Priyanka Ella Lorena Lama has the cheer and excitement of a debutante at the Lakmé Fashion Week SR2015. She giggles with every response and her thrill of showing at the summer/resort show is uncontainable.
The youngster debuts at the Lakmé Fashion Week’s Gen Next platform that has served as launch pad for the likes of Masaba Gupta, Swapnil Shinde and Rahul Mishra in the past. “I’ve gone before but only to assist a designer or watch a show. I’m excited to be showing this time around. There is so much still left to do, but I just can’t wait to take the final bow,” says Priyanka.
A student of fashion from Bengaluru’s National Institute of Fashion Technology, Priyanka has since graduating established her own label, P.E.L.L.A., an acronym of her name. When asked to describe, Utopia, the collection she conceived while at the fashion school and will now be showing at the Gen Next platform, Priyanka says, “It’s an existence of an ideal state of mind through enlightenment.”
And, that’s when you know she’s different. A practitioner of the Art of Living and a believer in the Wabi-Sabi outlook towards Art, Priyanka’s collection transcends the present. It seeks to be part of a much larger whole, where “the mind is emancipated by meditation.”
“I grew up in Darjeeling, but came to Bangalore to pursue my studies in fashion. I was introduced to the Art of Living during my school days and the course teaches you about utopia, the emancipation of the mind and encourages you to cherish simple values. I try to bring that continuity and wholeness into my work,” she says. But, there is also an exploration of the imperfect in her designs, as her Wabi-Sabi perspective of aesthetics tells us. “The collection is an amalgamation of smooth drapes and movement of lines with austerity and elegance forming perfect imperfections. The exotic mixture of high quality natural fibres, like silks and jacquards, in an unadulterated, all-white colour palette adds on to the experience of wearing P.E.L.L.A.,” she adds.
The all-white collection consists of fluid silhouettes that feature motifs and line drawings of chakras – a nod to her inspirations, and display a complex play of shadow and light. The designs have also been created to take on the shape of the wearer and come without zippers or closers, meant only to be slipped-on or wrapped around.
“On the surface the collection may look very simple. In fact, one may think the designs are just loose pieces of fabric when left in the hanger. It is only when you inspect it closely, you realise it is more complex,” she says.
With the upcoming fashion show taking up all of her time, Priyanka confesses that there is a long way to go once she returns. “There’s a lot of work to do before the label is established. And, among them is gaining an understanding of the business of retailing.”
