Karan Torani, Delhi-based designer has made a mark in the fashion industry. As the house of Torani turns five, Karan brings his new couture line Raasleela inspired by the colours of Vrindavan; new summer prints line Rafu; new sister brand Sindhu, inspired by the river Sindhu; at this huge event, with almost 300 garments! We caught up with the designer to know what’s in store for us.
What is the new collection inspired by?
The new collection is a potpourri of a lot of things. We have actually culminated and brought together three different drops — one is a couture line which is inspired by the colours of Vrindavan and has this really beautiful rani pink and lime green; it’s the kind of colours you see Krishna playing Holi with in Vrindavan. So, it’s inspired by the colours of rassleela, and has dori and sitara work on classic Torani saris. The second drop Rafu is inspired by travel and the simplicity of summer; so we have these beautiful parrot printed chanderi kurtas; banana and palm tree leaves on print; pastel colours, romantic hues with organza details. And the third drop is actually the launch of a new sister brand called Sindhu where we are doing everyday essential clothing in prints in affordable price brackets, making luxury a part of life — and that’s mostly lounge wear, comfort wear for summers, something that you can travel in and chill in. The inspiration for this is the river Sindhu (Indus river) and how one travels through to reach different locations and get inspired by various cultures.
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How different is this collection from your previous ones?
The collection has a lot of different romantic moods, but what’s different and exciting is that our categories have evolved so much and we have something for everyone. With all the three collections we are bringing — Rafu, Raasleela and our sister brand Sindhu — what we are really trying to do is bring forth something exciting and fresh for all age groups, body types, and genders.
Are there any motifs or designs that are specific to this collection?
Yes, absolutely. Actually, in the Raasleela summer couture, you will see these beautiful peacock motifs, the cypress tree, the tree of life which is very symbolic to Torani. Our chintz motifs which have always been seen in prints actually take a form in embroideries, on the garments, saris, kurtas with a lot of heritage value. The idea is to create modern heirlooms, so our vision is to make something that can be passed down to generations.
What is the colour palette used in this edit?
Broadly, we have four colour palettes. We have a beautiful ivory and blush pink, almost like a baby pink colour, which is a series of saris and kurtas in completely light pastel tones for the summer season. Then we have vibrant rani pink with a neon lemon colour which is just a right spark of freshness for the summer. And third, we have a shocking purple which is very exciting because it is also the colour of the year 2023. I really wanted to explore purple because it’s such a royal colour and something that does not go out of style. And the last one is mustard, which I think is the most spiritually positive and holy colour within the Indian domain because it represents so much positivity and works for all kinds of events.
What are the fabrics you have chosen for this collection?
We have very keenly focused on our fabrics to be something that our client feels they can live in. So comfort is important. You will see beautiful handwoven chanderis, fine cotton mulmul, silk organzas which is also a signature of Torani with all our saris. Layered with that, you will see matka silk in various kind of couture or printed garment because I think it has the raw earthiness which is very understated in comparison to all other silks. And lastly, there are some really beautiful crepe saris in silk which lend the romantic sleekness that a sari deserves.
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What are the silhouettes we can look forward to?
While we have all of our signature styles, from handcrafted and heritage saris, printed beautiful lehengas for events and haldis, kurtas, what is exciting is that over the years, we have added some really fresher, younger styles with cape and dhotis and blouses; we also have some really nice summer dresses, and you would also see some lovely corsets in linen.
Have you already started working on your next edit?
Yes, we have, because it’s also a five year celebration of Torani, so we wanted to do something really big. The edit will be called Juloos, which means a big procession, a parade; so the collection will be a parade of all that we have done in Torani — a big festive edit with prints, embroideries, a culmination of our history. What we will be presenting are stories that have evolved over the last five years for Torani. You will see a hint of every collection in this one big collection, and it’s really going to be a feast for our audience because our effort is to recognise and give value to what really has been Torani’s signature.
Price on request.
April 7 & 8. 11 am to 7.30 pm.
At Collage, Rutland Gate.
Also available online.
rupam@newindianexpress.com
@rupsjain
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