There's more than the usual amount of drama in designer Priyadarshini Rao's Fall-Winter 2010 collection. The seismic shift doesn't stop with hemlines and waistlines. It's reflected in the inspiration itself as the designer embarks on a journey through the forests to celebrate the finer points of the season's silhouettes, colours and textures.
The woods, we all know, are lovely, dark and deep. And Priyadarshini has promises to keep — that of spinning surprises with every line. So the designer, who gave us those raved-about ‘trapeze kurtas' and ‘maxi-dresses' in the past seasons, creates an inherently tricky collection that contrasts form with fluidity and earth tones with floral brights — reminiscent of the forests. “Deep, luscious forest land is fast disappearing. I'm fascinated by Fall's foliage. The natural palette automatically kindles creativity. In sync with the season, my colours range from understated teal and deep indigo to burnt wood and beautiful berry. I would like the cut and colour to play the top notes in the line, so I've deliberately steered clear of heavy-duty embroidery that makes the clothes seem busy,” says the designer of the line she's launching at Collage, Greams Road, today.
The use of dyes on difficult georgette and simple mull is testimony to the fact that Priyadarshini's forte lies in textiles. “Yes, my textile background has helped me understand different fabrics and experiment with them. The embroidered georgettes that I've used, for instance, have been over-dyed for a vintage feel.”
As the hemlines and waistlines drop considerably in her ensembles that come with varied design elements — from structured vertical panels and pin-tucks to satin trims and fragile interplay of fabrics, Priyadarshini pulls off her relaxed looks with fluid cuts and smart tailoring. The quaint is modernised in her powdery georgette tops with retro prints — a strategy to make sheerness seem fresh and youthful. “It's just a shift from the usual floral or geometric patterns. Retro prints have a bold, dressy feel about them. So it works with the young crowd who accompany their moms on shopping sojourns.”
Creating new looks every season isn't easy, but the designer, who likes to “work without pressure,” says, “I draw from experience. We cannot afford to compromise on ideas. Every line has to be different, yet bear your stamp. Creatively speaking, it's a tightrope walk. But minus that, there's no fun. I've managed to come up with something new every season for the past 14 years. When I feel weary, I just skip a fashion week and dabble in something else like interiors to recharge myself.”
Individualistic in her approach of not just fashion (“yes, I'm anti-trend, my customer is not a fashion victim”), but also in the way she approaches ramp shows, Priyadarshini has proved fashion can sustain on it's own merit minus Bollywood glamour. “I don't do pageants for the sake of PR. And I don't socialise too. I like these little, intimate previews with clients. It's a learning process for me to get authentic feedback. When you throw in glamorous people, the clothes take a backseat, I want my clothes to do the talking,” asserts the designer, who never features Bollywood celebs in her shows. What's more, her models walk the ramp in flats. “Yes, I'm not for high-heels that lend an artificial swagger to the walk.”
Having worked with the famed Sylvia Fletcher, Priyadarshini says, for a designer to be successful, she needs to get her hands dirty. “Sylvia taught me that unless you personally work with threads and dyes, you cannot establish a deep rapport with your work. I sit down with my karigars and sow with them. It's fulfilling to work that way.”
(Priyadarshini Rao unveils her new collection at Collage today)
