The newest labels on the circuit are helping luxury fashion manoeuvre around the new conscious facelift, and Tanvi Kejriwal’s label Nayantara Couture is a great example. The design house has made way for a dynamic, edgy and versatile line-up with its first collection that is made up entirely of exquisite hand-embroidered separates which have terrific repeat value in terms of styling.
‘I’ve observed luxury designers from Europe and America from a very young age, since my family has been into fashion export. So, in spite of not having a professional degree in fashion I have experienced the industry very closely. I wanted to work with international embroidery techniques in semi-Indian silhouettes. I have a really talented design team and we’re trying to work with a lot of really interesting embroidery detailing that’s distinct and not common,” Tanvi tells us, as we drop in to browse through the collection that’s currently available at Kolkata’s Coral Concept Store.
The label leans towards classic, urban silhouettes which can be used and deconstructed in a versatile fashion, and can also make for really interesting occasion wear, since they exude a sense of cosmopolitanism and the silhouettes are flowy and empowering. We discovered that the collection features myriad influences and brings unpredictable elements together, like sequined, psychedelic accents on khaki jumpsuits and jewel-toned shirts with cutdana embroidery.
The label is anchored by a very functional zero-waste policy which is hugely relevant in the current climate as more and more young designers are steering towards a leaner, ethical and effective manufacturing process. “We don’t create inventories. We are doing one piece for each design and we are moving it around stores, so they can be made-for-order. It’s as sustainable as it gets, it is not fast fashion and also very cost-effective. As a business model it makes great sense because in the Indian market especially, everyone wants clothes made-to-measure, no one really wants to buy something heavily embroidered off-the-racks,” Tanvi remarks.
One of our favourite picks from the line-up is an embroidered jacket with deconstructed paisley embellishments which can be styled over a lehenga or with fusionistic flared pants and belt. Another versatile pick would be a black sheer silk shirt with embroidery along the sides which can also fit into more than one aesthetic. Superbly intricate embroidery is the biggest USP for Nayantara Couture, and the silhouettes are hence designed to be breathy and effortless.
“I wanted to showcase a different category of embroidery to the market, everything around us was so repetitive, so focusing on fresher threadwork techniques was a really important aspect of our process. Of course, working with artisans was a major goal as well, to support them in these unpredictable times. I think as a new brand our biggest challenge is going to be getting noticed, especially since everybody is just playing safe, and almost everything has moved online so buyers are going for known names, there’s lesser scope for brand discovery since there are no exhibitions either. But our line-up aims at a very diverse clientele, it would appeal to anyone who wants to experiment and it’s not at all restrictive. I think anyone from twenty to fifty year old can wear our clothes,” Tanvi says.