Fashion pundits, top notch couturiers like Tarun Tahiliani, J. J. Valaya and all those connected with high end fashion were in full attendance at the Amazon India Fashion Week on Thursday in anticipation of the much talked about show of Rina Dhaka.
With years of experience on the ramp, Rina lived up to her reputation of surprising fashionistas with her contemporary, stylish ready-to-wear collection.
The imprint of the veteran designer was in evidence on virtually every piece whether it was the black lace crochet dress, bold patchwork shadow effect short dress, or the black linear printed dress and long jacket. Classic checks, spider weaves, Ikat like patterns, asymmetrical designs were the hallmark of the collection.
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To ensure that the focus of attention was on outfits rather than on statuesque models, Rina decided to deglamourise them by using a black shading round the eyes. Consequently, the models’ feminity diminished but the discerning audience could understand that the designer had wriggled out of the criticism of commodification of female models. In fact, Rina went a step further by giving them an indigenous look.
After the conclusion of the show, Rina was congratulated by friends, fashion connoisseurs and even some contemporaries, who were sporting enough to acknowledge her role in giving the fashion week seriousness of intent with her fabulous collection.
Rather than follow the monotonous routine of narrating a story, Rina preferred the unconventional way. The designer, who prefers to do the talking through her collection, simply says, “It was story of shadow and light. It was use of linear movement from a straight line to a way of light. There was use of cut work, beadwork, prints and wrinkled fabrics, basically a mishmash of things. I did not sit and research for a story but ensured that there was a contemporary feel to the entire collection.”
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Noting that she believes in simplifying rather than making things more complex, Rina says, “I wanted to make the whole thing look simple. Therefore, I used a lot of layering, abstract. The idea behind the collection was to emphasise that the ready-to-wear collection had the potential to be worn by the buyers. So emphasis was on the wearability factor.”After two decades in the fashion business, Rina still managed to think from the perspective of the new generation as the collection looked every bit contemporary.
It had no signs of the 1990s when she entered the fashion firmament. “Contemporariness is necessary as well as experimentation.
But you need to understand what was unwearable 20 years ago is now being used.”
About her decision to make the models look ‘unsexy’, Rina says the effort was to make them look like gypsies.
Noting that the collection was a success because of the number of processes involved, Rina says firstly, she made good use of lace, handwork, cutwork, patchwork and appliqué.
With the Fashion Design Council of India celebrating its silver jubilee year, the designer is aware that her journey into the world of the ramp has run parallel with the growth and success of the fashion week.
“Since the fashion week’s inception I have been a designer. Not completely, but I have been for 22 years in this profession.”
While she has no one in her fraternity to look up to is there anyone among the foreign designers she is inspired by? “To do something that has already been done by someone else is so boring and monotonous. For me it is important to showcase our strength. If I produce a skirt then we have excellent craftspersons to do a fine job on it. I also made use of black and white and technology. So it is a combination of all these things.”