This brand returns with its seventh collection, rooted in self-expression
Fashion has long been a language of self-expression, but for designer Saveri Raj, it is also a way of coming home to herself. With Golden Hour, the seventh campaign for her avant-garde label ROZE 2.11, the personal and the creative blur into one. Built around Carl Jung’s idea of the Golden Shadow — a repository of hidden talents, creativity and vitality, the collection is an exploration of reclaiming the parts of ourselves we leave behind. In a conversation with Indulge, Saveri reflects on her new collection and the joy of embracing your true self.
Excerpts:
Golden Hour draws on Jung’s idea of the Golden Shadow and the reclamation of exiled parts of ourselves. How did you translate such an introspective concept into design?
Over the past two years, I grew and evolved as a person and, more prominently, as an artiste. Self-expression took deeper roots, and I became more self-aware with each passing campaign. While sifting through YouTube one day, I encountered the Jungian concept. So Golden Hour became an amalgamation of my experiences and what works in the market. Ultimately, what works for the market takes precedence over purely artistic or philosophical concerns, but I try to strike a healthy balance between art and commerce.
Conceptually, what excites you the most about this collection?
From a strictly conceptual standpoint, the fact that the collection represents the reclamation of lost and hidden talents excites me most. I was artistic in school and a good student. As it happened, I ended up studying Economics for my bachelor’s degree. It was only after immense soul-searching that I returned to my roots as an artiste. It was a form of inner rebellion against a world that puts down the arts and artistic pursuits, and the takeaway for me was to claim my artistic self.
Many of the garments seem designed to transform with the wearer through draping or versatile styling. Was adaptability an intentional part of the collection’s philosophy?
In my opinion, design is always meant to solve a problem and provide utility. The problem today is too much product out there in the market, so I focus on fewer, more versatile pieces that are long-term wardrobe companions by virtue of being trend-neutral and move effortlessly between work and leisure, and, as a spring-summer campaign, between city and beach. Design is always intentional, and our intention is to produce less but better.
How do you translate your visual language into garments that stay true to your creative vision while remaining functional and wearable?
Overall, mood boards and inspiration boards are helpful reference points. While a mood board captures the feel intended for a collection, an inspiration board captures the range of tailoring, draping and surface techniques to be explored. Mid-collection, if I feel lost, I can always go back to these points of reference to maintain the creative cohesiveness of a collection. As for wearability, every ROZE 2.11 collection emphasises wearability. As a luxury prêt or ready-to-wear label, we have to prioritise wearability. Haute couture can be dreamy, but we have to give precedence to wearability.
Walk us through some of the pieces in the collection that best capture the essence of Golden Hour, and what design details make it so significant?
I adore the Syzygy dress. The bib provides a preppy look; without it, it’s a slightly more relaxed white double-collared shirt dress that makes it stand out without trying too hard. I also like the Animus skirt co-ord — a blend of precise tailoring yet soft in its approach, embellished by a bow. The Anthropos dress strikes the perfect balance between dainty, feminine and regal in the details and draping, while the Individuation general dress draws upon the uniform culture of post-World War II, amplifying the idea of female authority.
Prices start at `9,000. Available online.