This edit transforms the beauty of nature into a wardrobe of fluid silhouettes!

For Delhi-based designer Shashank Arya, fashion is an ever-evolving canvas where Indian craftsmanship meets contemporary imagination. Launched in 2017, his eponymous label draws from a childhood spent in a family obsessed with fashion and design. Naturally artistic, Shashank gravitated towards painting and artwork before studying Fashion Studies and Textile Design at Pearl Academy of Fashion, Delhi. Four years working with celebrated designer Tarun Tahiliani honed his understanding of occasion wear, Indian crafts and the intricacies of couture. In 2016, he took the entrepreneurial leap, starting his label from home with a small collection. Today, his creations have found favour with celebrities including Raveena Tandon, Soha Ali Khan and Shreya Ghoshal.

His latest collection, A Painted Reverie, is an invitation to wander through a fantastical garden where nature, colour and artistry collide. Think painterly florals, dreamy ombré effects and whimsical motifs that bring a fresh, playful sensibility to Indian occasion wear. “The edit is an exploration of a garden imagined through the eyes of a dreamer, where colour, memory and imagination dissolve into one another; and every brushstroke becomes a fleeting moment. The collection unfolds like a painting still in the making,” begins Shashank.

Nature provides the muse, with flowers, fruits and birds inspiring bold motifs and expressive prints. A vibrant palette of ombré yellows, lilacs, greens and pinks lends the collection its sun-drenched, almost surreal quality. Striped georgette, tulle, brocade and organza add texture and movement, while the silhouettes strike a balance between contemporary dressing and traditional influences.

Corsets, skirts, jackets, bralettes and sharara pants form the foundation of this fusion wardrobe, with fluid drapes and ethereal fabrics softening the more structured elements. The result is a collection that feels romantic without being overly precious, making a case for occasion wear that effortlessly embraces individuality. 

“Nothing is rigid or defined. Silhouettes flow, colours blur and prints seem to drift effortlessly across the body,” Shashank explains, adding, “each ensemble is a fragment of this imagined garden, romantic, expressive and slightly surreal for sure.”

INR 50,000 onwards. Available online.