Anavila’s SS 21 edit, now in Chennai, takes inspiration from a book

Inspirations for collections can be found in the oddest of places, especially when faced with the challenge of a summer edit that has quintessential palettes of yellows and floral symbols. We caught up with Mumbai-based designer Anavila Misra, whose new SS ’21 collection, Bloom, is inspired by a book, to find out where designers can take new inspiration from.

“Bloom is inspired by the book — Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype, by Dr Clarissa Pinkola Estés. The book really moved me and gave me an insight into how we need to connect with our subconscious to actually bloom into our true selves. Spring is all about nature at its full bloom and I wanted to connect the two. This collection is my message to women everywhere: ‘I hope you will go out and let the stories of life happen to you, and that you will work with these stories… water them with your blood and tears and laughter till they bloom, till you yourself burst into a bloom’,” shares the designer.

But how exactly does literature transfigure into a collection? “Well, Bloom is a collection full of optimism and that optimism comes from the book. We have all gone through a difficult and unprecedented year and we all deserve an optimistic and positive future. Colour in my view is a great way to make our outlook positive and bright. Colour is core to this collection. We have bright colours of the earth, forest, sky and water. Jodhpur blues, Rani pinks, Gulmohar greens and Chrysanthemum yellows are some of the strong tones that I have chosen to play with. I’ve even tried to reinterpret the book into my silhouettes with easy, chic designs and clean lines. We have done coats and jackets for summer layering and loose kurta shirts which can take you from day to evening. The saris, this time around, are a mix of prints and delightful solids paired with raglan and kaftan blouses. The fabric is mostly linen with some cotton and silk and the motifs focus on florals and birds,” explains Anavila.

The collection is surely a refreshing take on a Spring-Summer edit. However, has it also been affected by the pandemic and the lockdown that 2020 saw? “It definitely has been an unprecedented time and came with a lot of challenges both personally and professionally, but at the same time I got to reflect, relook and realign myself.  I have spent more time this past year revisiting my design process, working closely with my product and redefining my classics. The idea to base the new SS edit on a book that inspired me, came from this introspection and I like what has come out of the experiment,” concludes the designer.

Priced at Rs. 12,500 onwards, from 11 am to 7.30 pm, on till March 31 at Amethyst.

romal@newindianexpress.com
@elromal