I recall a gypsy woman

Asmita Marwa talks about the mysterious woman who inspired her collection to be showcased at the Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2013

March 19, 2013 05:20 pm | Updated 05:20 pm IST - HYDERABAD

Asmita Marwa

Asmita Marwa

Moon Magic, the collection Asmita Marwa will showcase at Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2013 on March 22, is a conglomeration of styles. Black and white sketches of artist Vaikuntam’s portraits bring in an innate Indian appeal to flowy garments in relaxed silhouettes one associates with resort wear. “People think fashion is easy work. Little do they know the work that goes into each collection and the inspiration behind it,” says Asmita Marwa, who will be opening the LFWS/R-2013 along with Narendra Kumar.

Dressed in a summery white kurta and a short skirt, her hair casually gathered up, Asmita Marwa is an advertisement of her own design philosophy of free-spirited, effortless elegance. Talking to us in her uncluttered studio, she recalls meeting an elderly woman in Nottingham who became an inspiration for this collection. “There was something charming about her. She had put together a look of a gypsy combining clothes and accessories sourced from different countries. Something about her appealed to me,” says Asmita.

Asmita’s own design sensibilities have followed this individualistic approach and somewhere, she sensed an idea waiting to be explored. “Much later, I thought of a collection inspired by her,” says Asmita. The ‘gypsy identity’ had to be matched with Indian sensibilities. When Asmita travelled to another of her favourite destinations, Goa, and visited the flea market where she loves to interact with the multitude of travellers it attracts, she found herself picking up lambada accessories. “I knew it would work for this collection,” she says.

Moon Magic is designed to attract women who love to mix, match and work with layers to arrive at stunningly different looks. Think fitted pants, palazzos, asymmetrical kurtas, skirts, shirts with Vaikuntam’s paintings, hand-quilted jackets with floral prints, flimsy jackets, stoles with tassles and much more. “Each outfit will have at least three or four separates put together,” says Asmita, who has designed nearly 100 separates for the fashion week.

This will mark her return to Lakme Fashion Week after two years. Since 2008, she has participated in LFW for five seasons, after which she showcased her collections in different cities as part of Blenders’ Pride Fashion Tour and has been a fixture at the India Resort Fashion Week, Goa. End of this month, she will also be opening a standalone store in Goa. “That will give me more reason to frequent Goa,” she smiles.

Moon magic

A summer/resort line in white and black canvas has splashes of colours and prints. “Cottons work best for our country. I grew up watching my grandmom wearing the best of cottons and handlooms. I think that has stayed with me,” says Asmita. Moon Magic is primarily in cottons and has plenty of detailing in the form of buttons, tassles, hand-stitches and occasional use of sequins.

Apart from the use of Vaikuntam’s portraits, Asmita has also used the inscription ‘Aham Brahmasmi’ on a few garments.

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