Batik has unique monotones: Madhumita
Working with Batik master craftsman Shakil Khatri for the last ten years in Gujarat, to revive the 1000-year-old tradition using vegetable dyes, Madhumita Nath of Ek Katha hopes to serenade a young audience with reimagined crafts. By Asmita Aggarwal She studied textiles at NIFT Mumbai and JJ School of Art, the Mumbai-raised, Nagpur-born Madhumita Nath of the label Ek Katha took time to launch her label. She came from a renowned family of science mavericks, with her grandfather Prof. M. C. Nath, moving from Dhaka to India, setting up the Biochemistry institute, in 1946, Nagpur. Most family members are Ph.Ds, so when she decided to study textiles, it was met with “surprise.” 2016, was the year when she decided she would like to concentrate on Kutch weavers, she sought advice from mentor Kudeep Gadwi, who took her to meet artisans exposing her to lesser-known jewels like Batik from Mundra, Gujarat. The “khakan” is made locally, earlier they used oil of a seed, not paraffin wax to dye, but now only four families are left out of hundreds who have abandoned this process, six in the adjoining village— digital printing killed traditional art. “You can make digitals in Rs 15 to Rs 30 per meter, which ends up in Dadar market, it is quick. Ancient techniques, 1,000 years old, have a subtle layering, the beauty of it has been erased due to bulk digital prints. Batik used vegetable dyes, chemical- free, laborious, painstaking but excellent,” says Madhumita. Master craftsman Shakil Khatri’s family has been batik block printing for six generations, using oil of the pilu tree (Salvadora persica), locally known as kakhan, as a resist. As it is thick and sensitive to heat—the oil can only be used in the morning. Kutch batik left natural dyes shifted to naphthol-based ones, but Shakil sticks to sustainable processes, he makes 12 shades of natural colours from indigo, rust iron, turmeric, pomegranate skin, madder and onion after he was trained at the Kala Raksha, in innovative ways. He gave life to Batik with new designs, artisans in Batik Kutch are Khatris, Kutchi-speaking Muslims. “Khatri didn’t give up block making, his gradations due to the layering is unmatched,” says Nath, who in 2018, made a line for the Sustainable fashion day in Spain with The Circular Project. “I am not a businesswoman, when Covid struck, I shut shop for two years,” she says. Providence gave her an amazing opportunity to learn from an incubator program for women entrepreneurs, NSRCEL, started by the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, in 2023. IIM (Bangalore) has partnered with Goldman Sachs, Capgemini and Maruti also. “I received helpful inputs on the financial aspects of running a business, for six months through the management institute. It was a learning to see where I belong, how to survive when you do slow fashion, meet investors, pitch in front of them,” she adds. Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) membership helped her figure out how small batches of hand-made can be exported to the US and the Middle-East. “I wanted to do something craft-based, but I am not a sustainability warrior,” she admits, as she worked with kala cotton, reducing carbon footprints with hand-made techniques. “I love crafts, bazaars, haats, seeing lots of stuff stacked up, and the beauty of Batik is that it is monotone, unique in so many wonderful ways,” she adds. Generally, she admits, Gujarat is often associated with colourful embroidery. “I did start with Ajrakh, but soon shifted to Batik, Kala cotton is not glamorous, but I know North Indians will be hesitant, but the Japanese will buy it at any price, as they know its value. When you can get a heavily embroidered piece for Rs 10,000 anywhere, why would anyone but pure, natural, plain fabrics? Many don’t realise the artistry,” she confesses. For LFWXFDCI, Nath has combined Batik with fabric cording, using khadi and kala cotton from Bengal, also paying homage to Kota Doria, adding delicate, subtle textures to create flowy shapes. Her love for patchwork, cutwork and quilting used in abundance can be seen, without serenading waist defining silhouettes, yet the line is young in appeal. “I would like to do B2B exports in the future —I know I have to build my capacity first,” she concludes.
CDC winner’s clothes with a conscience
Life took a turn for the better from seeing his grandfather’s dyeing unit polluting, to now only dealing with second hand garments, reconstructing them into new shapes, Ritwik Khanna, 25, of Rkive City is a force to reckon with. By Asmita Aggarwal This generation is something else—they really know what they want to do, and one thing is certain, they want to work for themselves. Thus, talking to the Amritsar-born Ritwik Khanna of Rkive City, only 25, was refreshing. He won the Circular Design Challenge in partnership with the United Nations and Rs 15 lakhs fund at the LFW x FDCI show His grandfather had a textile mill, the dyeing house, he noticed, no one ever really cared about the environment, the water was contaminated due to the chemicals dumped in it. At that time, he was not aware of its toxicity, it was not treated. The business shut down, his parents began weaving cashmere scarves, his earliest memory is of sitting on the shop floor packaging, as there were not enough employees for an SOS order. His mom used to run a children’s boutique, often dressed Ritwik in boys’ and girls’ clothes to show customers how it would look on their kids, his trips to Sadar Bazar to buy material were a lesson. As serendipity would have it —life took a 360 degree turn when he left to study fashion business management at FIT, New York. Though Mayo School, had exposed him to seven different types of uniforms he would change in a day to keep up with the strict regimen —in a way it was universalizing design. “Whatever I had grown up seeing, New York was different. I remember having a conversation with my roomie about fashion, when he suddenly stopped, and started talking to a random stranger on the road about his Supreme t-shirt. He knew the price, which year it was launched, graphics, its entire history. This took me by surprise, it was not my culture,” he laughs. He giggles and reveals his fashion was “USPA chinos”. At FIT everyone looked “cool”, they really dressed the part, and trying to keep up, all Khanna could afford was second-hand designer jeans. “In India we don’t like wearing ‘worn before’ stuff, in America it’s a classic trend. I saw the quality was good and began running a small business,” he shares. He would flip Comme des Garcons, Rick Owens second-hand stuff he would buy for almost nothing, and make a 300 percent profit selling it on eBay. He began rolling in moolah, accidently, he did not need the business degree he was already adept at. But he did come back, without completing his course. Covid hit, and education through a computer did not make sense, spending US $25,000. On his return, he visited second hand clothes collection centres in Panipat and Kandla Gujarat, and wondered what happens to torn, damaged clothes, discarded clothes—they are shipped to India. Panipat is known as the world’s “cast off capital”, tonnes of clothes come from UK, US, and other countries, from the port town of Kandla, Gujarat they are popularly known as “mutilated” clothing. Ritwik was alarmed at the kind of “stink that emerges from the factories”. “Only ten per cent of this is recycled, I decided to work with discarded waste, consumer textile, we were able to use old garments, and create something brand new,” he says. Though he does admit unlike in fashion where you get to choose the finest silks and dupions here you work with limitations, as there is no roll of fabric, or colours or any frills–just your imagination. He is happy in the last 22 months he has managed to make a small impact on the environment. His label questions existing supply chains, he is remanufacturing garments, he sorts out the garments at his factory—white shirts, camouflage, old jeans, then the processes begin—sanitising, reconstructing, it is an end-to-end solution, as a brand. “The hardest thing in garment upcycling is consistency, each piece is different, now two pieces are alike,” he says, adding, he elevates the androgynous ensembles with touches of hand embroidery, patchwork, applique, his power lies in the way he crafts them; they do not seem upcycled– he lets the natural fading persist. His brother, 21, has joined his business, he is the operations manager, a “Genius”, he calls him, both sons now don’t work with family business, and they hope to progress, even though they are bootstrapped. He says one day his dad will be proud of the work he is doing. “I know my North star, I know who I want to be,” he smiles, adding he is not a sustainability activist, and neither is he interested in putting anyone else down, to show what “good work is” but he is certainly in a league of his own. Why Rkive City because he will one day have a city that understands how important upcycling and recycling is, also why RKive as it is archival fashion that he is serenading—perfect moniker!
Ujjawal’s 10th with homage to “self”
Antar-Agni as the name suggests is a journey within—thus his unisex label is a lot more than just layering, drapes and lapels, it is an exploration of the meaning of luxury, and why its connotations change to cater to an individualistic mind. By Asmita Aggarwal Some things in life are meant to happen, it is called serendipity—that’s why when a doctor’s son went to a small shop in Gorakhpur to get NIFT entrance form for his older brother, he could never imagine, he would one day be a textile graduate from the famed institute in Kolkata. Ujjawal Dubey’s Antar-Agni today completes 10 years, for an underconfident, somewhat hesitant boy from a small town, who had no exposure to fashion, to building an empire, winning a spot on the Forbes Under 30 list, it is no mean feat. Dubey’s questions about life and its vagaries have often led him to the right path, whenever he felt despondent and out Bhagvad Gita came to rescue. During covid too, when businesses were shutting down at the speed of lightning—one quote kind of saved the day –”Only those who are calm in success and failure can win the battle of life.” He loves literature, never attempting to deep dive into it, rather his motto has been spirituality, understanding human nature, and its fallacies as well as the desire to protect one’s image. Image is everything now, thus he came up with the exploration of duality in it—you pray but in business don’t think twice before cheating someone for money. “Two-faced” seems an appropriate name for his LFW 2024 line in collaboration with FDCI, a collection divided into three parts—Gyana, Vairagya, Bhakti. If you observe his journey closely, women buy his unisex ensembles—baggy, bigger shoulders, draped, layered—those who are “cooler in terms of styling and self.” He is unabashed when he says the biggest take away from this decade-long sojourn has been the “strength of common sense and truthfulness towards your inner being”. Architecture has always moved him, and so has geometry, thus when he was looking at temple-carved pillars made thousands of years ago, he was fascinated by 3-D imprints. It was the genesis of abstract prints/embroideries. The question this year is “Are we really righteous or is it a pretense for the world?” As a child Ujjawal wanted to be an orator admired the skills of Amitabh Bachchan, he believes, all languages matter not just the ones related to the body. Only if we didn’t live in such a structured world, creativity would be everywhere. Gyaan in his line is represented through Western cuts, structure, lapels, 3-piece suits, and jacket lengths. While Vairagya is depicted through layering, and Bhakti is where you devote yourself completely, thus exaggeration, blacks, deep purples, and greys, as well as forest greens. You can see suspenders, detailing with faux leather, belts, hats, all constructed with his vision. Human mind is searching for security, fear drives us to look for eternity, longevity, but covid gave him “liberation” as he thought “how much worse can it get?” When he started, in 2014, there wasn’t even one rack in big showrooms for menswear, he never had a template he could follow, he thought of how he would survive. And in six months, he realized what an uphill task this is— “How do we sell?” He admits he is getting better at handling stress, and thanks to spending time in nature at his Noida office, where he has let in a piece of sunshine, greenery into his living space. “I was listening to a Youtube video by Andre Taylor, giant in luxury entrepreneurship, he said something that gave me perspective. How do you define luxe? It starts within you, it is the tiny things that give you joy, how you look at yourself, luxe is not a bag, that’s too narrow a definition,” says Ujjawal. Not a big fan of embroidery, as it “speaks too much” he uses it in moderation, like zari this year, cutwork, appliques, and jacquards he developed in Banaras, or his handlooms in Meerut that were woven by carpet weavers. If you ask him why he loves everything natural, it comes from watching his maternal grandfather dress only in Khadi. He used to be a Gandhian, so the Nehru cap, dhoti (even in winters), and waistcoat was his uniform, his friends dressed the same way too. “It was in mélange grey, everything was monotone, even the socks, but looked extremely interesting,” he smiles. His family gave him complete freedom to do what he wants, and even though he says he is “ambitionless”, he has achieved by just moving on without a road map. “Dressing is a mood, everyday it changes, clothing is just one part of it,” he concludes.
Arundhati Roy, Mira Nair, Kiran Rao and me share common artistic goals: Aneeth Arora
From little hearts floating on smocked dresses, Hello Kitty nostalgia, to intensive embroidery details, as well as design interventions on textiles, Aneeth Arora celebrates 15 years of Pero with a FDCI show at LFW. It has been a long road from Udaipur to creating a million-dollar business for this craft crusader. By Asmita Aggarwal Udaipur is a quiet town, very underexposed, living in a microcosm, but Aneeth Arora’s mom wore Garden saris, and Babita (the erstwhile Bollywood actress, better known as Kareena Kapoor’s mom) inspired kurtas and churidar sets, she loved fashion. She stitched clothes for a young Aneeth, from leftover fabrics from her grandfather’s kurtas—replete with cartoons, laces, patches, and flowers. “I do not know how she had children’s catalogues, Korean looking kids in them. In my friend’s circle when I went down to play in a middle-class housing society, in the evening, my dresses were admired. ‘The girls would say ‘look what Aneeth is wearing today’. My mom was quick too so every week I had a new one on,” says Aneeth, who opened the LFWXFDCI 2024 at 13 Barakhamba Road, in the capital. Entire building resembled a child’s birthday party! Thus, “nostalgia” plays a huge role in all her collections, this year is special, she celebrates 15 years of her brand, it is the core of her ideology. “There is a seriousness when we work with textiles, I thought there must be a lightness when we present it to the world,” she smiles. When her sojourn began, very few buyers understood textiles, there was no dearth of craft, but it did need refinement. Either they would starch the Jamdani too much or the wool was too coarse making the wearer extremely uncomfortable. Intervention must be from the yarn stage, is what she learnt at NID, Ahmedabad, also garments must feel good against the skin—like her Kullu Pattus, soft merino wool, refined, and it has been wholeheartedly embraced, the dyes used to bleed now they do not. When you see a Pero outfit, you will always notice little hearts floating around, somewhere there is romance, even though when she started, she was not sure if the buyer would like it, she would hide them in folds. It was her way of giving love to them through embroidered hearts, later this became one of her many intimate signatures. After two years Pero’s show is back, it is much anticipated, as she works with handloom, she wants nothing to be rushed—woven textures take time to execute. Pero shows whether it is a pajama party, or “Cuckoo and Co.”, with mad hatters or “Alice in Wonderland” are a treat for the audience, and what she is successfully able to do, is present textiles minus the rigidity, rather than being academic about techniques she makes it fun. “I learnt this from my mom, she would teach me through stories, she would sing ‘State and capital’ to me and I know it till today. I could never mug up or memorise, but storytelling always worked,” she grins, maybe that’s why you see models dancing, as confetti burst on the runway, it is part of her expression of style, transporting you into the world of a child, where she creates her own universe. In her press kits there is always a piece of Pero, once a year she shares her joy of crafting a collection, and like Coco Chanel she loves the flower Camellia, maybe because it represents resilience unlike other delicate ones, it can withstand harsh winters. “I like it, as it is underrated, the rose is considered the king, but I call camellia a modest rose,” she adds, even though Aneeth can never be seen donning florals, she is more of a Baby Breath or Forget-Me-Nots, the little blue flowers, kind of person. Unlike Rahul Mishra, or even Gaurav Gupta who in their own ways are marketing crafts to a global audience through Paris Fashion Week, Aneeth does trade shows, if given an opportunity she would love to. “Globally they don’t know our story, only our product,” she admits, Pero is available in 350 stores worldwide in 35 countries. Few know her fans extend beyond the swish set—she has ace photographer Dayanita Singh who comes and shares her latest projects, Booker prize winner Arundhati Roy works in her Patparganj studio known for the bright red letterbox standing outside like a modern-day mural, Mira Nair the famed filmmaker is a diehard Pero fan. “I am not much of a reader but I love pictures, I am a book collector and I have everything from art to architecture, we have always attracted alternate artists, like-minded individuals, filmmaker Kiran Rao whose film Laapataa Ladies is India’s entry for the Oscars. There is an honest relationship with them, pure appreciation from both sides,” she adds. Even as the world is corporatizing and fashion brands have been taken over by ABFRL and Reliance brands, Aneeth like Yohji Yamamoto or Issey Miyake does not want to sell her business—she wants to be small but impactful. She never invested in a huge retail space. “I do believe there is a right time for things to happen, the universe is a big planner, I want to create a space where I can tell my own story,” she admits. This LFW she is paying homage to the culture of DIY, GenZ loves making their own clothes. She has indulged in old textiles cutting them up and making new ones -patchwork—maybe it is grandma core but she has elevated it with French knots and crochet. There are beautiful Calcutta bedsheets in white poplin with red embroidery that have been converted into easy dresses. It also resembles Hungarian table cloth Aneeth saw, and loved the austere lines. Her constants have been Mashru and Patan checks, Chanderi and Maheshwar done in a DIY way, she mixed fabric together. But what about those who cannot afford a Rs 50,000 Pero dress? Some years back she had a capsule line titled “Lazy Pero” where embroideries were less,
FSP’s brides court shine
What lights up a dull, dark rainy day? Heartthrob Vicky Kaushal, for sure, as Falguni and Shane Peacock didnt shy away as usual from shine, all kinds of it, as well as clashing colours, but added Banarasis to celebrate two decades of making brides sparkle, presenting “Rang Mahal” at the Hyundai India Couture Week 2024. By Asmita Aggarwal As Delhi almost got submerged in rains, a brave few ventured out for the Hyundai India Couture Week 2024. Many felt watching Bollywood heartthrob Vicky Kaushal dressed as a groom for Falguni and Shane Peacock was worth battling the deluge. Though some things only Vicky can do, shake the bands lead singer’s hand, which really held the show together with their renditions of A R Rahman to Bollywood numbers, help his fellow show stopper Rashmika Mandana on the stairs as she wore a heavily embellished white lehenga. Shook hands with journalists he knew and asked them if his catwalk was appropriate. My first car was a Hyundai and I also banged it several times, laughed Vicky. He is a gentleman. We were showered with rose petals, after all it was the grand finale and frankly, we smelt and felt fabulous. The ornate set created, had swans on the ramp and a pool with rose petals, vintage chandeliers hung from the ceiling, the theme was an ode to the magnificence of legendary palaces, the people behind who created these –artisans. Few would have heard, Only fools fall in love by Elvis Presly, being strummed live on a sitar by the musician who was sitting in between opening petals! Freestyle dancing, artistes wearing salmon pink ruffled skirts gave the silver and white lehengas that Falguni-Shane introduced, a heady beginning. The Rang Mahal collection, had for the first time Banarasi brocade lehengas, Chikankari, lace and of course a tornado of sequins, there were mild tremors felt with golden and copper, lehengas, brimming with motifs — swans swimming with abandon, diyas, to banyan trees to peepal leaves. FSP added an extra dupatta to saris, the Banerasis came in pink with pure gold borders, former cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin, seemed to enjoy the unabashed ode to crystals, as the saris came with a shimmering cape. The live band crooned, Yeh jo desh hai Mera, by A R Rahman, FSP decided to replace their semi-precious stone bustiers with silk blouses sans any embroidery, maybe as an option to team it later with a pair of denims. This is their 20th year in fashion, and they are known for not shying away from any kind of glitter, or colour in the rainbow, also combining myriad hues in one fish tail gowns from stark blues to cold silvers. The transparent churidar came in black, and the Spanish influences on wrap shawls, in velvet with tessellation were nifty. Mirror work this year has been everyones favourite, only FSP used larger ones, and created Mughal motifs, resembling the arches of the Taj Mahal. The longest trails like a princess, and French lace complemented zardosi. Pink is another hue that is being celebrated in couture, and it is true, the Peacocks can never execute a line without faux feathers, it is called the Peacock effect. Reliance Industries, will now be venturing into handicrafts, with Swadesh their brand, a bit like Cottage Emporium stores, FSP tied up with them to create a special woven ensemble. The showstoppers Vicky and Rashmika are part of ‘Chhava’, a period drama, where Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, and his wife, Yesubai Bhonsale form the storyline.
Hardware to Soft Wear
Rimzim Dadu shifts gears and adds motifs, inspired by Baroque, Western classical music, and architecture, to give intrepid women a flavour of innovative material manipulations. By Asmita Aggarwal Engineered gowns, signature metal saris, couture has a different meaning for Rimzim Dadu, it is more of a play of textures, and thats why Bollywoods svelte Sobhita Dhulipala in a white seemed to be the perfect muse. The dhoti is having its moment, its unisex, equally loved by both so are her corsets, as we all marvelled at the way she folds, moulds, tough metal into flowers, petals, beating them into submission. Sequins were placed ingeniously to create pixelated embroidery, I also liked how she took the steam out of couture and told us it could be worn with flats. The interesting aspect about interviewing Rimzim, is she confesses, her husband tells her, he can talk better about the brand than she can, she giggles and tells me. The designer known for her heady experimentations with acrylic, leather, steel, metal, mostly hardware, which she smoothly converts into soft wear, is a quiet samurai. She launched her menswear label, opened a store in Delhi, says, inclusion and sustainability are much abused words”; she launched a line called Disco, which is very unlike her personalityreticent. I wanted to offer men something cool, edgy, and fun. I felt there was a gap, she admits. She confesses, most throw around difficult words, without practicing it —just because you add one plus-size, or dark-skinned model, it doesnt make it cool, rather it seems like a marketing tool. I dont believe in trends; I want to create something which is relevant 30 years down the linea classic. Neither do I study the market, as bridal wear is a very tricky zone. Brides so far like to be safe, but in the last few years have seen a seismic shift, they want to push the proverbial envelope, and abandon herd mentality, she explains. It was uphill mentally to see brides embracing outfits made of steel for their D-day. When Dadu began, the belief was to be an antithesis of fashion, offer clothing that breaks away from the norm or any set restrictions, and this year for ICW 2024, it is no different. She developed or rather delved into a unique visual language inspired by the Baroque style of architecture. There is Western classical music that held me in awe, also architecture which I interpreted through my own vocabulary of cording, twisting, surface texturing. The only change is we have attempted to create motifs, which we never did before, she explains. When she began, almost 15 years ago, Dadu confesses, she was before her time, the market was not ready, she was embarking on a new direction. When you run a business, you have to gauge the audience, it must be a sweet balance between innovation, and marketability, she admits. To achieve a Baroque look-she created a POP (plaster of Paris) type of appeal, thus the line is titled Stucco. Besides new surfaces, they have traditional themes, zardozi, the first time it has been executed, a new one for Dadu. Working with hardware comes with unpredictability, but 15 years of experience has taught her how to make materials malleable, how to stitch a steel sari, even though it came with no rule book. There was R and D that saved us, trial, and error, we also understood how to protect, and finish our pieces. How to tame materials, initially it was challenging, even now we face roadblocks, she admits adding, artisans whom she trained in the processes have been with her from the beginning. Making samples is one thing, but how a garment will sit on a body is another ball game, she adds. Dadu launched couture three years ago, she enjoys meeting brides, she is learning every day, and says she is still in the honeymoon period of crafting couture, it does not seem like a chore or monotonous. Over the years, she has chosen various faces that match her brand identityAnanya Pandey — she is a Gen Z style chameleon; Vijay Varma for taking the road less travelled, as he enjoys dressing. If you ask Dadu whom she admires in the couture space it would be Schiaparelli, and what Daniel Roseberry has done with the Italian label. India is changing rapidly, there is effortlessness in couture, which is my favorite part, she concludes.
Gaurav Gupta’s ode to Indology
Gaurav Gupta is a man who vacillates between the ancient past and the ultra-modernfrom Shunya to Kundalini to now Arunodaya, or dawn, for India Couture Week 2024, he is in awe of scriptures. He has not forgotten the power of AI in the past, when he teamed up with tech to design a gown with IBM. Today, life has taught him to live in the moment! By Asmita Aggarwal Think Gyan mudra, with a snake coiling on the ramp, add star daughter Khushi Kapoor and Vedang Raina, and you get a Gaurav Gupta showcasing at the Hyundai India Couture Week 2024. Bustiers, breast plates, everything was fitted at the top and flowy, including sheer draped dresses with sequinned bodices. He channelled exaggerated shoulders, sleeves and the drip pattern seemed to be a favourite, a bit like molten wax scattered on buff shoulders of mens jackets. Architectural elements in gowns can be clearly seen, as smoke emanated on the stairs leading to the top of the ramp, probably in sync with his serpentine bodices that wrap the body. Gaurav Gupta knows how to serenade women —in a country of shalwar-kameez he has got them to try his gowns glittering in the daytime. To add to this is his prestigious foray at the Paris Couture Week, three times. He may have dressed Beyonce, Cardi B, Mindy Kaling, but there is a lot he is internally fighting for— damages of Rs 2 crore from copycats, and an accident that left him injured, and his partner in the ICU. A graduate of Londons Central Saint Martins, Gupta retails from Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Moda Operandi among others, he makes his presence felt globally. A recent accident reinforced lifes unpredictability and deepened my appreciation for the present moment. Embracing uncertainty, I have channeled this into my work, creating designs that reflect lifes fragility and resilience. With the support of my team and external partners, I am recovering and excited to return to creating magic. I am looking forward to India Couture Week to feel that magic once again, he exclaimed. There is a certain innate sexiness to his offerings, one shoulder is slipping off, a toned thigh exposed daintily, burnt maroons playing with ivories in his line for Paris Haute Couture Week, the Autumn Winter 2024, titled Jyotirgamaya (darkness to light). The way he drapes, pleats, and manipulates fabric, with 3D elements, has won him a devoted clientele. He understands gowns are a play of proportions, and like a master mixer he often gets them right. He launched a line of jewellery, in silver/gold with the sculptural shapes, he is known for, a brand extension of sorts. He believes, global acclaim brings with it a responsibility to maintain the essence of our cultural heritage, it also necessitates embracing futuristic elements, and noble practices. The industry should focus on creating heirloom pieces that are timeless, and can be handed down through generations, he adds. He adds, I think bridal wear today is about individual expression and personal stories. When brides come to us, they seek pieces that go beyond traditional definitions, blending cultural heritage, with contemporary aesthetics, he admits. This season, he is ushering in a new era of high-end couture, offering embellished lehengas, saree gowns, and draped sarees that reflect both uniqueness and versatility. Our collection, Arunodaya is crafted to celebrate each brides personal style while ensuring she feels both graceful and empowered, he confessed. He dressed Bhumi Pednekar in a custom sari in black with three pallus, the saris ran along her curved lines, ensuring the sari remained in a womans wardrobe but with a twist. This year, age-old techniques meet contemporary elements, from intricate floral embroidery revived with Indian zardozi techniques, to cage embroidery in sequins. We’ve also incorporated futuristic elements — metallic breastplates paired with conventional forms, says Gaurav. The pattern cutting fosters sculptural and fluid appeal. The ethos behind this collection is to celebrate renewal and transformation, embodying the spirit of dawn, he adds. If you look closely, most of the titles of his collection are based on an aspect of Hindu mythology, Aarohanam, Arunodaya to Jyotirgamaya and Kundalini —he seems to be a reader of scriptures, is in awe. I find immense inspiration in mythology and ancient scriptures. The Vedas, with their profound spiritual and philosophical insights, have always held me in awe. They offer a rich tapestry of stories and concepts that transcend time, providing endless inspiration for my designs. The idea of transformation, inner light, and the journey from darkness to light, as depicted in these texts, deeply resonates with me, and is often reflected in my collections, he explains. Lizzo, Janelle Monae, Jenna Ortega, Jeremy Pope, and Fan Bing Bing, have been seen attending his Paris Couture Week shows, his first line in the mecca of fashion was named Shunya the Sanskrit word for zero, but he has proved the power of zero. If you place it against any number, it only multiplies, like Gaurav has. He keeps in mind the measured application of crystals, silver metallic embroidery, badla, and zardozi to allow the wearer to take a slice of India with her. This he updates with nose rings, exaggerated shararas, ear cuffs, and a play of light and shadow with ivories and charcoals. Since he began in 2004, almost 20 years now, he believes, translating a vision into a collection is a journey filled with experimentation, failure, and eventually success. It starts with a concept, in my case often inspired by cosmic, mythology, or personal experiences. This is followed by extensive research and sketching. Fabric selection and testing are crucial, as they bring the designs to life. There are times when the initial ideas don’t work out as planned, requiring us to rethink and adapt. However, each failure is a learning experience that refines the outcome. The process is iterative and collaborative, involving countless hours of craftsmanship and innovation to ensure the final collection resonates with the envisioned theme, he concludes.
Nizams Reloaded
Basra pearls, Banarasis, Khada duppattas with ultra-modern corsets, Jayanti Reddy, a business graduate, self-taught designer, offers brides a potent mix of traditional with now at the Hyundai India Couture Week 2024. The highlight has been her collaboration with Italian jewellery powerhouse-Bvlgari. By Asmita Aggarwal One thing is clear Jayanti Reddy loves colour, she comes from the city of Nizams, Hyderabad, and being a first timer at the Hyundai India Couture Week 2024, she announced the arrival of fuchsias and bright reds even as pastels had taken over the runway. Colour washed the ramp, as asymmetrical kaftans, some came with one shoulder, made way for every hue of the red family, and even its closest cousins. Newly married beauty from the city of Nizams, Aditi Rao Hydari told us wearing a roomy sharara, with tone-on-tone embroidery and a jacket was the right choice. Veteran model, Carol Gracias’ opened the show, Reddy, introduced corsets with lehengas, simpler capes constructed to go with heavy lehengas without forgetting tradition—a range of Banarasis and brocades. When you are a debutant, you are unaware of market forces, you tread carefully, internally you are happy you got this fabulous opportunity—Jayanti Reddy, must be thinking as she shines on the India Couture Week 2024 runway. Reddy, from Hyderabad is growing with one store in Kala Ghoda, and one ready to open in Delhi at DLF Emporio, soon, but the business administration and marketing graduate from Case Western Reserve University, Ohio, USA, is a self-taught designer. Couture is about heavier pieces, I have been doing lighter ones for sangeet, mehndi, cocktails to bachelorette parties. I love bling, shimmer, my brand caters to myriad buyers from 21 to 65 years, she adds. Reddy has been an ardent admirer of everything au natural, even Kanchipurams. Experimentation is the key to success, jewel tones work best, pastels are a perennial favourite, and coming from the city of Nizams, she incorporated zardozi and zari, but makes sure it doesnt hurt the wearer. I have also used extensive threadwork and beads; you can wear my choli with another less ornate skirt, or the lehenga with a plain shirt, or the blazer that comes with the sari can be teamed with jeans, she adds, hoping her couture pieces will not stay locked up in a trunk. Reddy wanted a part of the over-the-top royalty to reflect in the linethus Basra pearls, detailing became the focus. Earlier flares worked, now everything has become sleeker, even though it remains a challenge to think of a theme every year, sometimes twice a year, Jayanti believes, the extravagant Nizami culture forms a potent inspiration. The way they manipulated gold, combined it with pearls, is what I attempted to showcase this season, she exclaims. The vintage Khada dupattas worn even over saris, add a touch of regality, and of course drama, it is the traditional costume of Muslim brides. Reddy has always worked with Banarasis, even creating jumpsuits in brocade, or corsets to be worn with saris. Women entrepreneurs must be respected especially when you dont belong to a fashion background and dont follow trends, start with one tailor. In fact, not following the set template helped her, and her business training in running a team of 250. When I started, in 2012, I wanted to dress a woman who was working and wanted something to wear that accentuated her status. Now, Im dressing brides, which I never thought I would, she adds. Whether its the bride or her extended family, there is something for everyoneeven the Ajrak dyed kurtas are an all-time favorite. Celeb dressing always helps, if its natural brand extension, I look at it as a form of support to the designer, as a lot of people like to emulate their style, she adds and hopes she too can soon do a film with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, or a period drama like Heeramandi. Despite doing bridal, Reddy believes recycling is part of her brands DNA, no fabric is allowed to go waste, they make either bags or tassels. I also advise brides to reuse their lehengas, we pull out the can-can, upcycle the old ones, make Anarkalis out of full skirts, she confesses, as she is back after a hiatus, the last show she did was in 2019. The most interesting collaboration for Reddy has been one that came organically—with the Italian jewellery powerhouse, Bulgari. They told me my clothes fit best into design ideology, as they wanted to market their uber luxe Serpenti watches and jewelled pieces. We shot a campaign in Bangkok, with my saris with blazers, and there is another to happen, it is in the pipeline, she admits, adding working with a luxury brand has been thrilling.
Rahul Mishra’s Valley of Daffodils
Flower power never loses its prowess, and Rahul Mishra at Hyundai ICW 2024, made sure the embroidered dupattas were unisex, the pants-suit is now out of the boardroom and frolicking at a cocktail party in a line titled, Nargis. By Asmita Aggarwal Nargis or daffodil is a lively yellow flower, it could also be the yesteryears actress, Nargis Dutt, I am guessing Rahul Mishra stuck to the floral variety, naming it for his line seeped in intricate thread work, at his Hyundai India Couture Week 2024 showcasing! His roots are in Malhausi, a non-descript village near Kanpur, which have gone far into the ground, as he has become the star of Paris, and its super competitive Couture Week, only selecting an exclusive few If his latest workplace is anything to go by 5,000 square feet, inNOIDA or the way that his wife Divya controls the office and directs the workforce, they are a team and thats what makes them so successful. At his showcasing there was live music, which seems to be the mood of Couture Week, and the Sufi master, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khans chart topper Afreen began with cancer survivor and model, Lisa Ray, 51, mom to twins, author of the book, Close to the Bone, take the catwalk in gossamer white, emboldened with roses in her hair. Rahul is a man of collaborations, recently, it was with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), titled Beginnings. Made In Singapore, with actress Tamannaah Bhatia as the muse. His inspirations have been many—from his daughter Arnas Jungle book, underwater creatures, insects to Hindu mythology (Lord Brahma), old dilapidated havelis and most recently it was Aura at PCW. He began his journey in 2006, and at his presentation, explored various hues—structured jackets with placement embroideries, glow in the dark gowns glittering, bare backs with silvers of dupattas hanging from nimble shoulders, as Sufi Kalams, Chandni raatein played in the background taking us back to the 90s when this number was sung first by artiste Shamsa Kanwal. The ubiquitous sharara has come in various forms, embroidered and sheer, the cape and lehengas are now a No. 1 match, and a must-have in a new-age brides trousseau. Interestingly, the dupatta is interchangeable, it is unisex, it can be worn with a sherwani and lehenga. White, has emerged as a hue of marriages, lighter, softer, and is considered ceremonial. The pants suit was meant for corporate meetings, but Mishra has made it cocktail worthy, glistening with crystals, pearls, and glass beads. The flowers got bigger and bolder in off shoulder gowns, wedding wear today is a game of intricate embroidery techniques and surprising placements. The surface texture was so intricate on gowns that fabric disappeared; power shouldered capes, dripped with tassels, Rahul seemed to love lime green. Musicians really carry the show on their shoulders, A R Rahmans numbers are always a hit, no better way to end the show than that!
Game of Time
Amit Aggarwal serenades the impossibility, linearity, unpredictability of time and maybe tide, through his show as the past (cotton) meets the present (nylon), through his newly created fabric this season for Hyundai India Couture Week 2024. By Asmita Aggarwal When I watched the Amit Aggarwal show at the India Couture Week 2024, I felt a sense of connectionas if it was inspired by the film Matrix only it was reloaded this time! Remember Keanu Reeves and his cartwheels in the air? His battle against time, the film was inspired by Gita, and time travel? Well, Amits show was a bit like that! What I also liked was the fact that he got his admirers not for the catwalk but in the audience like the delicious looking Abhay Doel, a rarity on the ramp and in any fashion space, Dangal star Sana Fatima Shaikh, as well as Kritika Kamra. The set for me resembled a strand of human DNA, considering Amits love for science, I also admired the fact that he has a distinct and growing clientele loving his manipulations on fabric, in an embroidery and embellishment obsessed country. The garments moved with the body, almost in sync despite fervent hugging, it felt it was more of an artistic expression, and truly couture as he pushed the envelope. Amit ingeniously cut moulded fabric, the jackets for men with splatter of candle wax inspired embroidery were interesting. The older model is coming of age, a must for international shows of Dries Van Noten to Issey Miyake, age is now not definable, it is not a barometer of judging your ramp walk worthiness. The advent of reds and velvets for men further added to the spectacle. Amits Instagram is flooded with videos showing his journey to the Kabutar bazar, adjoining Chor Bazar, where he is scouting second-hand denim, sourcing fabrics that can be toughened, reused for his couture line. At the risk of exposing a slice of his personal life, Amit Aggarwal, admits going to bazaars has been a passion since his college days— a Sunday treat. It is entirely true that pegs of inspiration, untold stories lead to creation, among the many treasures that Amit finds, there is a particular jacket that has brought him joy, he is recycling it. This is besides the pre-owned Banarasi saris, he picked up to create updated versions adding his labour-intensive techniques cording to give it a fresh form. Remember the Patola upcycling he did for his brand Am-it, or how he dressed Priyanka Chopra Jonas in the Banarasi Navrangi saris, upcycled. Technology and science have been a part of his thinking since he began, more than ten years back, even a bit of biology and physics. Through the iCloud line that told us how much waste we store in our minds. It is imperative for me to try something new, or I will never know where the loopholes are. I am ready for that 15 minute of scrutiny at ICW, at least I tried, he smiles. There is always an emotion his clothes strike within the wearer, it comes with a wealth of material explorations, has a distinct brand language, making one-of-a-kind clothing, cant be replicated. His experiments this season, is creating a new-age fabric by mixing organic cotton, and nylon, on the hand loom. It offers fluidity, drapes, has a glass-like texture, but when it caresses your skin, it feels like cotton. In bridal, storytelling is the inception of thoughthe hopes to strike a balance by collaborating with faces who have engaging narratives. Never should there be an overkill, each piece must have a mystery, says Amit. A rose even when the petals fall off, remains one so couture should expose a sheer behind a layer, and as a couturier you must know how much is too much. Bridal for Amit is that one moment when you share bigger dreams with someone else, it is not just about wearing an embroidered lehenga, “it is a celebration of commonality. Thus, the show is moody, it transports you to a different space, explores recesses of your memory, through clothing which captures an experience. Showstoppers, a potent part of a couture week show, Amit believes some collections need a spokesperson and some dont, I dont believe in face value, he laughs. The ICW 2024 line is based on the concept of time which is represented through —science, religion, cosmology, and philosophy. Time has been looked at from a variety of angles, life is a game of time, he admits. Banarasi emulates the eternity of time, life after death; beading is about living in the now, little glimmers in our journey; how the beauty of a star is represented through the supernova, since its inception. The craft and new materials explorations represent the linearity of time, when today meets tomorrow, he explains. Time is a bit of a sorcerer, if you go by Einsteins Theory of Relativity, and quantum physics. The last concept is how time also sets an equilibrium, and it ties into the existence we know, he adds. It was in 1998 during the DD days when B R Chopra had everyone glued to their TV sets with his retelling of the epic Mahabharat, and there was one line that stayed with everyone, Main Samay hun the whole story was told by time.