And now, most recently, our new partnership with Reliance Brands Limited has been an exciting development as it will take the brand in new directions and expand its reach by opening new stores and reaching out to new markets. We are also relaunching our homewares and loungewear collections, as well as expanding our menswear offering.
You are one of the first to have seen fashion week become a big deal in India. How did your runway journey at fashion week begin? What are some of the most distinct elements that millennials and Gen Z in this new era would never know from that time?
When we launched our business, there were only a handful of designer stores and fashion design was considered a fairly exotic profession. Ensemble in Mumbai was the first store to see the potential of Indian fashion but there were few others willing to take the risk. Fashion then was restricted to a small group of privileged insiders. There were no smartphones or Instagram. Fashion was disseminated through print magazines.
Today, fashion is a part of all our lives, and we take it for granted. Social media and the internet have put the subject into mainstream conversation, and access is available to everyone at every price point. From the privileged consumer with an unrestricted budget, to the budget conscious customer, everyone can now access fashion at all price points. Fashion imagery is a part of daily visual language in our digital world.
Part of your signature is smart tailoring and clean construction; you have also incorporated that element in your collection that you will be unveiling. Tell us about how you will be experimenting with tailoring this season.
We have always loved the contrast between tailoring and softness, and in particular, the dialogue between different clothing constructs. We team a blazer with a saree, we clean up the kurta and turn it into a tunic worn with a suit, the churidhar has inspired a pant with a skinny leg that has exaggerated folds and buttons at the ankle. We have developed new handloom weaves and prints and worked on silhouettes that incorporate the very particular structure of these fabrics into their shapes. We are proposing a wardrobe that consists of timeless shapes that can take you from day to evening. In the context of the conversation on sustainability, we also want to illustrate how a timeless garment can outlive seasonal trends and be worn year after year, and we do this by slipping in a few iconic classics from our earlier collections into the mix we are showing on the runway.
In terms of the changing landscape of menswear, A&T are one of the first to have blurred the lines, including skirts for menswear, and trousers for women— this dichotomy is a recognisable trait, why has this been such an important aspect to highlight in your collections in the past, and today?
We have always questioned the rigidity of gender constructs imposed on human behaviour and by extension, on clothing norms. I am glad that these ideas are being challenged, and the conversation on gender is now more mainstream. Clothing has always been one of the most effective ways to define identity, therefore fashion has an important role to play in this space. It is one of the most effective forms of communication. It is crucial that fashion takes part in this conversation as we seek to shed our prejudices and unjust notions of exclusivity.
There is a wave of ‘New Masculinity’ taking hold in the menswear segment, where softer, more feminine silhouettes have been approached, and women are also looking at menswear sections today to shop. What do you attribute this change to?
This is a reflection of the changing attitude towards gender constructs that we just touched upon earlier. As women seek to redefine their roles, so too must men, in this time of change. There is still a long way to go but we are beginning to see more and more women assert themselves and take their rightful place both in the home and in the workspace. Simultaneously men need to rework the equations between the genders and challenge regressive orthodoxies.
Who is your muse that you visualise this collection on?
Our muse is every strong and independent individual who knows their own mind, for whom style and authenticity are more important than the latest fashion trends. Though they may live in the moment, they have a sense of history.
For this collection, what silhouettes, material, inspirations and colours will you be exploring?
We try to strike a balance between traditional Indian ways of dressing with an international attitude. The collection reflects the way we dress and live in contemporary India where both a minidress and a sari can happily coexist in the exact same wardrobe.
Fabrics range from cotton and silk blends to Tencel and recycled polyester. They include specially commissioned handlooms from Maheshwar, ikats from Andhra, hand spun khadi from handlooms in Uttar Pradesh and tussar from the North East. There are also digitally printed renderings of the texture of tussar on organic cotton.
The colour palette has a strong focus on black and white with golden shades of tussar. They are highlighted by the exuberance of lime green and citrus.
Also read:
Exclusive: Anamika Khanna will open FDCI X Lakmé Fashion Week with a new menswear line
6 new designers to see at Lakmé Fashion Week X FDCI this season
This just in: Rajesh Pratap Singh is the Grand Finale designer at Lakmé Fashion Week X FDCI
