Mrinalini has made shades of blue as dynamic as those who cant live without thread work in a line that captures the hues of the ocean hoping to free fashion from its usual uppity-ness
By Asmita Aggarwal
There is a lot about Mrinalini Gupta that you would never guess, she has had brushes with extreme colour, decided she doesnt like it; avoids bling; and her lines maintain a swift balance between Indian and Western. And this because she hoped to create something that wasnt specific to one genre!
This time, the NIFT Kolkata graduate is leaving no stone unturned to display her love for blue. Titled Cobalt you can see all the possible hues of blueand this brazen love emerges from her getaways to savour the ocean and mountains. Journeys that she often takes, and this relaxed, carefree attitude reflects in her clothes too! A lot of designers were doing indigo and some are this season, so I thought why not do something that is blue, unisex (not androgynous please, my clothes are breezy and light not dark and dense) with an unvarnished appeal, she adds.
Interestingly, blue for Mrinalini has connotations of spirituality, calmness and also simplicity, which is why rather than embroidery she prefers textures, which she aptly creates with fabric on fabric techniques which imbue a sporty vibe. Fluid track pants, loose shirts, tunics with tattered textures, maxi dresses, teamed up with scruffy canvas shoes. Fashion is becoming a bit of a trap, it is so uptight, I wanted to loosen it a bit, make it relaxed and fun, she smiles.
