Almost every influencer and B-town icon has been seen sporting ritzy potli pouches and pashmina fanny packs from Ayushi Kanoi’s label Lovetobag, on and off Instagram. Think of these as a gen-z-approved upgrade on the plain old queen potlis or batwa clutches that had saturated the festive market. Flanked by Japanese micro-beads, kundan nuggets, aztec tassels etc, each pick from Lovetobag’s curation has an edgy, boho vibe. Kanoi reveals that the label’s celebratory design essentially looks to showcase the maximalist elements that are to be found in erstwhile Indian styling.
“The soft pouches were actually one of our core classic silhouettes and the idea was to create an accessory that’s versatile enough to fit into any fashion memo. Like we have detachable handles which makes the bags more utilitarian and repeatable,” Kanoi shares.
Her newest collection Celebrating Legacies also plays up the aesthetic of excess by bridging the gap between homegrown thought and global styling. And Kanoi recently spoke to us about her design influences and creativity:
Tell us about the Embracing Legacies line-up
The collection is about the legacies that we are born with or we create. We have stuck to indigenous design techniques like bandhani, chikankari shadow work and we have also used kundan stones, semi-precious gems and nuggets which we source from Jaipur and Delhi, freshwater baroque pearls and precision-cut Japanese beads, it’s about contemporising these elements.
Tell us how Lovetobag began
I come from a business family and interestingly, we were exporting embroidered products to couture powerhouses like Alexander McQueen, Balmain, Dior etc. And this made me wonder about the potential of luxury value added accessories that could uphold homegrown craftsmanship. That was the idea behind the label, to celebrate the maximalist aesthetic that we see in our artisan communities; the kind of colour palettes or embroideries we see in Gujrat, Kashmir or some nomadic tribes. This is what couture is about.
What has really worked for us is that we have managed to establish a certain look that is global, and yet anchored by an Indian-ness. Over the years we have fine-tuned an iconic product and showcase modern desi flavours very strongly.
You have a lot of bridal shoppers as well…
Brides are now much better shoppers. It’s all about mindful shopping now and classic products and collectibles are doing very well because no one is shopping for that one day anymore. So in terms of accessories they are looking for something that can amp up their look. They are open to repeating accessories and clothes, they also want to share and team them up in different ways. Their priorities are products that can stand the test of time.
Lovetobag is a hit with desi icons. What are new-age fashionistas looking for?
We make statement collectibles and our bags are accessories of celebration, influencers or even regular buyers are looking to be better styled, they want a well-curated look now that weddings have become smaller and every look is more noticable. Everyone is looking for that perfect product that can multi-task and is pairable with the most number of items. No one is really looking to buy a bag for each outfit, which is why they are prioritising quality.