Enamoured of long flowy outfits of Russian farmers, Shruti Sancheti has given them her own interpretation in her winter collection of gowns, tunics and skirts which she will showcase at her eighth outing at Amazon India Fashion Week this evening.
Shruti has focused on the folk culture of the erstwhile Union of Soviet Socialist Republic with influences from Uzbekistan, Georgia and Belarus.
It would be interesting to see how she balances reality with imagination when she would showcase her outfits. The collection is named after Anastasia, a historical character. While cinema and literature suggest that the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II survived the Bolshevik Revolution, fact finding reports point out that she was killed along with other family members.
However, Shruti has used her creative licence in an ingenuous way . “I believe she survived and bonded with peasants. My collection has not drawn inspiration from royalty although some traces might have inadvertently seeped in ..”
Focusing on feel
While designing the collection, Shruti concentrated more on the feel and look. “I have used cross-stitch embroidery, Uzbekistan’s tribal craft and have liberally used tartan and checks for the folksy feel. The silhouettes are full of frills, flounces and volume which is typical of the region. . Mini Matryoshka dolls have also been added in accessories to impart feel of the erstwhile USSR.”
Shruti says creating modest looking long and layered outfits of rural folks was an arduous task. “I could not have simply recreated the outfits worn by peasants . My effort was to create outfits in a way that they are relatable to people living across the globe. I made the mood board and worked with my weavers in Nagpur. I made sure that the silhouettes have a modern and trendy flavour.”
Shruti Sancheti
Her mantra of less is in suits the ongoing trend. “Minimalism is important even while you make a statement. You have to learn to edit design elements. Maximal-ism doesn’t work anymore. And it suits to my kind of clothes.”
Indian soul
As her label Pinnacle is ready to wear and retail centric, she has kept the outfits functional. “Though the majestic palaces and opulent costumes did fascinate me, it was the influences from Uzbekistan, Georgia, Belarus which left a deep impact on me. The locals’ love for the craft, voluminous layered silhouettes, modest dressing and specialised accessories were the focal point of my collection.”
As for the Indian connection, Shruti says, “Elements like tribal embroidery, tassels, and fringes, rustic prints are intrinsic part of Indian culture too. So the look of the collection is Russian but the soul is Indian.”
