Grabbing eyeballs on the ramp is on the wish list of every designer. Danisha, a 20-year-old designer from Pune, has managed to do just that by becoming the first designer to use old notes of Rs. 500 and 1,000 denominations as a prop in her fun-based show at the recently concluded Asian Designer Week.
Four out of the 11 models draped in flowy Westernised outfits came on the ramp clutching the ‘old’ notes.
A way of bidding farewell to the discontinued notes. “As a designer, I came up with this simple idea to endorse Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to implement this scheme. I did this in a civilised, sophisticated way. Models held the notes upright, not moving it once so as not to be disrespectful to them. This was my way of speaking on behalf of the designer fraternity. I know some people, including my people in my team, are not liking this decision. My explanation is that the scheme is like a highway which is being constructed, commuters are having a problem right now. On the positive side, once the highway is completed people would reach their destination and everyone would be happy.”
Danisha maintains that the decision was apolitical and only meant to draw attention of fashionistas to her show inspired by Moulin Rouge. “It is a position which I have taken. We are a democracy; if you don’t like it, tell me. I am just telling people to be patient. There is no political agenda.”
Describing her collection “Enchanting Rouge” as elegant, simple and classy, Danisha says the winter collection showcases a melange of crystals from Mumbai and chikankari from Lucknow. “I bought simple inexpensive crystals from Mumbai. The outer contours of crystals were made into designs on outfits by artisans. Chikankari was done in crystallised form. The upper fabric of my gown was totally embellished with this type of embroidery.”
Moulin Rouge, a cabaret in Paris and the birthplace of the modern form of Can Can dance, is the show’s central piece. Here it was used in the Indian context in a more subtle way.
“I have taken inspiration from Moulin Rouge, an old form of Can Can dance. While studying in London, I would visit Spain where exposure to Can Can dance opened my world view of the kind of costumes the dancers wear. Since many people cannot wear these outfits as they expose a lot, I made them elegant by introducing three or four drapes in each outfit. They all have Italian cuts and lot of shear element.”
Bringing a change in society is the basic idea behind the collection. “ People think that long flowing evening wear gowns are meant only for celebrities. I am changing this perception.
Explaining how she used these outfits in the Indian context, Danisha says “If you see Can Can dancers, their dresses have sensual appeal. They have lot of embellishments which looks classy. So I came up with the idea of introducing them on Indian women. We used long gowns, skirts and tops.”
In the movie Moulin Rouge, Nicole Kidman wore a black corset. “My one outfit has been inspired by that outfit. I didn’t use corset because that is something everyone does. I feel one can highlight a woman’s elegance rather than her body.”
