While Chennai doesn’t have much of a raging winter like the North of the country, we realised December has brought in a slight nip in the air just right for lightweight jackets, blazers and capes. For those who love to layer, take a look at the LFW walks in the recent winter editions and you’ll discover that layering is the 'in thing' this winter. And we aren’t talking about your regular run-of-the-mill jacket over shirt layering, but over the top, dramatic jackets over gowns, capes over saris kind of layering. Rina Singh’s Eka, for example welcome the trans-seasonal style with a sheer dress and layer warm knits, while Abraham & Thakore went for the beaten printed organza gold kimono jacket and pants. Indigenous weaves and sustainable fashion ruled the ramps this year, with Karishma Shahani Khan, of Ka-Sha bringing in bohemian jacket with ruffles, polka dots and 3D applique. We mapped out the best places you can find your favourite jacket- whether its sequined, buttoned down or even had panda prints on it.
Inside and out
Chennai-based Teori is run by 36-year-old self-taught designer Darshna Lal, who pursued her passion initially by designing socks for her husband’s manufacturing unit. Cut to 2018, and now she has a store in Kilpauk which she opened last year. Teori which means handwoven in Japanese, stays true to its Indian aesthetics with 95 per cent of the collection done in cotton and silk, using organic dyes. While saris and kurtas are part of the collection, Teori has a dynamic variety of jackets as well.
Her British style coat dress is one such design that Darshna imagines her fashion inspiration Kate Middleton wearing it. “Our jackets are classic and easy to wear,” she says adding that they have a pant suit set and a dress set too along with a jacket. Watch out for her mustard Midori set, where she has used handwoven Ikat for the long jacket, along with mangalgiri cotton dress. The surprise element is them jacket’s insides are printed with a kalamkari lining, to add an edge to the ensemble. Sourcing their fabric locally from Jaipur and Andhra Pradesh, Teori’s jackets start at Rs 1,700. Available at their store.
Animal instinct
Pandas, tortoises, koi, storks, wasps, toucans are just some of the animals that New Delhi-based label Poochki has a fascination with. The label which has animals as its central theme calls themselves an au courant apparel label, with emphasis on handblock printing. The three year old brand works with several artisans from around UP and Rajasthan, where they also have a unit for hand block printing. This animal-obsessed team is run by Ishanee Mukherjee, 26 and Anirudh Chawla, 29 who together have brought their common love for Indian textiles, illustration and crafts.
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“At Poochki, we do jackets in thick cottons. So it’s nice to put it on when there’s a slight chill in the air,” explains Ishanee. “We also have the Electric Koi jacket that looks like a denim jacket, in terms of the structure and cut but its actually a pink jacket, with our signature koi print on it.” The textile graduate from Pearl Academy says that the Kuki collection specifically takes inspiration from the Orient, and has pandas, tortoises, storks and koi. “We have a unit in Delhi, where I involve myself personally with the cutting and designing, while Anirudh does most of our illustrating.” And why Poochki, we ask. “Poochki is my cat,” she says with a laugh. Starts at Rs 2,000. Available online.
Cut to the chase
It was after a crazy day at work while relaxing with a glass of pomegranate juice that two friends, Madhulikha Umapathy (32) and Aiswarya S Kutty (29) stumbled upon the idea to start their own label, Pomogrenade. “It was a silly idea. I said that the clothes will look sweet like the fruit, and bomb like a grenade,” laughs Madhulikha as she explains how the brand came about. What triggered Pomogrenade was a mutual love to create comfortable clothing that are equal parts fun and function. The duo started the label over two years ago in Bengaluru, with Madhulikha from an advertising background and Aiswarya from a designing background.
They focused on creating multi-dimensional clothes, so if you want to head out for dinner later with a friend directly from work, you can still fit the part. Their jackets are perfect for the slight chill in the air we have in Chennai. You can choose from their buttoned down handloom cotton jacket dress, which can be worn in three different ways - a jacket, a dress and a back-buttoned dress. “Our kimono jackets are upcycled, with surplus handloom fabric made by the Bodo tribe in Assam. We work with a lot of artisans from the North East, and we buy cut pieces from them. We then fashioned a whole range and put similar colours together with these cut pieces. Our kimono jacket is essentially a zero waste jacket.” Starts at Rs 2,000. Available online.
Girl tribe vibes
If you’re in the market for something more edgy, light weight and rich hued then Vajor is your best bet. From the gorgeous Fakirani jacket to the chic Tribe Queen jacket, their jackets are the perfect #ootd material. Shreyasi Pathak, stylist at Vajor says "The season of layering is upon us and this year, you no longer have to bundle up in the plain old basics!
Vajor's Fakirani collection brings embellished and embroidered statement jackets that deserve a spot in your closet,” With utmost attention to detail, these effortless layers are lined with intricate threadwork, cowry shells, mirror work, coins to give a modern bohemian spin to your look. Starts at Rs 3,000.