Fashion is not just about wearing experimental and expensive clothes. It is a bit more of an emotional experience than that, according to Poornima Indrajith. Dressed in coral pink pants and a denim shirt with unruly curls framing her face, Poornima talks effusively about what fashion means to her. It kindles some of the fondest feelings of self-confidence, she says. “It is about falling in love with yourself. You look in the mirror and you are truly happy.”
For someone who has been designing her own clothes for years and putting together outfits for friends and everyone around her, Poornima believes she understands fashion. Even as she carried on her dance, modelling, television and acting occupations, she had nurtured a love for designing. “But I did not want to delve into it, until I was sure I could handle the responsibilities that came with it. Now, I am ready to launch my own label and give my best,” she says. Her designer boutique, ‘Pranaah’, is all set to open at Panampilly Nagar, perhaps one of the first boutiques started by a celebrity in the city.
Poornima has had no formal training in fashion designing, she admits, but she does not consider a degree the ultimate validation of one’s abilities. “It is about knowing what to blend with what. What to wear and what not to wear. As long as you can think out of the box and make people say: ‘Oh my God, I want to wear that,’ you have succeeded as a designer.” However, she had always kept a close watch on fashion and been up-to-date on trends. Pranaah will not be about garments alone. It will be about styling as well, she says. “It is not enough that one wears fashionable clothes. In order to carry them off, one needs to get an idea about styling—the accessories that would enhance the appearance.”
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Each piece at the boutique has been designed by her. Only the fabrics have been sourced from various parts of the country. The collection would include a lot of Indian, Western and Indo-Western blends such as skirt-saris and denim blouses, and a bit of “eye-brow-raising couture”, too. The saris would be youthful with a lot of fuchsia and neon colours. Bridal couture is an important aspect of Pranaah and Poornima says she would help a customer pick and choose fabrics and colours that would work for her. “I will help my customer to choose her clothes, but I will not impose my ideas,” she laughs.
Having started off as a dancer, who won a Central Government scholarship to learn Mohiniyattam, Poornima ventured into modelling before she started anchoring shows about 13 years ago. Marriage with actor Indrajith brought a much-deserved break. “I am not somebody who wants to work 365 days a year. I had my daughters (Prarthana and Nakshatra) and I chose to take a break, as I am the kind who gives 100 per cent to anything I do,” she says. “After marriage, I rediscovered myself. Since Indrajith, too, is as motivated a person as I am, we feed off each other’s energy,” she says. She got back into hosting shows. “I am not the same person I was when I started my television career. With every new role, I am exploring new facets of my personality,” she says.
Her new role as designer will not mean a goodbye from her current assignments. “Time is what you find for yourself. And I think, if you are really confident about doing something, time will present itself.”
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Pranaah will be inaugurated on September 15. A fashion show, titled ‘Pranaah Yaama’ will showcase her signature collection at Dream Hotel in Kochi. Actor Amala Paul will be the showstopper.