A TRENDSETTER SETS ANOTHER NEW TREND
Asmita Aggarwal (HT City)

She believes designers set trends and her prediction for this season will announce the arrival of short kurtas teamed up with low-waisted bootlegs. However, the highlight of Mumbai-based designer Anita Dongre’s LIFW collection will be the innovative use of the laser beam to cut suede and create fantastic designs, which sets her apart from the other participants. Gearing up to present her ‘Flesh’ collection tomorrow at the Taj Palace, Anita says, “I just conceived this concept 25 days back and the laser process is a very specialised one. It needs time to execute, so I’ve done a few pieces, but my mind is buzzing with 200 more options.”

A Duruelo School product, Anita Dongre launched her label three years ago, after she completed a two-year course in fashion design from SNDT College, Mumbai. Says Anita, “This time my collection is more evolved and focused unlike last year which had too many elements. I’ve stayed away from the popular peasant look, barring a few smocked blouses – a common trend you see on the ramp.”

Anita who graduated in Commerce from the Narsee Monjee College, Mumbai, has this time round cut suede (not pure suede but a polyester micro-fibre alternative) ingeniously to make patterns. You can see the horse on the thigh of the bootleg, which exposes the bare flesh beneath or geometric motifs on the neckline, leaving the skin exposed underneath. “However, its done seductively rather than projected as a vulgar, bare-dare look,” says Anita who also does a fusion line for Shopper’s Stop and Westside.

The whole emphasis for Anita has shifted to a cowboy look, Rodeo appeal, with suede skirts sporting tassels and lots of tie-and-dye tops. “I’m showing my ready-to-wear line which starts from Rs 950 and goes upto Rs 7,500. My retail outlet in South Extension Part-I was shut down in February this year because of administrative problems but is likely to restart by next April,” says Anita who has used a myriad hues ranging from rust wine, midnight blues to aborigine.

For Anita, it’s important to work with textiles, so she’s working with an NID, Ahmedabad, student Sheetal Naik, who is developing new tie-and-dye techniques. “We’ve used georgette and jute silk and folded the fabric, stitched it up and then dyed it in various hues. The whole trick is to contemporise existing craft by adding a fresher element to it so that it appeals to the youth,” says the young, innovative designer.