the width is 40 metres, (60 metres minimum), not rough, rather smooth as butter, though expensive. His vocabulary is streetwear, relaxed oversized, he decided not to dye the denim, but play with washes-enzyme to sand wash to stone in innovative cuts and finishes. The fun is in zippers, reflective tapes to buckles added in unexpected places, in all the 13 looks that he showcased on the runway at LFW X FDCI khadi show. “The new generation prioritizes comfort over style, access to global runways through social media has been a game changer. Earlier menswear was basic linen shirts, now there is an explosion of colour,” he adds. Another interesting addition to this mélange is the lungi, that you wear every day in scorching summers, but Pawan decided to elevate it to cocktail wear. It comes stitched, accompanied by a belt and zipper. “Men want something fresh, lungi became a hit on the red carpet,” he concludes. No one is doubting its power as from Jackie Shroff to Sunil Shetty its love has been well expressed and documented.
Khadi is subtle luxe: Shruti Sancheti
Adding Gond, Warli art, making motifs quirky, weaving magic in handloom clusters of Vidarbha, Shruti Sancheti gives Khadi a new spin to serenade Gen Z with her pret label Across 29. By Asmita Aggarwal When Grammy winning pianist Charu Suri (Shayan, Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, known for blending Indian raagas with jazz) decided to wear Indian handicrafts, it was a hurrah moment as the trench style jacket in Maheshwari silk and tissue was a winner. The beauty of it was techniques used, jacquard, aari, dabka to Resham. In the business of fashion for the last 15 years, Nagpur-based Shruti Sancheti, says the style was Anarkali that resembled a gown, as Charu is from Central India, she added temple borders in Kosa silk that reminded her what her dad gave her mother (she is a Marathi mixed with South Indian roots). “Charu flew me down to Los Angeles, I styled her along with Suhani Pittie jewellery, I used a simple weave, added block prints to insides of the jacket—used Kutch karigiri, Kashmiri stitches, she wanted to look her age not like a fashionista. She depended on me as her fashion acumen was limited but she was sure she wanted to take heritage with her on a global stage, explains Shruti. Showing at the FDCI X LFW khadi showcase, she admits Gen Z associates khadi with a coarse, slubby fabric, mostly for older women, but with better treatments, they have observed it is more fluid, can be made up to 200 counts. “I don’t think Gen Z cares about virtues of Khadi, cool in summer and warm in winter, but the Japanese buyers loved it, so we decided to talk to them in their language—of separates, structured jackets not predictable saris,” she adds. There are many techniques—Nasi, silk or cotton from handloom clusters in Vidarbha, Maharashtra to Geech, or Geech Dana Bandhej, from Rajasthan, she has crafted within the line, working with Dhapewada cluster 20 kms from Nagpur. Her mul-mul cotton comes from Sausar, Lodhikheda, and Mohgaon handloom cluster in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh. “Koshti sub-caste of Hindus, specialized in weaving Magtha, patterned borders using Dobby,” she explains. Today there are 7000 weaving families, but only less than 500 families are weaving. Shruti recently launched her pret brand “Across 29” hoping to represent crafts from the 29 states of India, done in textiles, as separates for a younger audience, including the Nagpur check and stripes, more international in its appeal, thinner, originally only restricted to saris, now she has made trousers and shirts. “We did a test drive of it in Paris and were pleasantly surprised at the response,” she smiles. She added Gond and Warli art, but not in its traditional format of women making rangoli, but quirky motifs like dolls walking dogs with sunglasses, or a tiger driving a scooter, she has taken creative liberties to serenade those who are disconnected from textiles. Her book “Weaves of Vidarbha” encapsulates the stories, and tales of the artisans, and their forgotten craft told through woven wonders. In hues of moss green, ivory, charcoal, you can mix, and match the wrap skirts in textured khadi. “Khadi is really quiet luxury, hand spun, time consuming and built to last,” she concludes.
Meet Lambani tribe from Tanda
Emblazoned with seashells, mirrors, colorful threadwork khadi gets a cool makeover with tribal women from Sandur’s deft hand work at the FDCI Khadi showcasing. By Asmita Aggarwal The beauty of Khadi is in its enviable properties—summer cool and winter warmth, when you combine empowerment and women artisans in this mix, it becomes a movement of sorts. Sandur Kushala Kala Kendra (SKKK) has tied up with Co-Ek, (Centre of Excellence for Khadi), an initiative by the Ministry of MSME and KVIC, attempting to make Khadi young, cool and fresh. SKKK is working with tribal Lambani women from Tanda of Susheelanagar, a nomadic community, almost 500 artisans, hoping to make them self-reliant. Further the Khadi Commission equipped them with handlooms, Ambar charakas, so this year at LFW they will be showcasing their cotton khadi—hand spun spinning, weaving, and natural dyeing. Villages of Yeswantnagar, Krishnanagar, and Sandur, is using Ambar charkha, with 76 skilled women executing intricate Sandur Lambani embroidery. SKKK has worked to preserve the Lambani craft, won the UNESCO Seal of Excellence for Handicrafts in South Asia and has the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for “Sandur Lambani hand embroidery”. The inspiration has been nifty checks at Victoria and Albert Museum; here is the twist rather than uniformity they added surprises in the warp and weft. This was executed by the Devanga weaving community, artisans with 40-year experience who previously worked with the Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha, Hubballi, the only BIS-certified national flagmaker. “We have worked with Bijli embroidery, ‘lightning’ work, reflective, has a sparkling effect. It is space dyeing, with a chambray effect, looks complicated, but is simple,” says Nargis Zaidi, head, Apparels at the Centre of Excellence for Khadi. The Khadi unit currently employs around 98 weavers, but most clusters are set in their ways, hesitant to experiment, adds Nargis. The Lambanis use vivacious hues, red to indigos, but Co-Ek has toned them down, offering classic shapes, kedia tops, reversible jackets. “There is an increased awareness amongst youngsters about hand-made, hand embroidered, it is like a limited edition sneaker for them in some ways,” adds Nargis. Shruthi Muniyappa from Sandur Kushala Kala Kendra, says, “2023 a Guinness World Record was set at Hampi for the largest display of Lambani items. Artisans are skilled at block printing, and khadi production, our attempt is to make women breadwinners.” The patch work embroidery, mirrors and white metal jewellery along with seashells, intermingled with coloured threads makes each piece unique, as it carries 500 years of legacy, when they moved from Rajasthan to South India for trading, in Karnataka- 16th century!
Denims soaked in nostalgia
“One day I would like to do something with Kanjeevarams and temple borders,” says Payal Pratap. By Asmita Aggarwal Payal Pratap is a mood, a flavour as she was sure when she graduated from the fourth batch of NIFT, wearability is going to be the focus. Though she agrees over the last three decades, there has been an increased curiosity about what buyers are wearing, spotlight on mindful consumption, “globe has shrunk and fair-trade practices are practised widely, polyester is unacceptable”. The flip side is market is saturated and question is “do we really need to make more clothes?” “Women are a lot fitter, they want to reuse their clothing, reinvent their existing wardrobe, rejig it. We make a lot of separates, easy to mix and match, travel friendly, you can take from lunch to dinner,” says Payal. Even though she calls herself “tech challenged” social media is most important for any business, as a small town in Wales to a village in Europe can see your offerings. “For LFW I’ve worked with denims, given it my own spin,” she says. Laser cuts, to being inspired by her mom’s green garden, she inherited the love for nature. She has used Cyanotype photography, a camera-less technique, that creates white and Prussian blue images, it is fossil like, the results, similar to what you get on an X ray, then she built on it. The denim used is sustainable that R Relan produces, recycling Pet bottles, making a fibre out of it often called “green gold”. “It is not like other denim, it has elasticity,” she adds. Ashish Soni has made suiting materials out of it and Namrata Joshipura activewear, it is supple, softer, not the usual stiff denim we all grew up with, she affirms. Payal has had a lasting love affair with denim, it fades and ages, it has a sense of nostalgia, offers versatility, many virtues. “We have added texture, prints and embroidery, oversized silhouettes,” she explains. Her experiments with pret also led her to launch Umbar, a brand that she hopes to revive soon, though she has never dabbled in couture. “The idea is always to be simple and pure, travel, see exhibitions that inspire you, imbibe all that in your subconscious and someday bring alive the collection, when you are starting a new line-thought process,” she adds. Her oldest piece of denim is now 12, it has aged with her, though denims become precious pieces when you add lots of embroidery on them, you can then wear on occasions. “For the last 30 years I’ve always done hand embroidered pieces, never machines,” she adds. Her love for cross stitch, beads, woven fabrics, layering is constant, Jamdani from Phulia, Bengal, khadi to khadi wool she has been using for the last 7-8 years is evident in each line. “What I would like to explore is Kanjeevarams and temple borders, maybe I stayed in Bangalore for 5-6 years as a school girl, my dad was in the Army, maybe the fascination comes from there,” she smiles. Never did she think that “designer” of the family at ten, who would tell her mom which bag to carry with her silk sari, would one day be a successful guru of style!
Anamika to support 101 artisans
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.
Kala Cotton adds character
Sohaya Mishra is a 90s girl, she has seen the transformation from Doordarshan to AI, with Chola, she attempts to offer kala cotton with detachable Victorian collars. By Asmita Aggarwal Goa-based Sohaya Mishra is closely related to Nepalese actress Manisha Koirala, the doe eyed wonder who wowed us all in “Ek ladki ko dekha” by Vidhu Vinod Chopra in 1942-A love Story. Mishra is not new to this crazy world of fashion—she started a stylist in Channel V, after a master’s in psychology dressing VJs who were style icons. Yudhishthir VJ to Pia Rai Chowdhary, Ranveer Shorey. “The fun in all this was no internet, only using your wits and vision, trusting your judgment and instinct. It was generally my ideas, worked closely with tailors, remember this was the 90s no Pinterest or chat GPT,” she laughs. When she made VJ Anushka Manchanda wear a big, pink quilted jacket, paired with pants shouting with 100 buckles that moved up and down as she moved, she knew she had broken the template. “I’m petite, I would stand on a stool to dress Gaurav Kapoor, VJs really defined fashion, music and style are soulmates,” says Sohaya. She tried her hand at Bollywood styling but felt it was too chaotic, she attributes it to her being too young and inexperienced, and couldn’t grapple with Hindi movie world complexities. “The 90s was analogue now it’s Doordarshan to AI, completely digital, impersonal and somewhat scary, deep fakes are fearsome- what’s real and concocted, line is blurring,” she admits. Her label Chola, which goes by her pet name, in its 11th year, channels the ideology — edgy, not boring, not trendy but comfy, well made, breathable, oversized. “Initially things were simple, I have a 6-year-old son, I wanted the slow life and Goa offers that. I didn’t want him to be around an iPad, but beaches, sunshine and sports,” she laughs, adding “who knows next there may be interstellar travel?” Earlier, Sohaya was consumed by deconstruction, now it’s frilly and feminine, sharp and tailored sometimes, reflecting how she changed as a person. “This year at LFW X FDCI I wanted to pay homage to monochrome, not thinking of colour. I like waking up to fields, calmness of the ocean inspires me,” she adds. Quilting is her favourite along with fabric manipulation, along with kala cotton, Jamdanis to Chanderis offer character in clothing -backless shirts, Victorian removable collars, detachable drama, pedal pushers. “My clothes are unisex, why can’t men wear skirts?” she concludes, adding, “I make clothes I wear, no embroidery or embellishment, just pure fun.”
Veshti with a tuxedo-Anyone?
The veshti has found unadulterated love—now it can be worn with silk kurtas, bandhgala et al, Vivek Karunakaran shows us at FDCI Boys Club show at LFW! By Asmita Aggarwal Veshti is in and how! This culturally rooted piece of attire has found a new life with Gen Z adopting it, Vivek Karunakaran believes he has been a catalyst of sorts. “Whether it is lungi, dhoti or veshti, it has been reimagined, North Indian wear it uniquely, down South, or Sri Lanka has its own versions in sarongs. This rectangular piece of fabric is now a red-carpet staple too,” he adds. Vivek is a designer who celebrates his heritage and the Chendamangalam sari, hand woven cotton sari from Ernakulam, Kerala with its puliyilakara (tamarind leaf border), a thin black line that runs with sari’s selvedge, extra-weft chuttikara and stripes-checks of varying width. Vivek works with many such woven wonders in fact reveals that Ram Raj, a South Indian brand has been promoting Veshtis, extremely popular, in Bollywood, Kollywood and even Mollywood. Abhishek and Amitabh Bachchan wear lungis which has again brought the spotlight on it. In Chennai Veshtis are worn in silk, Kerala in fine muslin (Mund), border is in zari (kasavu). “In Chennai it is in Kanjeevaram, tissue, silk and thin pinstripes. We have checkered ones with zari inserts. In fact, in Kolkata we did a pop up, veshti we teamed up with a tuxedo, did very well,” he smiles. This drape evokes a sense of nostalgia, there is an emotion associated with it, veshti also comes with co-ords or a silk kurta, or shirt, a bandhgala and a kamarband, sounds crazy but it’s beautiful, he chuckles. “If you notice how Rashmika Mandana and Vijay Devakonda wore their heritage–veshti, gold and temple motifs, elegant yet luxe,” he adds. The 40-50 age group has it in their wardrobe, but Gen Z maybe needs to go for the stitched ones, like the pre-stitched sari. “Hyderabad is really the Delhi of the South, less is more doesn’t work here, they have a strong visual aesthetic: love zari plus texturing. Having said that South Indian bling comes with an in-built grace, Delhi’s a bit loud,” he laughs. His latest line for Lakme Fashion Week X FDCI “Thangam”, or “gold”, channels the feeling that he is the cultural ambassador of the South. “My grandma saved something in gold for my mom, it is vintage, she told my mom to pass it on to me. Gold is not jewellery, it represents permanence, reminds you of precious moments,” he says. His love for Tamil script has only grown over the years, it is one of the oldest in the world, starting with his line “Idam”, wearing it on your sleeve, literally and metaphorically. “When you see Tamil script on the back of a bomber or jacket, it makes you curious, conversation starter, everything has a deeper meaning,” he adds. Fascinated by “Thirukurral”, by 18th century Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar, his 1339 passages on how we should live our lives spoke to Vivek. His jackets come with words of wisdom “There is a space to grow with humility” or “Choose your work carefully as it’s going to be the biggest passion of your life”. Though his ingenious innovation on Madras checks is engaging, he created hand blocks and converted them to checks, printed them, even though many American brands have used it as “exotic India” trope; traditionally they are used on cotton lungis. “This draped fabric is frankly unisex, if you notice carefully, it has the jasmine placement embroidery on the elbow reminding you of the time when you go a temple and the flower seller outside measures the garland for the Gods inside, by elongating it till his elbow, and then cutting it. It is not a logo on the chest, it is a story we are narrating,” he explains. For women his veshtis came in silk with applique and translucent borders. “We dressed a bride in Sri Lanka with a red organza veshti and jasmine embroidery,” he concludes.
Separates are new cool at LFW
Payal Jain gives us nifty wearable options, Tarun dresses the groom’s extended family in dhotis-pearls, while Pankaj and Nidhi serenade mocha, and Samant Chauhan flirts with sci-fi bejewelled shoulders. By Asmita Aggarwal Shouldn’t fashion be wearable, easy, and non-fussy? If you are a believer of separates, Payal Jain has just the collection for you with a Parisian vibe! Think crochet and jute bags with flowers and crinkled skirts—she went for light embellishments, beads, tone-on-tone. If you see the history of Payal over the last 27 years, she has always had her favourites—from Chikankari which she keeps floral to Chanderi and mulmul. The natty lace collars with bell sleeves in pristine white, the indigo dyed denim shorts with coats, front knotted “happy” blouses, and her dexterous cutwork made us think about a relaxed summer. The crochet is done by hand laboriously that she used as a third element to rev up her austere offerings. The showstopper wasn’t former TV star Mandira Bedi or influencer Nitibha Kaul, but Katrauan from Banaras, delightfully airy cotton. The jumpsuits with bows tied to sleeves, came with wicker suitcase bags, triple layered strings of pearls were omnipresent, fabric flower belts, and everyone’s favourite “reader women with glasses” who love books not fleeting trends. Samant Chauhan The boy from Bhagalpur has crafted a unique journey in fashion—he serenaded the Middle East market, made a killing—this year he went all white, with hints of shimmer. He decided not to deviate from his style “long and cinched”. Gowns came with a diaphanous cape, some with one shoulder trail. His play with placement embroidery on the closure of long jackets was interesting as well as pleated gowns with starbursts. Structural detailing in exaggerated uplifted shoulders, tulle skirts worn with bejewelled bodices, he made shoulders his focus—sci fi-heavily embellished. Flapper trims on coats in charcoal black, basket weave, crinkled gowns and swinging fringes in rusts and olives. Asymmetrical flamenco skirts, tiered, peplum bejewelled corsets with riding pants made sure he has something for everyone who wants to look part of the swish set. Pankaj and Nidhi If anyone knows how to stay on the trend wagon, it’s the husband-wife duo Pankaj and Nidhi, who have built a huge business in the last 15 years. If mocha is the Pantone colour of the season, pleated capes were offered with stockings worn over stilettoes— along with appliqué, embossing and placement embroidery, three superheroes. They went for solid colours, didn’t let other hues in, mirror work and princess sleeves, added tassels and fringes, but the innovation was the sheer and polka dots mix as well as tulip dresses in slate grey. Crochet is climbing the fashion firmament like a tall vine, as organza capes accompanied roomy pants. Bejewelled bustiers, cutwork extensively used, shoulders upturned and stiff, in this mix was lithe 90s model Sapna Kumar always fabulous. Tasva: Tarun Tahiliani The dhotis and jackets in tone-on-tone, one never really tires of it, especially in menswear, but what stood out in this show is the older, real model coming of age, he may not conform to society’s standard may be small and stout, but he is reclaiming his right to the catwalk. Mogras on the wrists as well as men in shawls woven Tanchoi and Banarasi, some with the disappearing moustaches, the Patiala salwars, chokers found soulmates in sunglasses. The waistcoats came with functional pockets in mints and blush pinks, as white-haired men above 70 are maybe Tarun’s new customers. Happy to see Kolhapuris and Chef Ranveer Brar in a sherwani, just like the following female model in one too, making it unisex. Live tabla and guitars, dhols, a marriage procession, the largest conglomeration of male models, just like the song played in the background by the former Spice Girl-Geri Halliwell it was literally “Raining men”. Velvet sherwanis, creams met coffee hues, as pleated dupattas with sherwanis and pearls swirling was ideal for the groom’s extended family dressing.
Pondicherry, French, silk velvet printing
Craft-soaked Bandhini to experiments with Chikankari, Naushad Ali adds a European influence to Indian textiles serenading a global buyer. By Asmita Aggarwal His father is a textile merchant, based in Pondicherry, so Naushad Ali grew up surrounded by fabrics from Bengal to Orissa, he would sit on the bundle and watch TV as a young boy. His interest grew to study fine arts, and cleared NIFT Chennai, where he studied textile design. “Auroville had a huge influence on me—specially its multi-cultural approach. The predominant French influence, people from different nationalities co-existing teaches you how the world has no boundaries. When I began my brand, I knew it had to be global,” he adds. He believes there is a lot of misconception around textiles, it is only restricted to Indian wear, but you can channel French elegance with a kurta. “A lot of my friends shut down businesses in Covid, it is an interesting and challenging time, every day I see new brands on Insta, who will survive only time will tell,” says Naushad. Celebrating ten years of his brand, the NEXA spotlight winner, believes his USP is showcasing textiles in a refreshing way, just like the poster on his office wall, “Why should sustainability be boring?” He keeps researching, when he takes up a craft, admits, “when you buy from us, you know its depth, like our Chikankari, we have introduced it with a stronger identity, used in a contemporary way. Just like Bandini and indigo, two of our signatures with a distinct European influence,” he explains. The play is in the motifs rather than the conventional paisley; it is more global in its appeal and demeanour. “We live in one world due to Insta, but I maintain the dignity of the technique I work with, though the result is a cocktail with my interesting ingredients. I fear monotony, each piece must not be repetitive,” he says. His experiments with silk velvet printing, maintaining the consistency of the ink, became his bestseller. “I am a Tamilian, grew up in the South, if you observe Indian women, while shopping at Nalli, they know their saris, quality of gold, and are aware of what they are paying for. Same with Bengal, women value crafts, and culture. After all, fashion is a desirable product, it must 100 pc look good,” he explains. LFW X FDCI 2025 he is focusing on yarn dyed indigo, denims hand woven in Bengal, South Indian checks from Madurai, without abandoning his USP Jamdani. “Now I see a uniformity in dressing, everyone looks the same, but a white shirt can look different depending on the personality of the wearer, and most importantly region-South to North,” he confesses, adding people used to dress for themselves in the past, now that spirit is lost somewhere with social media onslaught. Interestingly, he talks of the rising culture of thrifting, like the jacket he made for his Pondichéry based French client Vincent. His son wore it 10 year later and sent him a picture, the key is trendless clothing, it may lie in your cupboard, but is never obsolete. “We wanted to open with contemporary freestyle dance to establish a connection with the clothing, channeling the spirit of exchange of garments act on the ramp. We all love dressing each other, there is joy in it,” he explains about his presentation. Does one need money to survive in fashion? He has an engaging hypothesis—you can be privileged to inherit dad’s burgeoning business, but have zero design sensibility. “Creativity and commerce must co-exist,” he reiterates, adding, “I like to address the feminine side in menswear, embroidered silk shirts, gender fluid, simple tailoring, spotlight on fits. The future is responsible fashion, that withstands the test of time,” he concludes.