The Surrealistic Designer

Chhaya Mehrotra

There is something very strikingly beautiful about Chhaya Mehrotra’s simplicity in designs. Modern silhouettes, subtle color palette and almost-bewildered cuts make her clothes perfect for Indian women. She shares a slice of her beautiful journey with The Lifestyle Potpourri…

How do you start your day?

The first thing I do is switch off the alarm and get that extra 15 minutes of sleep! After waking up, I glance through the newspaper with a morning cuppa of green tea and spend some time with the kids before we finish breakfast and pack for the day at factory. Breakfast is the time where, me and my husband plan out the entire day.

What shaped your outlook as a designer during your formative days?

My origins are rooted in Banaras and the variety of exposure I had across all platforms in the domestic textile industry right after NIFT molded my creative realm as a designer—from hand block printing to digital printing, hand embroidery to computerized embroidery, and designing for ethnic wedding wear to designing furnishing fabrics for Heimtextil, or high-end fashion fabrics for Texworld Paris; I knew my biggest strength lies in versatility. I take my education and experiences as the alphabet…what I write with it depends on my mood and requirement!

Chhaya Mehrotra

What inspires you to create newer designs?

Inspiration could be from almost anything. It could be a faint memory of childhood or a poem that I wrote. Sometimes it’s a place or a craft, and sometimes it could be a conversation with a kid or a friend. But inspiration isn’t enough to keep you going; it’s the instant mood lift you get when you see a sketch perfectly turned out into a garment—that excites me to create newer designs more than anything else.

Tell us an anecdote that has been consequential in your journey as a designer…

We had shifted to Noida from Banaras mainly because of family business. I just started with three tailors for my label and did exhibitions often; I was doing decent business. However, one day a long-lost family friend walks into our factory for some work and instead looks at my collection and threw a barrage of questions at me—“Why don’t you participate in fashion weeks?” and etc… On that guest’s insistence we applied and got the required membership; this was 2011. Looking at how our label is positioned now, you bet this anecdote was consequential!

Chhaya Mehrotra

Who is your favourite designer and why?

How can you pick one when it’s a sea of stunning work out there!
Amongst international designers I like Stella McCartney and Ted Baker’s creations—their sense of colour palette is very intense. Amongst Indian designers, A&T and Rajesh Pratap Singh are my favorites for their perfect approach to minimalism; Ritu Kumar inspires me for her timeless appeal to every piece of clothing; whereas Sabyasachi has touched my heart with the grandeur of detailing in his work; I also admire Rahul Mishra for the magic he created with wool, and Rajdeep Ranawat for the perfection he can bring to any cloth with a riot of colours. Lastly, I am very fond of Raw Mango and Anavila because their simple work can exude a whole lot of beauty!

Five must-haves in a woman’s wardrobe…

A handloom saree, crisp white shirt, pair of blue denims, nice perfume and an all-purpose shift dress

Blurring Fashion Borders

Meher and Riddhima

Meher and Riddhima, an evening-wear brand launched in 2002 caters to fashion that reflects delicately influenced rich heritage and tradition of a region. They produce gorgeous evening gowns, cocktail dresses, formal jumpsuits, accessories and children’s wear. Based out of Dubai, the label also has offices in New York and India. This venture is a creative alliance between Meher Mirchandani and Riddhima Whabi.

Meher and Riddhima

The designer duo’s design philosophy revolves around combining contemporary shapes with traditional influences. It is an evening wear brand with couture attention to detail. The brand has a balance of western sensibilities with eastern influences in the design. The inspiration for the collections is derived from art, architecture, music, travel, interiors and prominent women in history.

Meher and Riddhima

Define your label and forecast some upcoming trends…

Our label is made to make the wearer feel special, happy and beautiful. For the upcoming season, we would recommend fashionistas to look out for bright floral prints, crop tops, flowy skirts and pop-colored dresses.

Meher and Riddhima

Who has been your role model during your formative years and why?

I would say my mother as she is perfect in everything she does; she is a successful entrepreneur, loving mom and dedicated wife and great human being. She inspired me to express my fashion sensibilities through my designs and reach out to many…

Meher and Riddhima

How different is Indian fashion industry in comparison to its western counterparts?

Indian fashion industry focuses more on ethnic Indian wear, which again reflects a lot of Indian influences on fabrics, colors and embellishments; whereas, the western industry is all about minimalistic styling and contemporary, luxe fabrics.

Royal & rooted – by Aditi Maheshwari

Rohit Bal

Rohit Bal, one of the most sought after fashion designers, popularly known as the ‘master of fabric and fantasy’, gets candid and talks about the current fashion industry and his journey as a designer

What is your design philosophy?

For me, the most important word is elegance. I also give importance to certain styles that are understated, craft based and extremely Indian. Nothing that I do has any western influences. Everything I do has a very strong soul of India; so my design philosophy says that I am an Indian and I like making Indian designs; also, all my designs are hand crafted and at the end of the day, the soul of India should be represented in my collections.

What new techniques and materials are you using?

We are using the opposite of new techniques. We are focusing on age old techniques—those that are long forgotten. We are reviving techniques that used to be an important part of Indian subcontinent. So instead of doing something new, I am using techniques that were used many hundreds of years ago. I am trying to bring back what is lost to India.

Rohit Bal’s bridal collection for Wills India Fashion Week SS’15

What does fashion mean to you?

Fashion for me is a very integral part of lifestyle. Fashion doesn’t mean wearing fancy clothes. It’s about the way you live, your lifestyle, your home, the food you eat, the car you drive, the life you lead; it’s really about your entire life. Fashion is in fact, a necessary evil.

During your formative years, who has been your muse?

When I started out as a fashion designer, I was influenced greatly by a very dear friend, Rohit Khosla. He was my inspiration and my muse.

Most fashion designers are now diversifying into other areas besides fashion. What’s your take on this and how important is it to diversify for creative expression as well as to scale up the business?

I might have been amongst the first ones to have done that. The reason why you do this is because you want your creativity to be experimented and expressed in other mediums rather than what you normally do with fashion. A creative person absolutely must do as many creative things as possible; whether it is designing homes, cars, product designs, etc. A designer should give his creativity another platform. It is a natural progression and extremely important.

Rohit Bal’s bridal collection for Wills India Fashion Week SS’15

What is the future of couture in India?

I think the future of fashion in India is couture and nothing else. In India there are enough international brands. But what we designers do is very up market and occasion wear; whether it is weddings or parties. So, I think couture has a great potential in India.

What was your first design? Do you have any interesting anecdotes in the making of your first piece?

The first design I ever did was for men. The first person who wore those was my friend, Rohit Khosla. The first thing I ever made was a gold tissue bandhgala for men. At that time, such designs were very contemporary and avant-garde.

Way back when you were a student, what inspired you? How did you decide upon this career?

Some very fashionable people used to come visit my college when I was a student. I used to observe some amazing style icons, see their beautiful clothes and get inspired by the likes of them.

Rohit Bal at the grand finale show for Wills India Fashion Week SS’15

How does the business of fashion look like today?

Encouraging. The industry is also getting a little more organised. Earlier this entire industry was very haphazard and not very focused. But now, fashion has become a very important industry.

P.S- Aditi Maheshwari, the author of this story is an avid lifestyle writer who runs a popular decor blog www.pobox9.in

Creatively, Sensually and Visually Satisfying

Rajesh Pratap Singh for Amazon India Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2015

Veteran fashion designer and my favourite, Rajesh Pratap Singh commenced the Amazon India Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2015 on a rather unpredictable yet jaw-dropping note. The ramp saw a whole bunch of creative mélange—hospital-like setup, wherein beds with crisp white sheets were lined up neatly, along with saline stands on each side. As the lights dimmed, the saline bottles sparkled with small bulbs and Indi-rock music with hints of grunge genre played aloud as models walked flaunting theatrical gestures in black and white outfits.

Rajesh Pratap Singh for Amazon India Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2015

Structured and clinical, Rajesh Pratap Singh’s Autumn/Winter 2015 collection celebrates life’s true stage and its characters.   In this space, life is black and white with some indigo thrown in. Life is graphic here and it has its own beauty.

Rajesh Pratap Singh for Amazon India Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2015

Dissected and reconstructed surfaces using the brand’s signature hand-seam detailing have been extensively used in the collection. Hand-sewn garments in leather and wool using suture seam and its derivatives are utilised for the first time in garmenting.

Rajesh Pratap Singh for Amazon India Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2015

Stark surface textures and colour blocking are coordinated with footwear, where architecture is not your Achilles heel. Fabric experimentation takes the form of structured wool weaves in natural indigo and not so natural black. The romance with Ikkat still continues. This collection can be perceived as a bitter sweet pill—as we all know, the best medicine is laughter.

Like Quirky? Check out Lemon Trunk!

Ashutosh Maheshwari is the proud owner of Lemon Trunk—as the name resonates, this label celebrates the best of quirk and pop art, printed innovatively on bags. Their designs are vibrant and refreshing, and their colour palettes are spunky. From floral patterns in shocking hues to Aztec prints in a brand new avatar, this label has struck a chord with the young and peppy! Ashutosh talks to us about LT’s fun designs, pocket-friendly rates, and their range of products.

Lemon Trunk

 How did Lemon Trunk come into being?

Lemon Trunk came into being on a simple idea—‘We want to see India using beautiful, designer products’. The quickest way to achieve that was by creating a product that was mass-market and affordable, but without comprising on quality. Tote bags haven’t really evolved in terms of design and style and therefore, seemed like the best place to add our spunky, young and visually appealing designs.

Lemon Trunk

Why did you choose this name for your brand?

I wanted a name that was fluous…a word that isn’t restricted to a particular style or product, and is young and fun. ‘Lemon Trunk’ had the perfect ring to it and seemed like the right name that would appeal to my target audience.

Lemon Trunk

Tell us about your products

At Lemon Trunk, we design fun products. We use the finest quality materials and printing processes to make our prints look alive. Right now, we’ve launched our College Tote Bag in close to 30 prints. In the next couple of months, we will have added slings, satchels, messenger bags, laptop bags, tablet sleeves and shopping totes to our range, along with more prints. We want to have something for everyone!

Lemon Trunk

Tell us about the upcoming summer trends in tote bags…

We feel, the summer trend this year is going to be easy going—big bags, which are easy to carry, with smart prints in bright colours. Apart from this, of course, the one thing that will always be in demand is innovation in designs.

You may check out the latest Lemon Trunk designs and bags at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, from February 7 to17 in Mumbai or shop for their products on Flipkart http://www.flipkart.com/search?q=lemon+trunk&as=off&as-show=off&otracker=start or Myntra http://www.myntra.com/lemon-trunk?userQuery=true&s=acl

Casa Pop Fashion by Raseel Gujral Ansal

Casa Pop Store

Raseel Gujral Ansal of Casa Paradox, the celebrated label of design and innovation, unveiled an exclusive fashion line, Casa Pop Fashion at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. The all new showcase from the House of Casa is a composition of design innovations by Ansal herself. This one-of-a-kind fashion concept presents a range of limited edition apparels, jewellery and accessory pieces that ferment the brand’s legacy in vivacious glamour whilst ensuring it caters to consumers from all segments.

Casa Pop Store

Harboring a multitude if creative advancements, Ansal presents design collaborations with Mynah, Swati Uberoi and Dabiri to present an array of fashion apparels comprising of embroidered and Swarovski encrusted stoles, palazzos, silk pashminas and t-shirts along with exquisitely designed blankets, bedspreads, ceramic stools and more. Partnering with the philanthropic initiative of Princess Diya Kumari of Jaipur and jeweled marvels of Ravi Jewels, Casa Pop Fashion also introduces intricately crafted pankhis, shingaar accessories and more.

Casa Pop Store

This initiative also has an amazing collection of pocket squares, cufflinks, sherwanis, and kurta buttons for men; whereas, ladies can lay their hands on an array of tunics, ganjis, potlis, and more.

Good shoes for great feet–Serene Gandhi presents Cara Pyramids

Cara Pyramids by Serene Gandhi

Women have sworn their love for good shoes over ages. Owning that right pair of shoe that brings in high fashion, luxury and comfort is a necessity for a high sorority belle. Twenty-seven-years old Serene Gandhi, an avant garde shoe designer and the creative mind behind Cara Pyramids, has been working towards helping women get the perfectly engineered shoe that can be comfortable as well as chic.

Cara Pyramids by Serene Gandhi

Cara Pyramids offers footwear that exudes sophistication and comfort. Serene’s passion for designing footwear has been inspired by the ideology of legendary, Christian Louboutin. Designed with Italian cuts, these shoes are crafted from materials of an invincible quality, which are also used by luxury fashion houses around the globe. With great durability and style, Cara Pyramids is India’s very own powerhouse of luxury for your feet.

Cara Pyramids by Serene Gandhi

Customers seek instant gratification for their need for convenience and customisation. Serene believes every woman is entitled to own footwear that is sculpted and created solely for her. Serene says, “Cara Pyramids’ Bespoke service helps women wear what they want, rather than having to choose from pre-made options. This gives them the freedom to choose the material, style, cut, size and shape. It is also a life-saver for women with slightly unconventional foot size. To ensure it’s the right fit, we make and remake it, till it’s tailored to perfection.”

Cara Pyramids by Serene Gandhi

A bespoke shoe service with unmatched sophistication and style is a rarity and hence it isn’t surprising that the Indian fashion industry has been all praises for the brand. Fashion-forward designer, Nachiket Barwe connected with Serene to design the footwear for his Wills India Fashion Week show. After receiving an awe-inspiring response, her shoes for Lords were used on the runaway for the fashion shows of Surily Goel and other designers in Blenders Pride Fashion Tour. She designed for Nachiket Barwe once again––leading to a few enthralled students of London School of Fashion requesting for her inimitable shoe designs.

Cara Pyramids by Serene Gandhi

A luxury house with a heart, Serene doesn’t believe in using real leather for her designs, “I am very sensitive towards the use of leather. I believe in today’s day and age, technology has given synthetic materials the same kind of durability as seen in leather.”

Cara Pyramids by Serene Gandhi

The bespoke luxury shoe service comes with the responsibility of creating perfectly sculpted footwear for women who desire both style and comfort and in an eco-friendly environment. Cara Pyramids have taken shoe-making in India to the epitome of luxury, carving a niche in the market and leaving the consumers with a pair of happy feet.

Shifting Paradigms of Art in India

Beauty in Freedom

An Yahh!!, India’s first art store (read: not a gallery) situated in South Delhi, is often coined as the headquarters of authenticity and affordability when art is talked about.

A beautiful clock at An Yahh!!

Art in India is always considered to be an expensive affair; therefore, it is often out of reach for many who love art and want to hang something creative and beautiful on their walls. AnYahh!! was born to break through this allegory; thus, they house some striking pieces of art with affordable price tags.

Bag at An Yahh!!

The art brand promoted by Asheesh Sethi has brought forth a platform for talented, budding artists to showcase their work. This place promises to bring in, reasonably priced collections to art connoisseurs.

Music for the gods

The paintings are reproduced in merchandises like, wall clocks, cushion covers, card holders, trays, mugs, mouse pads, etc.

Majestic alliance on the wall

Store Address-
E-23, South Extension-II, New Delhi.
New Delhi, India 110049

Shantanu and Nikhil for Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2014

Showstopper Jesse Randhawa with Shantanu and Nikhil

The show was a grand amalgamation of fashion and art when Himalayan presented the ‘Himalayan Couture Collection’ by Shantanu and Nikhil and artwork by artist Brinda Miller at the fashion week. Super model and dancer, Jesse Randhawa floated in a white will-power textured gown with tantalizing 3D embellishments to end the superb show.

Showstopper Jesse Randhawa

Four giant columns on the stage set the mood of the show and 39 beautiful creations enthralled the audience. The collection inspired by the colours and charm of the Himalayan waters, known for its rare beauty. Visualised by the majesty and serenity of the Himalayas, the free-spirited couture line had timeless beauty and elegance.

Shantanu and Nikhil

Layering was contemporary with head gears making a striking addition. Offering couture wear, the silhouettes incorporated creative construction and intriguing fabric cutouts on a colour story that had dramatic grey, white, deep red, blue and black for luxurious fabrics like chiffon, georgette, tulle and organza.

Shantanu and Nikhil

Moulded silhouettes were seen in New Age lehengas and Anarkalis, while tone-on-tone draped sari-gowns were regal in form and structure, but cocktail gowns were voluminous as they sailed down the ramp. Opening the show with a tiered tulle will-power gown with antique gold work, the display moved to dramatic creations that were just ideal for cocktail bridal wear.

Shantanu and Nikhil

Bronze beaded asymmetric jacket over ruffled ecru skirt, the sensational halter sari-gown, the grey fishtail net gown, and the navy sheath creation were sensational. Moulded and draped cleverly to the curves of the models, the textured rust choli-cum-sari creation, the lehenga with long sleeved choli and the black draped jersey choli gave new options to wedding wear.

Shantanu and Nikhil

Men’s wear had sharp distinct cuts with an interesting pairing of round skirts for sherwanis, bundgalas, kurtas with bundies, an interesting printed sherwani and a set of side-draped kurtas worn with fluid skirts, added a new dimension to men’s wear.