Shivani Awasty established her luxury couture and prêt wear label in September 2015. The designer aimed then to create contemporary, cutting-edge pieces that showcase delicate detailing, impeccable technique, attentive pizazz and subtlety that is packed with the ‘oomph’ factor. With a design aesthetic that is a balance of structure and abstraction entwined in subtle English sensibilities; working with shapes and creating spectral drama through the play of fabrics and intricate techniques in surface embellishment and treatment — is something that the brand has come to be known for. Now, a leader in the Indian market, the label has seen a presence in multiple retail stores and digital marketplaces across the country. The brand now has retail presence in India, the Middle East and Europe and in 2017, Shivani created her international brand Vione.
Shivani concluded her education in fashion design womenswear at the prestigious institution, Central Saint Martins, London. She also had the honour of dressing famous English contemporary artist Grayson Perry. Shivani sought formal training from some of the most renowned fashion houses in the world, including House of John Galliano, Paris and Marchesa, New York. Under the House of John Galliano, she worked on everything ranging from their autumn winter collections to crafting accessories with much flare. As for Marchesa, she worked specifically culminating couture to perfection for famous Hollywood celebrities such as Blake Lively, Eva Longoria, Sarah Hyland and several others.
Popular with several celebrities including Malaika Arora, Masoom Minawala, Tapsee Pannu, Sunny Leone, Aditi Rao Hyadri, Mouni Roy, Gauri Khan and Hansika Motwani, just to name a few, Shivani last collection was called Celestial and the collection drew inspiration from constellations and celestial objects in the sky. The key focus was the luminous effect and bursts of light that are created by exploding stars. The colours were selected keeping supernovas in mind the brilliant white light, effervescent grey and nebula blues. We catch up with the designer to talk about her latest collection, Syren.
“Syren, is based on a woman who is considered to be alluring, fascinating and dangerous in some ways. The collection embodies the inner power, fearlessness, elegance and sensuality of a woman. We have been inspired by the mythological creatures, the sirens and the collection champions vivid romanticism and high octane glamour manifesting in a woman’s unconscious yet powerful sophisticated femininity,” begins Shivani.
The hues and colours of this collection lend itself to bold jewel tones and sharp hues with a symphony of exaggerated shapes and glamorous cocktail wear. Syren focuses more on the power of a woman’s sensuality, her boundless inner power and her fearless elegance and is very different from her previous edit, Celestial, which was all about the constellations and celestial objects in the sky.
“The new edit is crafted for the woman who’s not afraid of the spotlight and it does so while keeping craft and design at the forefront. The jaw-dropping scarlet-toned corset dress is one of the standout pieces in the collection — it’s a mini that’s grand and makes a bold impression. I have worked extensively with silk tulle and organzas as I wanted to create a translucent appeal to all the garments,” Shivani adds.
Unafraid of experimenting with silhouettes that are on the edgier side of things, Shivani Awasty’s also designed dresses and gowns that have angular cuts, billowing frills and ’20s style fringes in this edit for those who love taking things up a notch, but still keeping it well within the accepted boundaries of couture.
A scarlet-toned corset dress is one of the standout pieces in Syren — it’s a mini that’s grand and makes a bold impression. But if you prefer something longer there’s a backless number in a gorgeous ruby shade that’s all feminine, all drama.
INR 50,000 onwards. At Pernia’s Pop Up Studio, Lavelle Road.
Email: romal@newindianexpress.com
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