As Alpana and Neeraj take you on a fantasy drive through kaleidoscopic Japan, their SS 15 collection depicts Kill Bill girls, deadly but pretty, minus any froth or frill
By Asmita Aggarwal
They are back after two seasons with fresh ideas, recovering from fashion fatigue Alpana and Neeraj will tell you in a flash Japanese anime and Manga comics left an indelible mark on us. But thats not all they are excited about, they have done costumes for the Hollywood film Step Up 2 and also dressed Tyra Banks for the chart topping show Americas Next Top Model.
Moving away from Goth and bodycon their trademark, to a more childlike line this SS 15, the duo have intermingled two ends of a spectrum—-technology with vulnerability depicting Japanese society through the lens of how people are trapped in the age of innocence. They love Mickey Mouse, Hello Kitty and comics, which we have represented through simplicity meets the digital age. They often use the word kawaii which means cute, and it is quite amazing to see adult men obsessed with cat cafes, dolls and animation, says Alpana.
The exaggerated obi belts as well as bows give you glimpses of Japan, as Alpana and Neeraj enjoyed the bullets trains with a spectacular view of the Japanese Alps, elaborate tea ceremonies as well as traditional Geisha culture in Kyoto.
Nothing is contrived, in terms of shapes, even when they tried to capture the lively Harajuku, the nerve centre of street fashion, which picked up after the Tokyo Olympics, when youngsters were exposed to world fashion. We observed how they dressed, in over-the-top hair styles, loud make-up, mismatched colours, ruffles, layering, and the most neon-y things you can ever imagine! We played on the bows and belts and magnified them, like our florals which have been crafted out of crinkling and pleating fabric to create that texture, says Alpana.
Giving a 3 D appeal to the surface texturisation, Alpana says, the challenge was to not make it Japanese by showing Kimonos, but attempting to portray the adventurous styles of men and women, who have as if frozen time and attempt to live in their childhood. We used pin-striped, stretch jersey for our gowns, jackets and dresses along with fan-pleated shoes to complete the look, she concludes.