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Back and forward

As Krishna Mehta hits a nostalgic note in Chennai, T. KRITHIKA REDDY talks to the ace designer about her future agenda

SUBTLE TOUCHES One of Krishna Mehta's creations.

Ace designer Krishna Mehta believes in springing surprises. When Indian fashion was emerging from the chrysalis in the early 1980s, she came up with a creative line of batik shirts for men. In the 1990s, when her clothes were flying off the racks at famed boutiques across the country, she suddenly packed up and left for Paris to follow fashion there. And now, she comes to Chennai, with a self-referential collection called "Nostalgia."

That's not all in Krishna's string of surprises. Unwinding at Collage, Greams Road, where she launched "Nostalgia," she says it's time to reset her fashion agenda. "The fire has been burning for 25 years. Now, it has to reach greater levels, fan out and touch more lives."

Having started as a garment exporter, Krishna studied fashion designing, textiles and embroidery, before launching her own label at Ensemble, Mumbai's famous fashion house. "When Tarun Tahiliani, Rohit Khosla, Rohit Bal and I started retailing from Ensemble, we talked a lot about the future of fashion in the country. Today, when I look back, I'm not surprised at the way style has evolved and fashion has grown. India is poised to become a hot destination in the coming years, what with the incredible talent here. Machines have overtaken the world. But we have still not lost our hands," says the designer known for her understated use of crafts and experiments with textiles and textures.

"But the fact is that for any tradition to stay alive, it must be adapted to contemporary context. Our crafts and textile traditions must be adapted to present tastes and demands. Only then can they be sustained. And that's precisely what I will be looking at in the coming years. You cannot reach out to newer markets if you don't speak their language," adds the designer, who plans to work extensively in the South and experiment with silk weaves in order to make them user-friendly.

Pointing out to a collection of pastel-hued tie-and-dye kurtas cropped at various lengths, she explains, "If I were to use Bandhej in its typical colours, I will not find takers. But by trying out understated colours and simple styles, I'm sure they'll appeal to today's fashion-conscious `global' women. You can team them with jeans for a chic look. Similarly, when it comes to the construction of fabrics, it is important to consider many factors. Today's women prefer slim silhouettes, so the fabric must fall well. For someone flitting in and out of boardrooms, she needs to look crisp from morning to evening. And for others hopping out of autos into air-conditioned offices, the clothes must be versatile."

Vibrant update

And these concerns are suitably addressed in Krishna's collection at Collage. While "Nostalgia" is a vibrant update of her classic styles that did well in Chennai a decade ago, the other lines reflect her nod to contemporary tastes. Ease aligns with elegance in this collection of sheer skirts, kurtas and coordinated suits with differently styled salwars. Kurtas and shirts for men are seemingly simple. A second look reveals the delicate craftsmanship.

Talking about the fashion weeks, this founder member of the Fashion Design Council of India, says, "Initially, we had a lot of fun. We made mistakes and learnt from them. Thanks to the pageants, the industry has become professional and disciplined as long as deadlines and delivery are concerned. Now, we have begun to think ahead too — in tune with international fashion seasons. But we still have a long way to go. We need to move faster if we need to reach there."

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