Sultans of surface texturing

Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna flirt with fringe and fantastical prism-like textures for Spring Summer 21

Over the years, label Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna has consistently been the go-to pick to conquer any evening affair. At their Spring Summer 21 outing (at the Lotus Make-up Indian Fashion Week organised by FDCI), the Sultans of surface texturing managed to seduce us with a manic mash-up of tassels, intricate prism-like embroideries and angel wing motifs. From regal velvet tuxedos to glam rock party gowns - every piece livened things up with a shimmy shake in their slickly-shot digital offering titled, Parallax. The nipped-to-the-ripped-torso noir evening pantsuits had a peppering of sex and rock ’n’ roll notoriety.   

Model in Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna

The womenswear pieces struck a delightful balance between structure and fluidity. “We wanted to showcase our consistent love for the fringe and texture,” shares Rahul. The duo reintroduced red to underscore femininity and sensuality. The twirly fringes lent dynamism to the shine-on red pieces making the overall visual impact incendiarily sexy as models walked up and down to groovy beats.  

 

“The womenswear embroidery is subtle, tone on tone, which started during the lockdown as all our craftsmen were working from home. The garments are draped in silk organzas and meshes, incorporating and illustrating elements of every garment to form melodic synchronicity,” adds Rahul.   

Parallax is their first collection concentrated on the modern-day bride and groom and the designers believe that despite the current conditions, every couple still dreams of their wedding celebrations to be perfect. Keeping them in mind, they injected their modern structure and architectural embroideries on new-age Indian silhouettes. Scaling down their more-is-more ornamentations, the duo tried to reconcile comfort with a pared-back opulence.  

The tension caused by the interplay of opacity and transparency in their embellished gowns added to the collection’s full-tilt exuberance. 

The Rohi Rahul universe is dedicated to the unapologetically unironic vision of pretty — a place where women and men have a strong sense of identity and refuse to be the wallflower. Also, they aren’t averse to rocking a naughty thigh-high slit or tactile feathery accents.