Abu-Sandeep launch affordable prêt line

High priests of fashion to the Bachchan family and other Bollywood A-listers, Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla’s clothes are woefully out of reach for aspiring fashionistas. The duo retail mostly through their flagship stores in Mumbai and Delhi, and it’s really not unusual for a single salwar kurta to be accompanied by a six-figure price tag.

High priests of fashion to the Bachchan family and other Bollywood A-listers, Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla’s clothes are woefully out of reach for aspiring fashionistas. The duo retail mostly through their flagship stores in Mumbai and Delhi, and it’s really not unusual for a single salwar kurta to be accompanied by a six-figure price tag.

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But eager to get acquainted with the new crop of fashion buyers, Abu-Sandeep have come up with a limited edition prêt line, which goes on sale for three days starting April 20.

“We were approached to design a contemporary ready-to-wear collection by a company which was planning to start a line of prêt stores across the country. Unfortunately, that deal fell through, but since we had already created around 200-300 pieces, we decided to go ahead and do it on our own, “ reveals Khosla. The line, priced between Rs.5,000 and Rs.20,000, consists mostly of cotton kurtas, over-sized shirts and their signature ethnic silhouettes, styled in summer tones of white, acid and black. “It’s a very young and funky collection,” says Khosla. “Though it’s much lighter than what we usually do, all the clothes can still be worn to weddings as well as formal occasions. The designs, which are a departure from our usual oeuvre, have never been seen before. It’s quite different from what you would otherwise expect to see from us.”

Explaining that it’s not possible for the designer duo to sustain a prêt line, Khosla says, “People say we’re very expensive, but these days, even if you walk into a high street store, the dresses are all about Rs.5,000. Most of the clothes in this trunk show fall in the range of Rs.10,000 to Rs.12,000, which in all honesty is very affordable for Indian formal wear.”

The collection goes on sale on Friday, 20 April, at their store at 2, Om Chambers, Kemps Corner, Cumballa Hill