Simply spectacular
Simple is synonymous with substance. All the joys of life come packed in simple wraps. And designers like Abraham and Thakore, Ankita-Anjana Bhargav, Divyam Mehta, Rahul Mishra and Aneeth Arora at WLIFW have reconfirmed that, simple is spectacular. Their collections on display are not flashy or dramatic yet their stalls are on the must-visit lists of every buyer.
Divyam Mehta’s well-received collection has lots of wraps and drapes in linen voile which is soft and flowy. Off-white, mud and old pink bring an earthy feel to the collection. Fluid is symbolic of peace for Divyam and he says, “I believe in creating clothing we can live in. I feel that our clothes bring feelings of love and joy. For me comfortable is love and loose is freedom. Sexy and glam is not for me. That is why I do simple silhouettes using comfy fabrics.”
Kiss principle which stands for “keep it simple and straightforward” is the philosophy behind these collections. The simplicity of a T-shirt makes it a versatile garment. To infuse the same flexibility is the sole reason behind these breezy and organic garments. “Simplicity is what I believe in life,” says designer Rahul Mishra, who prefers to take the local or hops on a bus or a cab to avoid adding to the manic traffic of Mumbai. His collection tells the hand-woven stories of the past with the help of Kerala mundus, khadi textiles and unfussy silhouettes.
“I feel garments are supposed to be our second skin so they have to be as natural and simple as possible. Also it’s well known that functionality and simplicity go hand-in-hand. That is why my designs are light as air and there is no room for too much layering or padding,” says Mishra.
Aneeth Arora of Pero lets colours, sights and sounds form the foundation of her collection. She wants to draw people’s attention to the interesting fashion and simplicity that is the identity of the streets of India.
“What caught our eye was the crowd outside mosques like Jama Masjid dressed in long white kurtas teamed with striking blue-checkered lungis and crocheted caps. Therefore, we have used Madras checks with refined chikankari of Lucknow. We wanted to show that simplicity is effortless yet so stylish, through the lives of these people who end up adding their own appliqué and embellishments while covering a tear or age of the garment,” says Aneeth.
Designer duo Abraham and Thakore’s look has been inspired by the beauty of calligraphy. The airy feel of cotton and silk voile is put to use to craft dresses, pyjamas, tunics, loose pants and kurtas.
Whereas Anjana and Ankita Bhargav have played with the splendour of the lovely amaltas in subtle tones of yellow, ivory and sky blue. “Simpler is better for us. The beauty of our garments lies in the soft texture, simple cuts and construction-base details,” informs Anjana adding that it’s not simple to do a simple design.
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