Indian fashion designers may not be there yet but they are fast inching towards a position where their talent and creativity can be recognized, rewarded and appreciated by wider global audiences. You might counter that, looking at the awards and global recognition won by some of the top fashion designers. But we are talking about the new, fresh breed of Indian fashion designers who seem all set to create a unique influence of their own.
It would be a Herculean task to compile a list of all such Indian fashion designers, but we would like to start a series- presenting 5 such designers in each post. Here is the first one in the series:
Sheena Sood
Label: abacaxi
When she designs, Sheena tries to encapsulate the entire nature into the fabric- call it “Fabric-ating the nature”. To complement the nature theme, she offers seashell hair accessories. Wearing her nature-infused clothes along with matching seashell hair accessories gives a perfect visual medley of nature’s landscapes, oceanic adventures, and coastal vibes.
The balloon sleeves that feature often in her designs; give a feeling of liberty while also adding an extra element of comfort. Tie-Dye is another specialty of the designer which provides the perfect background- the unique organic look; to support and highlight her nature-personifying designs.
Special: Solve your post covid fashion dilemma with her beaded masks- you would love them!
Suket Dhir
Label: SUKETDHIR
Bejewelled and ornamental designs with a keen emphasis on floral hues and shapes is the USP of Suket. This International Woolmark Prize winning designer doesn’t shy to experiment and sometimes even goes much beyond the trends but almost every time he surprises with his unique capability of extensively experimenting with ornamental designs without going “over the board”.
Sachin and Babi Ahluwalia
Label: Sachin & Babi
This is another Indian fashion designer (actually designer duo) that are the beauty of florals. The husband-wife has a flair for delighting the fashionistsas and connoisseurs with their floral elements. Bright, pleasant hues are another specialty that one observes in their works. They are also into beaded jewelry designing and it may be a perfect contrasting combination for the bright floral printed fabrics that they make- just an observation.
Ranjana Khan
Label: Ranjana Khan
Beaded jewelry is generally associated with the feelings of “beauty of simplicity”. Ranjana seems to change this status quo with her beaded jewelry designs that stand out with their bold appeal conferred by the wise use of crystals, feathers and other ornamental paraphernalia.
How deftly she maintains the visual balance between organic vibes of beads and decorative elements is something that needs genuine appreciation.
Megan Kothari
Label: Aryah
There are several categories of fashionistas. Two among them are trend-chasers (and that’s completely alright!) and thoughtful fashion adapters. If you belong to the second category and love jewelry then Megan Kothari is the designer you should study about. Her jewelry is made with the materials that carry an underlying meaning in both visual and spiritual manner. Then her designs lend a tangible voice to those latent meanings. Think about “thought” and “words” or converting the former into the latter.
Indian roots played a major role in prompting her to discover the skill and her designs eloquently talk about that Indian inspiration. However, she doesn’t shy away from experimentation as far as one can do it without disturbing or distorting the original Indian element of the jewelry piece. Her jewelry represents logically coherent feelings that not only attract the attention but also visually delights and; for discerning eyes, conveys a message- be it feminism, transformation or blending traditions with modernity.
