The last two years amid the unprecedented waves of the pandemic have made us all dreary. But for the creative community of fashion makers, the abyss of loss and grief has birthed a sense of reason where legions of designers are striving to be relevant by bridging the gap between luxury, sustainability and functionality. At such a juncture, Hyderabadi designer Aisha Rao blends sustainable luxury with utility in her latest collection titled Divergence SS22. Her upcycled occasionwear is a call to young hearts to celebrate the joy of dressing up in slow yet versatile way, one in which they can own their distinctive style!
Being the young designer and the creative powerhouse that she is, Aisha has left no stone unturned to stir the fashion world with her signature appliqué technique where she creates sartorial pieces out of waste collected from deadstock fabric. Her appliqué motifs lustrously embroidered with aari, zardosi and macrame hook the viewers at the layered creations that compellingly align with millennial sensibilities. Her latest collection, Divergence SS22 is an inventive example of such harmony.
In our conversation, she reveals to us the about the thematic inspiration, “Divergence means moving up from an existing process or condition. With this collection, I want to diverge from an existing state of melancholy rendered by the uncertainty of the pandemic. The collection’s vibrancy thus reflects an escapade from the sombre days and heralds jubilation derived from dressing up.” The designer who recently showcased at the FDCI X Lakmé Fashion Week in March, shares, “I was showcasing on the ramp after a hiatus of two years of pandemic. So I truly realised the potential of a physical fashion show where we got a great response from top influencers like Masoom Minawala who created content for us, praised the collections and echoed the sentiment of what youth wants to wear today.” The collection had Mira Kapoor Rajput as the showstopper gorgeously flaunting her toned figure in the Divergence Veri Peri coloured delicate tissue work lehenga embellished with mukaish, saadi and ornate needlework and paired with a bold bralette blouse, totally exuding youthfulness.
With Divergence, Aisha shows us how traditional aesthetics can be made fun, functional and quirky with a forward-looking approach. To add practicality in designs, she transforms the traditional tissue work lehengas into snazzy organza skirts with pockets. The colour pallete also excites one with a splash of liquid metallic shades like Very Peri, peach, ivory and pink that piques the interest of Gen-Z and millennials. She reveals to us how the collection is experimental, “I have experimented with maximalist embroidery work with my previous occasionwear Paper Dolls but this time with Divergence, I want to keep things subtle, effortless and practical. My lehenga skirts are unlike any typical heavy work lehenga. They are lightweight and can look equally sassy by doing some mix-and-match which the present generation knows very well to do given the internet exposure to style trends. For instance, any Divergence skirt when paired with a brocade crop top or a polo winter sweater can work wonders on the style game. Similarly, you can wear a poplin shirt with the Divergence blouse on it and rock it with Banarasi pants. That’s why we say the collection is empirical at its core.”
The designer departs from the conventional floral motifs and punctuates the organza skirts with eccentric appliqué work that takes inspiration from Japanese umbrellas, celestial bodies, flora and fauna and conjures our fantasy. When these intricately 3-D embroidered motifs embellish the lightweight lehengas, cutwork tissue dupattas, sharara sets and ruffled saris they accentuate a youthful spell of splendor. “I want to preserve the heirloom value silhouettes like tissue but at the same time keep them urbane and on fleek with the current mood of the generation,” she tells.
Elaborating on how she stays relevant she tells, “Today’s generation is very unconventional and free from bias. The brides that come to us do not fear from trying new trends that celebrate their individualistic style with comfort so we’re all in to have a progressive approach to designs where we deliver on such new-age expectations with an experimentative spirit.”
₹1,10,000 upwards. Available in-store at Banjara Hills and online
priyamvada@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @RanaPriyamvada