Just push play: Amrich’s latest collection is a play on music nostalgia from the 1980s

Chunky dad sneakers are back in trend. Trucker jackets, cargo pockets, high waists found their way onto global catwalks once again. Even Jennifer Lopez wore an updated take on her famous 2000 Versace dress. In terms of trends that ruled the decade, fashion’s biggest talking points came from ’1980s, ’90s and ’00s nostalgia. While many designers revisited their roots and childhood for inspiration, designer duo Amit Vijaya and Richard Pandav found themselves going back to a time when music defined the fashion of the era — the ’80s — as their muse for their latest collection, Patterns Play.

Thanks for the memories 
“Millennials are old enough to remember the ’80s and ’90s, so those decades resonate the most,” says Amit, over a call. He explains that the word ‘play’ in the title refers to the graphic symbol from a Walkman or a record player. “This button, throughout its many interpretations, has stayed close to the forward and rewind buttons and describes how the collection uses sartorial cues from the past to create ensembles that fit within the current fashion landscape.” 

Don’t stop the music
A brand that has innovated and experimented with the shibori craft technique since its inception, Patterns Play is a hark back to Amrich:’s first S/S collection, Shiro Hairo in 2011, which was inspired by the resist dyeing technique. However, the brand’s A/W collection modifies the classic shibori elements into something a little more unconventional. “We wanted to go back to our brand’s classic take on shibori. The idea was to keep the collection muted, minimal yet sophisticated, while using shibori in a variety of ways, from creating a pattern of African animal motifs to mimicking the appearance of a reverberating circle,” he says. Other key motifs in the collection include solid lines that appear to be pulsating (to a beat) and diffused coloured circles (that remind us of visuals associated with psychedelic music). “We have also used shaded thread embroideries that mimic plaid patterns and metallic sequin and beadwork, which could almost be mistaken for a print.”

Back to the future
However, the element of ‘playfulness’ is not limited to just the prints, Patterns Play’s silhouettes — jackets, overlays, shirts, tops, pants, dresses — are paired together to create multi-layered ensembles that reflect the essence of the ’80s Rock ’n’ Roll era.  “We have created a variety of separates made from boiled wool, silk wool blend, lightweight wools and heavy wools. Khadi cotton has also been manipulated into a construction that makes it slightly thicker and warmer,” he adds.

Breaking new ground in 2020, the eight-year-old brand will foray into menswear with a festive capsule collection that will release shortly. 

Rs 14,500 onwards. At Collage.