A designer should have a story to tell, believes Poornima Indrajith--a story that is retold through generations. It is this continuity she seeks in her latest festival collection Aanachandam. Inspired by the Malayali’s unending fascination with the elephant, Poornima is in a way taking forward her last year’s collection, Valkannadi, which represented one of the motifs most synonymous with Kerala, the hand-mirror.
Aanachandam too is very Malayali in its sensibilities and Poornima says she conjured up her childhood memories of the Thrissur Pooram, especially, the spectacle of the kudamattom, for the line. Hundreds of adorned elephants, with colourful parasols is an imagery that stays for life and it is as close to our collective aesthetic appeal as it can get. So Poornima found her story that had to be told.
“The elephant motif may sound easy, but it is after a lot of drawing and perfecting that we decided on one,” she says. The ancient tome, Aithihyamala, too fuelled her imagination. “The basic thread emerged from Kottarattil Sankunni’s masterpiece written over eight volumes with each ending with a story about a famous elephant. Such tales formed part of my childhood,” she says.
Interpreting it on fabric was the tricky part, she says. “A designer’s job is a constant battle between creativity and economics. While I do what I want to, I have to also keep in mind my buyer--what she would look good in. A lot of working around with design has gone into the line.”
The 100 per cent handloom line also pays tribute to Kerala’s handloom tradition. The fabrics for the collection have been sourced from Balaramapuram.
Poornima says she is also trying to revive age-old styles of draping with the Aanachandam 2016 range. Capes and off-shoulders are trending on international ramps, but these were also our own ancient ways of wearing a sari. “I don’t think any of us can own a trend. It is about your interpretation of a tradition to suit your market,” she says.
Poornima spent time researching before she finalised the collection. “Much as I wanted to keep it youthful, it is also a throwback to our ancestors’ times.” So, the collection, while revisiting the simplicity of the neriyathu , enhances it with modern silhouettes, patterns and treatment. There is an interesting mix of cape lehengas, off-shoulder tops, skirts or just a plain sari with a statement blouse, all with the elephant motif. Sometimes, it is just a statement aanachandam pendant. Though in off-white and gold, with colours limited to the motifs or the blouses, Poornima says, the garments make ideal clothing choices for different events. “It could be a bridesmaid’s outfit, or can be worn to an evening party.”
Three years into existence, Poornima’s label Pranaah has made space for itself in the industry. Specialising in bridal couture, Pranaah has been a labour of love, says the actor turned designer. She has a small outsourced line for handlooms, which is a random collection, introduced to create awareness on handlooms.
As a mother, a celebrity and a designer, sometimes she feels there is too much on her plate. “But I’m not one to complain. There is this eagerness to learn and I constantly look out for new trends,” she says. “As a designer, I need to understand my buyers and give them what they need without compromising my sensibilities. That is a really fine line to tackle and it is pretty stressful.” But that gives her her identity as a designer. She says: “After all, fashion is a cycle. All I want to do is tell my story, my way.”
