As has always been the case, Abraham & Thakore keep off the ramp this time too. The duo will again make do with a stall at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week this year, starting October 24, where their entire Spring Summer - 2010 collection can be viewed.
Question David Abraham about their well-known shunning of the ramp and he says, “It’s not that the ramp will never happen. It could happen at some point of time. It’s just that you have to design a separate collection for the ramp, which is very different from what can be sold and worn. Plus, when you have 50 fashion shows one after the other across the week, there’s an even stronger necessity for coverage, which comes from either putting out something really outrageous or by getting Bollywood stars. In the latter case the clothes get no attention.” He adds, “Right now, my feelings on this are really mixed.”
Creative instincts
There are some who can “walk the tightrope” though. “Rajesh Pratap Singh is one person who doesn’t compromise on his creative instincts when he is doing a show. He communicates effectively without distracting from the clothes with unnecessary theatrics. He’s one of the few people who can do that.”
For the Abraham & Thakore Spring/ Summer 2010 collection, spring is the starting point. Crinkled silk dresses with sketched flowers and pleated dresses in linen form part of the line. “We’re looking at the mood being upbeat, after a gloomy past year. Things are changing. Spring has always meant colour. It’s a very Delhi thing actually, when the whole city is in bloom in January-February. It’s really very pretty. We’re looking at things that evoke colour,” says Abraham.
“We’ve used tulips and irises inspired by forms in traditional textiles, which could be anything from old Moghul carpets to Central Asian embroidery. But they’ve been reinterpreted in a modern way,” he elaborates.
“The collection is very dress-centric, which includes slim, body-conscious dresses as well as those with volume.” Fabrics used are voile, silk and cotton, sometimes combined with each other.
“By the time we go to the shops, the woven components like scarves and cotton saris will pick up the same story,” says Abraham about the aspect where label partner Rakesh Thakore will play a great role.
While the label already has a good retail presence, with Abraham & Thakore available at international retail chains like Liberty, Selfridges and Brown Thomas, besides their three flagship stores in India, they might soon foray into Internet retail.
“We’re very keen on exploring the e-model. It’s really going to be the next big thing, especially in India, where the number of Internet users is so high. We’ve got a module ready and we’re waiting for the right time to integrate it with the website and launch it,” Abraham reveals.
