Designer duo reaches out for the divine
The hand-draped cowl neck top and handloom wrapped trousers will feature in Nikhil and Shantanu Mehra's collection that will be unveiled at the LIFW on Monday.
The hand-draped cowl neck top and handloom wrapped trousers will feature in Nikhil and Shantanu Mehra's collection that will be unveiled at the LIFW on Monday.
Designer duo Shantanu and Nikhil Mehra gear up to give us a glimpse of the metaphysical. What else can one expect from a collection titled After Death, which will be unveiled at The Grand today for the Lakme India Fashion Week. Symbolising different facets of mankind as they look up to Jesus, the designer duo will focus on emotions like sadness, strength and freedom.
"We chose this theme as there is a lot one can experiment with. Everyone seems to be stressed out and all of us strive for the one common goal of peace. And this is the universal story that we would unveil on the ramp," says Nikhil. That explains why they have chosen the music of period films like Braveheart mixed with opera to depict sadness and devastation.
Wrap trousers, bolero jackets, skirts and dresses are what their collection comprises of. "A lot of layering has been done on these skirts and dresses. But nothing is short: In fact they are oversized with a masculine feel to them," says Nikhil.
The duo that retails at B/X at Birmingham and Designer lounge in Dubai has experimented with fabrics like chiffon and silk on handloom with texturing that has metallic coins as the main embellishment.
Unlike last year, where the two played with bright colours, they have stuck to shades of gold and beige. "Gold is a colour that we often relate to god. Also it has an antique feel to it," says Shantanu.
It is the duo's tribute to divinity. "Shantanu is good with colour schemes while I stick to designing and together we have developed this theme which we feel is quite unusual and hope it works well," says Nikhil. We hope so too.
Sneak Preview
Cowl neck tops: Draped with interesting cuts
Skirts: Skirts in all lengths with metal hangings as the main embellishment
Wrap Trousers: In handloom fabric with coins on the waist
Dresses: In lighter fabrics like chiffons in shades of champagne and beige