The one most exciting thing about India Fashion Week is the fair spattering of talent, as an eclectic mix of designers from across the country shares the ramp.

Anuradha Vakil, a steady, quiet presence who periodically surfaces at Ogaan promotions, is one of the designers who'll have a show for the first time in Delhi as part of IFW. Based in Ahmedabad, Anuradha is known for working with hand-crafts and handwoven textiles. Her forte is what she calls `an arty look.'

"I design for a woman with a finely tuned sense of aesthetics, someone who is passionate about things created by hand. I have a clientele from the fields of arts, theatre and design. Being an ardent lover of Indian classical music and kathak, I don't really mind my clothes being labeled 'arty'.''

For her India Fashion Week show on August 18, Anuradha plans to present two collections. Each of these is based on a particular textile craft.

Avoiding the conventional use of motifs from Hindu mythology, Anuradha has introduced a more contemporary design vocabulary. The colour palette has been simplified to make it more appealing to modern sensibilities.