Bouclé, a fabric that is both coarse and luxurious, captures the essence of Tania George’s label of the same name. Though it doesn’t necessarily feature in her garments, it’s symbolic of her design aesthetic, which is a mix of perfection and imperfection, classic silhouettes and outlandish cuts, elegant detailing and quirky pairings. “I enjoy experimenting with silhouettes and patterns while keeping the basic structure the same. For instance, I will try to stick to a classic A-line dress but add some unique cuts and detailing to sort of play with the shape of it,” explains Tania, whose design lab is located on Ebrahim Sahib Street.
Launched in 2018, Bouclé is a quirky colour-forward brand that initially offered garments primarily made from cotton or cotton blends. Today, Tania has moved from cotton to crepe, though cotton still features in her collections in a small way. The fluidity afforded by crepe lends itself to Tania’s signature silhouettes, which is what prompted her to make the switch. “The fabrics we use, from the silk crepe to satin, are all natural. And we also follow zero wastage,” says Tania, who has worked with designers Paresh Lamba and Chennai-based Vivek Karunakaran in the past.
The designer’s fascination for things that are out of the ordinary is evident in the names of the collections. Rotting Prunita, her SS ’19 line, for instance, was inspired by rotting prunes. Her latest drop, Nemesis, takes inspiration from Pale Man, a character in the cult favourite sci-fi film, Pan’s Labyrinth. Shifting from nude, grey and brown to wine and red, the colour story is both celebratory and understated. The collection features draped layered dresses, flowing tunics, light jackets and roomy jumpsuits.
Currently, Tania is joining numerous other designers to meet the demand for reusable cloth masks. “Masks are our focus at the moment. We’ve also got a lot of enquiries for personalised masks, which we’re also working on,” she signs off.
Rs.1,500 upwards. Available online