Nature never ceases to inspire us. Be its majestic mountains, a garden brimming with vibrant flowers, or simply a tranquil river that keeps flowing, nature’s wonder awakens our senses like none other. There are many ways to feel close to this visual splendour. One such terrific style to pay homage to Earth’s abundant bounty is fashion. Many brands introduce wearable masterpieces that celebrate the beauty of the natural world. Along similar lines, fashion brand Scakhi has launched a new collection Vanaspati.
Their design vocabulary revolves around creating silhouettes that have relevance to Indian heritage. The main idea is to study and analyse the latest and evolving fashion trends and incorporate them into the base design philosophy. They have a diverse range of collections representing leheriya, bandhani, chikankari, shibori, kalamkari and other plethora of regional crafts. Vanaspati is an amalgamation of five capsule collections, each of which owes its inspiration to the different parts and functions of a plant — the true symbol of mother nature.
Ankit Agarwal, founder of Scakhi says, “For our SpringSummer’23 collection, we focused on the study of plants — Botany, which translates to vanaspati-vigyaan.” The first capsule Svarasa means sap. It resembles the blood or juice of a plant. For this, they have used a simple combination of solid and prints on contemporary couture silhouettes. The second one named Bela translates to flower or jasmine. This one celebrates the bliss of floral enchantment. You will find elaborate floral prints on stunning Anarkali silhouettes. The outfits have been finessed with handcrafted tassels and embroidered net dupattas. For Sara, the third capsule, dedicated to heartwood, the designer reimagined the traditional silhouette with modern contemporary styles in soulful colourful prints and fusion bodies that can be worn on any occasion.
Ankit tells us, “Patra (leaves) is the fourth capsule. Just like t h e leaves fall and grow every season, this capsule is a fall away from our couture collection and takes you to our more relatable and affordable ready-towear prêt collections.” He further goes on to infor m about the most awaited capsule of Vanaspati —Moola, which is black roots. This is basically a celebration of black and white — signifying how grandeur can be found in simple things. The designer tells us that silhouette and fabric matter the most while designing a summer collection. Given the rising heat intensity in this season, he has incorporated breathable fabrics like soft and pure cotton, light and breezy pure muslins and linens. One will find co-ord sets, wearable lehenga choli and sharara sets in Vanaspati. They have used pastels, and cotton candy colour palettes in sync with the season’s trends. When asked why he chose nature, Ankit immediately replies, “Nature is infinite. Nature is our soul. We can draw inspiration from nature for a lifetime.” “With this collection, we want women to feel comfortable, beautiful, and confident. Vanaspati, in its truest form, will definitely bring them closer to nature,” says Ankit.
Rs 2,500 onwards.
Available online.