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

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’ unveiled at Quli Khan’s Tomb

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’

The Wills Lifestyle Grand Finale by Rohit Bal concluded the Spring Summer 2015 edition of India’s premiere fashion & trade event – Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week. It was a magical evening at Quli Khan’s Tomb with Qutub Minar as its backdrop came alive with this magnificent show.

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’, inspired by the rich and lush Mughal Gardens of Kashmir, is a tribute to the God-gifted and unparalleled beauty of the valley. Mesmerising the audience, through a visual and musical spectacle, the event recreated the erstwhile court of the Mughals through flowers and live music. With guests entering to live Sufi music, the show began with the resounding voice of the internationally acclaimed doyen of Indian classical music – Shubha Mudgal. While she sang, the models walked the ramp, adorned with flowers.

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’

A delighted Rohit Bal said, “It is wonderful to be back and a great honour to be doing the grand finale at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week once again. It is a perfect platform for me to show uninhibited creativity and express myself through a collection that transcends all seasons and reflects my sense of aesthetics without any constraints.”

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’

The fabrics range from fine handlooms like chanderi, fine mulmul, matka silk and voile, while velvet lends a hint of luxury. Techniques like hand-block printing have been used with vegetable dyes and gold leaf embossing, with a generous use of quilting and tilla, and hand embroidery in resham. This subtle collection revels in an extravagant use of thread and metallic gold.

Arjun Rampal walks for Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’ collection

Ivory formed the basis of this canvas; embroidered and deep jewel tones enhanced the purity of the earthy textile. The use of rich brocade from Varanasi added the right amount of glamour and opulence to the otherwise understated and demure collection.This collection represents the craft and heritage of India. It is pure in its thought and follows a philosophy of timeless style. It is quite, calm and enveloped in a cloak of serenity!

‘Bubbly Banarsi’ by Chhaya Mehrotra

Chhaya Mehrotra for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Designer Chhaya Mehrotra presented a bold and lively collection, ‘Bubbly Banarsi’ for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015.

Chhaya Mehrotra Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Bubbly is a little girl, who has grown up in Banaras; she weaves the spirit of the city with all its idiosyncrasies in her own set of experiences in this collection. Colours of sindoor, shiva, chandan and moksha—red, blue, yellow and white surfaced in this collection in different avatars.

Chhaya Mehrotra for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

The chosen fabrics, silk, cotton and noil were made into garments, inspired by the local dressing culture; for instance, think of how a school girl or a flower vendor dresses up!

Chhaya Mehrotra for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Handicraft techniques like, block-printing, weaving and wooden toy making met to bring forth a collection that’s truly Banarsi! Born in one of the oldest textile printing families of Banaras, Chhaya Mehrotra has always been fascinated with creativity.

The Ferryman’s Tale by Rahul Mishra

Rahul Mishra’s Spring Summer 2015 collection at Paris Fashion Week

Right between Miu Miu and Hermès, Rahul Mishra pulled off a great show at Paris Fashion Week. He happens to be the second designer after Manish Arora to have been featured on the Mode a Paris schedule.

Rahul Mishra’s Spring Summer 2015 collection at Paris Fashion Week

This February, Mishra was awarded the prestigious International Woolmark Prize and since then the Delhi-based designer has been under the spectrum of international limelight.

Rahul Mishra’s Spring Summer 2015 collection at Paris Fashion Week

For his Spring/Summer 2015 collection at Paris, the designer speaks about the unfamed stories and secret tales of the ferryman who carries travelers across water bodies. His collection was inspired by traditional Japanese art and three centuries old Chintz.

Rahul Mishra’s Spring Summer 2015 collection at Paris Fashion Week

Textile and surface development techniques have been Mishra’s strong suit, hence his choice of inspiration is not unexpected; but the designer’s implementation of the simple nonfigurative thought of a ferryman’s memoirs speaks of his profound understanding of his strengths.

Rahul Mishra’s Spring Summer 2015 collection at Paris Fashion Week

“The Ferryman’s Tale epitomises my personal journey and growth as a designer. Every destination I have reached has always increased my quest to a greater design sensibility and cause to uphold the richness of India’s textiles and craft,” avers Mishra.

Rahul Mishra’s Spring Summer 2015 collection at Paris Fashion Week

The collection of 33 pieces features looks in neutral colour palettes of blush, whites and charcoal grays. The styles swerve towards sports luxe, but the collection is noticeably Indian in its cuts.

 

The Alchemy of Handloom by ‘MOAVI’ : An ode to India’s heritage weaves

Maovi

Moavi draws its roots from old Indian textiles in an attempt to reinvigorate traditional weaves and give them their much-deserved limelight in today’s world of fashion.​ The brand is working towards re-introducing weaves that are on the verge of extinction—they are incorporating Muga silk, Pat silk, Eri-silk, Tusser silk, Linen, Mercerized-cotton and real Zari, creating pure magic beyond boundaries.

Maovi

To start with, Moavi has introduced clusters from, Assam, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and they plan to cover all states eventually to create designs, which will procure holistic aesthetics of our traditional and contemporary eccentricities.

Maovi

Having great passion for both fashion and sustainability, Kavita and Anmol ​Badsra, ​each with years of experience in design and consulting, lead Moavi. Moavi wants to be known as an organisation that uses design as a means to address the most important issues of our times by providing sustainability in life of our weavers​ and artisans.

Maovi

Textile industry, despite being the second largest employment generator segment in our country has not been able to provide sustainable livelihood to our highly skilled handloom weavers in almost all states. We believe, the industries of fashion, textile and design offers unique effective opportunities for designers, craftsmen and consumers alike to contribute to the alleviation of poverty by being ethical about one’s fashion choices without sacrificing style.

Maovi

About the Collection: Ekam—Ekam is literally Moavi’s first step towards envisioned future of Indian handloom sector. This collection draws inspiration from Indian mythology, ‘Ramayana’ depicting each khand/stage of the tale in every product through hand-weaving, hand-embroidery or intricate block printing techniques.

Maovi

The color palette brings forth bright Indian hues like, haldi yellow to sindoori red, deep indigo to metal tones of gold and silver, each shade narrating a different story. We have started with hand-woven saris and dupattas and are working towards expanding the collection further to constructed blouses, jackets and kurtas, wherein planned silhouettes are simple yet feminine and perfectly suitable for work-wear, as well as light occasion wear.

Krishna Mehta for Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2014

Krishna Mehta’s love affair with the textiles of India has been an ongoing process for decades. The designer has presented the most fabulous collections season after season working with various Indian state handlooms. For Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2014 Krishna once again brought to centre stage the glory and beauty of Indian handlooms from Benaras, Maheshwar, Bhagalpur and Manipur.

Krishna Mehta

Mixing flattering happy colours with easy comfortable silhouettes, Krishna’s woven textiles were a visual delight on the runway. Going for ample surface texturing, Krishna added her exclusive unique touches to the collection to unveil a festive couture look.

Krishna Mehta

Dividing the collection in four distinct colour stories – indigo, orange, white and shocking hot pink, the soft silhouettes were the basis of the various mix of prints and the tonal embroidery.While the kurtas, tunics, sheer covers were cut away from the body to allow for ease and comfort, the tiny shrugs almost embraced the curves of the models. An occasional pair of churidar was overpowered by the constant wide palazzos, pyjamas and flared pants, in assorted prints that signaled relaxed attire.

Krishna Mehta

Angarkha style gowns, bias cut kurtas, or slim ones, mul covers with extended sleeves and lacy flared pants were perfect for lounging or just making a fashionable impression. Saris came with kedia style blouses to add a rustic touch to the collection. Shimmer came in the form of a column maxi, fuchsia embroidered blouse and a multicoloured embellished swirling lehenga, which was the only entry that slightly moved away from the colour quartet.

Krishna Mehta

Men’s wear had an assorted line of engineered printed shirts, sherwanis, and Jodhpuri jackets— all worn with wide pyjamas. For timeless couture, which pays homage to India’s rich textile heritage, Krishna Mehta’s relaxed laid back collection was the perfect offering for a variety of occasions.