Reinventing the black shawl

Come winter and a black shawl is a must-have for your wardrobe...

Each fashion season we get to see trendy reincarnations of classic staples. Say for instance, come winter and a black shawl is a must-have for your wardrobe. Drape it whichever way you want to it not only makes you look chic but also keeps you warm. However, this plain piece of cloth could look a bit boring for the avant-garde winter fashion. So, to give it a fresh lease of life, 25 Indian fashion designers have reinterpreted the black shawl in their signature styles.

In a recent collaboration with the team of Vogue India magazine, the designers have turned the classic black shawl into a coveted object of sartorial desire. The designers include Rajesh Pratap Singh, Manish Malhotra, JJ Valaya, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Anamika Khanna, Suneet Varma, Falguni and Shane Peacock, Rocky S, Manish Arora and many other well-known names of the fashion industry.

Manish Malhotra, who has used an amalgamation of traditional and modern techniques for his creation, says, “The shawl uses intricate Kashmiri work, zardozi work, cutwork and is finished by gota lace with my signature tassel that gives it an exclusive couture feel.” Ashish Soni on the other hand claims to have translated the little black shawl into tangible dreams. “The shawl is defined with a collar cape adorned with a button. It is as drape-y in nature, defining the signature design parameters that I follow,” he says.