Launched in October 2011 in Delhi, Qbik is a passion project of Vrinda Sachdev and Gurinder Singh who met at the Pearl Academy of Fashion, New Delhi in 2005 while pursuing a under-graduation in fashion design. After the course, Vrinda did short stints with Tarun Tahiliani and a a few other design houses while Gurinder decided to persue a Masters in Menswear from the London College of Fashion in UK. In 2011, they both decided to start Qbik together and the brand is now popular with several celebrities including Bhumi Pednekar, Shilpa Shetty, Jacqueline Fernandes, Sonam Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit to name a few. Their latest collection has just hit stores and follows a successful cocktail edit that was quite the talk of the town. We catch up with Vrinda, co-founder, Qbik to find out more about their latest edit, Tesoro.
What was Tesoro inspired by?
A quest for newness within the old fuels us in an utterly unique approach to Indian wear in our latest collection Tesoro, where we dip into a treasure trove of memories and old-world influences. Fluidity meets structure, tradition converges with modernity and nostalgia embraces the avant-garde in this collection of Indian occasion wear infused with geometric drama and European flair. The mood of the entire collection is very evocative — it’s bursting with references as diverse as travel and simple childhood joys. It all comes together to create this line of clean yet experimental wedding wear. It’s as Indian as it is international.
How different is this collection from your previous ones?
After many seasons, we have decided to go pastel, tone-on-tone and classic. We have been playing with weaves, colours and dye techniques for over three years now and this collection is unique because of the embroidery we’ve done.
Are there any motifs or designs that are specific to this collection?
Classic Indian silhouettes and prints like plaid, houndstooth and chevron can be seen extensively in this collection. These staple elements are created, hand embroidered and mitered to perfection. In addition to this, they are cleverly juxtaposed with artistic ‘scribbles’ embroidered with tonal sequins, cutdana, zari and dori to bring to life little childhood delights, into this line-up of outfits plucked out of a European summer dream. The designs are heavily inspired by architecture and geometry such as the sharp lines, precise falls and clean silhouettes that caught our eyes. And there is the use of glistening metal — a Qbik signature — that is amply visible in every look. Think metallic underwires, brass plates and welding details in our blouses and tops.
Do take us through the colour palette used in this edit?
Colours that remind you of understated bling for summer weddings such as tone-on-tone sheen on pastels like light pinks, ivory, beige, mint, teal and sky blue on free-flowing silhouettes have been used widely in this collection.
What are the fabrics and silhouettes you have chosen for this collection?
Georgette, crepe blends and suiting fabrics are employed in the making of perfect balmy weather faux bodysuits and pre-draped saris, classic lehengas, bandhgalas, front-open kurtas and tuxedos — all lightweight, yet impeccably tailored. The metallic underwired blouses, the sharp lines, precise falls and clean silhouettes drawn from architectural inspirations form the base of the collection.
Have you already started working on your next edit?
Yes, we have begun work on our Festive/Wedding ’23-24 edit. Along with our patent Kashmiri embroidery, we are taking our love for folk and tribal one step forward and creating that with metal, thread and beads on very interesting geometric artworks. The metal underwire is coming back in more colours with a more ornate feel.
INR 45,000 onwards. Available online.
romal@newindianexpress.com
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