Designer Rajdeep Ranawat’s newly unveiled collection, Sayuri, is an ode to Japanese aesthetics

Known for weaving exotic tales of opulence in multi-coloured prints, feted designer Rajdeep Ranawat's latest collection, Sayuri, too, takes a colourful leaf out of the movie Memoirs of Geisha, melding oriental mysticism with contemporary aesthetics. Recently unveiled at the FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week, the edit offers a bold mix of oriental motifs in rich colours and materials.

“The new collection balances a very effective use of colour and rhythm and the prints capture the ancient orient textiles and embroideries. Their simplicity lulls you into a zen-like calmness," he tells us.

We speak with the designer to know more about the same:

Tell us about Sayuri?

Sayuri is basically an oriental journey of Memoirs of a Geisha and offers Japanese style textiles and embroideries transformed into beautiful prints on luxurious and sustainable silk fabrics which are fluid and soft. The silhouettes are loose and the colours are in dual tones, from reds and greens, sapphire to blacks rubies and rust, apart from ivory and citrine yellows.

Handcrafted weaves and digital prints embody your designs. Tell us how much has your designs evolved over the years?

I think RajdeepRanawat designs today have made their own niche. You can spot RajdeepRanawat prints from miles away for engineered digital prints that are very fine, very artistic and look expensive and rich even though they’re not embroidered.

What will be trending big time this summer?

The trend this summer will be nice happy prints, florals, and geometrics as long as they are happy they are bright and light and give you a sense of getting over the pandemic.

What are your design inspirations?

My design inspirations are usually from my travels or from my sourcing or where I go or what I see around whether from a book or a movie, so, it’s generally related to more travel or a nomadic lifestyle.

How do you work toward turning your clothes into more eco-friendly and green?

Our clothes are already eco-friendly and green since we use the purest form of silks and we are importing it from very sustainable sources and the inks that are used for digital printing are also sustainable as they are azo-free inks. We are doing our bit in terms of sustainability when it comes to luxury prêt and clothing.

Must-haves in a summer wardrobe?

A very cool breezy airy kaftan from our brand.

What are a few changes in the sartorial fashion trend that you feel have taken place for good?

I think the kaftans are here to stay and so, we were already doing comfortable and easy silhouettes.

What are the upcoming collections that you are currently working on?

We are working on the May drops for high summer and then for fashion week we are showcasing a festive collection which is an august drop.

Where do you see the Indian fashion scene in the next few years and what are your growth plans as a label? 

I think Indian fashion has grown tremendously because of us going online. We are seeing many global boutiques and online portals buying from us as well. We want to get into home furnishing and menswear. We are known for our prints and we are getting into home textiles, home furnishing and also wallpaper designing.