While on the weather front, the temperature is soaring, mercury is rising in the world of Indian fashion as well with the Lakme FashionWeek Summer/Resort 2013 just around the corner.
Among the new breed of designers this year is Shehla Khan, an alumnus of the London College of Fashion who also holds a masters degree in styling from the Instituto Marangoni in Milan. Her collection at the Lakme Fashion Week Summer/ Resort 2013 is themed Boudoir, which she states: “Represents extreme femininity and lays emphasis on the body of a woman in a graceful manner.”
She explains: “Since a boudoir is a woman’s dressing room, it is from there that I got my inspiration for this collection. The clothes make a sensual statement in a subtle manner and are for the woman who is all about sexy sophistication.” Shehla says of her Fashion Week collection: “Boudoir will feature gowns, short as well as long ones, some are elaborate, some understated, and long skirts with blouses that can even be worn as a lehenga if a dupatta is added to the ensemble.”
In terms of the colours she’s played with, “It is an attractive blend of soft, dreamy, muted pastels paired with a generous use of sheer and lace (which I absolutely love) which gives the collection a rich appeal, at the same time creating a provocative, come hither look,” the designer says.
While she hasn’t gone over the top with embellishments, a fan of thread work, Shehla has incorporated a lot delicate embroidery into this collection. Light, free flowing silhouettes characterise her garments. According to Shehla, what gives this collection its edge is “the way I’m going to exhibit it. Boudoir is a classic example of demi-couture which is clothing that resembles couture but is affordable and is made to order. The trend is catching up big time in the West.”
The young designer has dressed some of Bollywood’s top fashionistas including Kareena Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Kajol, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Malaika Arora Khan, Karisma Kapoor and Alia Bhatt to name a few.
“I love working with Sonam because she is a style icon on her own. She’s the kind of woman who brings her own persona to the clothes she wears. I’m also hoping to work more with Karisma in the future because I’ve been a huge fan of her from the time I was really little,” Shehla says. While she’s looking to participate on more such platforms in the future, Shehla has a flagship store and studio in Mumbai and also retails at prestigious stores such as Azaa and Fizaa in Mumbai.
