What is the first thing when you think of wool? It’s probably that warm, cosy sweater your granny knitted for you. But ace fashion designer Manish Malhotra is attempting to change that perception. He sets an example for a farm-to-fashion trend, putting the good old yarn to classy use with his capsule collection, Inaya, which was launched at the Lakmé Fashion Week last week. He tied up with Woolmark and used fine-quality Merino wool, and created saris for women and bandhgalas and sherwanis for men in pastel hues such as ivory, yellow and blue.
Fibre and fringe
Merino wool is a multi-functional and technical fibre, due to its unique natural features and benefits, such as breathability, temperature control, moisture management, elasticity, and resistance to odour. And thanks to the Woolmark Company’s many collaborations, a number of Indian designers have created multiple interpretations of the versatile fibre. In his look for the finale at the International Woolmark Prize 2016-2017, Mumbai-based designer Nachiket Barve used a mixture of felted applique, hand embroidery and digital print, while designers Zubair and Renni Kirmani used 3D laser cutting and looping techniques.
In 2015, for Rahul Misra’s spring/summer collection at Paris Fashion Week, he explored the lightweight wool in The Ferry Man’s Tale. Inspired by Japanese stencil art, he paid an ode to the artisans of the East through hand-stitched vines and blossoms on dresses and pencil skirts.
While other Indian designers have dabbled with Merino wool in the past, Malhotra’s collection stands out for its traditional Indian approach.
“It is a very slim yarn and falls beautifully as a fabric. It turned out to be an organic choice for the Indian collection inspired by the beauty of art and tradition in Kashmir and is named Inaya, which means care in Arabic. The slim thread work falls beautifully on the saris, and the bandhgalas and sherwanis are accentuated at the right places. Paired with zari work, the yarn comes in the spotlight in the form of off shoulders blouses and cascading pallus,” explains Malhotra.
He sees his pieces from Inaya working equally well for an afternoon soiree or an evening red carpet gala, provided you’re aiming for the glamourous look, of course.
Inspired by Kashmir
“I love working with different fabrics, and anything handloom is accepted with opens arms,” he says, adding that the idea to use wool was an attempt to promote sustainable fashion in India since it is a natural, biodegradable and renewable fibre. “For the collection, I was anyway working with traditional art, motifs and the old-world charm of Kashmir, which has the pashmina tradition. Classic and bold jewel tone colours, including black, maroon and emerald green, along with intricate tilla and zari embroidery finish each piece,” he adds.
At the launch event for Inaya last week, the presentation started with a screening of Slowing Down of Fast Fashion — an insightful documentary by Alex James which presents a critical look at the fashion industry and its enormous human and environmental cost.
Joining the gang
Another notable addition to the list this year? Ruchika Sachdeva’s brand Bodice, which won in the womenswear category at the International Woolmark Prize 2017-2018. Sachdeva was inspired by her grandmother who used to upcycle saris into quilts. Collaborating with hand weavers and encouraging them to take an unorthodox approach to traditional techniques, she produced an elegant collection honouring Australian Merino wool and the artisans of her country, including bio-dye artists from Sawantwadi in central India.
“Wool as a fabric is under-utilised and yet is brimming with potential to work with,” concludes Malhotra. We’re sure the wool-pack agrees.
Nine pieces from the collection will be available at the Manish Malhotra Delhi store starting February 15. Couture wear is priced from ₹3 lakhs onwards.
