Jajaabor drops new holiday wear edit Athena that time travels to Greece and back 

Travelling often stirs the imagination of artists and designers alike. At labels like Jajaabor, their border-defying explorations are transmuted into contemporary Ready to Wear (RTW) bearing their signature for vibrant prints. Their silhouettes celebrate the freewheeling spirit of the wearer. The Delhi-based label run by designers Kanika Sachdev and Neelanjan Ghosh usually finds itself amid new landscapes to create their upcoming collections and this time, they were in Greece — the land of stunning art, architecture, nature and world-renowned philosophers. Being there inspired their latest drop S/R '23 collection, Athena which was also showcased recently in Hyderabad's Taj Deccan.

We caught up with Neelanjan to know how the European country acted as a muse and he shares, “Greece has lots to offer to a tourist — art, architecture, food, beaches and more. The main places tourists generally visit are Mykonos, Santorini and Athens. What they tend to miss out on are the less-known places like the Meteora where one gets to witness the floating monasteries. There are many hidden gems that one can explore in Greece which talk about folklore, cuisine, street art and more. Interestingly, we noticed the amalgamation of all the old and traditional giving birth to the modern in our new edit.”

We asked how the places culminated in the edit and he quite literally took us through this far-away land, “We walked through the narrow lanes of Athens, trekked to the monasteries at the Meteora, swam the volcanic shores of the Greek islands, and admired the omnipresence of the Acropolis. Greece is home to powerful gods, legendary warriors, scholars, and philosophers along with being a country of beautiful sunsets. It has uniqueness and buoyant social-cultural diversity which embraces the beauty of the golden past with a mix of the present.”

The Grecian allure is evident in the edit’s pieces that encapsulate the past, present and future in a striking balance in the fabrics, prints and colours. The edit has breezy dresses, corset tops with long skirts, collared gowns, jackets and more, dipped in bright colour tones of blue, white, red and yellow. They are adorned with Grecian motifs of wall graffiti, names of popular taverns, shopping streets in Athens, flower pots at the window, line sketches of Crete, traditional churches, sculptures, windmills and more that lend a tale-telling capacity to the ensembles.

Neelanjan tells us about the choice of bright colours and motifs, “We decided to use the traditional representation of Greece Island for the colour story as we feel it gives you the vibe of the place. We also wanted people to easily relate to the concept through the colours. Everyone who purchases our collection does not necessarily want to know the story behind it; hence, it was very important to create something which pleases the eye.”

The collection is designed for the women of today who love to experiment and express freely. Since Athena is a holiday wear edit, we asked Neelanjan about what’s pushing the trend of holiday dressing in India, “With the advent of social media, holiday-themed-wardrobe is definitely in and we are constantly trying to imbibe everything positive and critical to create that balance in our designs and outfits. As designers, we have to keep moving with time and adapt to the changes to create garments that are of value but at the same time are desirable to the people. We truly feel coexistence is the key to growth now.”

 
₹28,500 upwards.Available online.
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