Designers go on a world trip

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Exotic attracts more than indigenous, and when it comes to influences and inspirations, outlandish charms can play a big role. At the ongoing Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week 2012, many of our desi designers too have taken the foreign route this time and created collections that draw on cross-cultural influences. Right from the rugged terrains of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan to the blazing deserts of Africa and classically beautiful cities of Europe, Indian designers are drawing inspiration from different corners of the world.

For Autumn-Winter ’12, designers Kartikeya and Isha presented Dozakh’s collection titled “Mystic old town — Prague”, which was inspired by the duo’s long holiday in this beautiful European city. Speaking about the collection, Isha Kapoor said, “We tried to re-create the heritage, myth and superstition of the past centuries that dances slowly with the faded opulence and magnificence of Prague’s baroque era.”
For designer Anju Modi, the rich colours and crafts from Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan was the inspiration. She says, “My collection ‘Nomadic Wanderlust’ is about the evolution of rich traditional handicrafts from these ancient cultures. This belt more or less evolved from the same heritage and so you can find so many unique things that are familiar.”
Designer Nachiket Barve too has used a lot of cross-cultural influences in his collection “Caravan”. He says, “Centuries ago, gypsies were the only medium of exchanging cultures among various civilisations. The multitude of textile and aesthetic influences across Asia, Arabian lands and Sahara deserts is incorporated in my collection. I have used lattices and jaalis inspired from Islamic culture, motifs from Istanbul, 3-D patterns from Turkey and Persian carpet inspired patchworks.”
Designer Payal Jain found inspiration in Africa for her collection “Black Ice”. Payal says, “My friend who visited Africa sent me some beautiful pictures. The sharp contrast of black and white with minimal hints of colours is something that one can only find in Africa. The beautiful patterns and shades were my main influence.”
Designer Tarun Tahiliani’s A\W ’12 collection too is a modern twist to the Ottoman empire where he depicted the art, architecture, textiles, armour and culture of Istanbul. He also used oversized motifs of tulips, dog roses, hyacinths, carnations and elongated cypress in tones of pomegranate, artichoke and acanthus as a reminiscent of Islamic architecture to create a chic feminine line.