His essence of experiment has stood for one main reference point: structure and drape. His intimate tribe of followers is an uncompromising vision of rebellious power. The sub currents of darkness and intensity; the defiance of normal convention in flattering or sexifying his women; that certain impenetrability in design and the designer, are chevrons of an aesthetic that needs to explain itself conceptually first. Whatever Arjun Saluja may be seeking to evoke in his collections, it does not come with a prescribed list of shapes, silhouettes, fabrics even colours. Surprisingly even though his presentations may seem removed from convention, his concepts are grounded in them. Whether it is his label Rishta which found itself during his ten years in New York, when the need to stay connected to his kin and home was the strongest. Or when he authored his dhoti in the Bu Shirt meets Dhoti collection, a recollection of the bush shirt paired with dhotis as seen in his parents hometown; or the lehenga pants that could belong in a mans wardrobe, as much as they do in a womans. Androgyny, a recurring theme in Arjun Salujas collections could simply be a referencing to the traditional ardhnareeshwar concept. It may feel that his label is the domain of an insider cult, but his clothes do call to a far wider following.
