After showcasing their Autumn/Winter 2022-23 collection at the FDCI x Lakmé Fashion Week earlier this year, fashion duo David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore have now brought it to the city this week. Returning to Chennai after almost a year, their label Abraham & Thakore will launch the new range that comprises “the full complement of womenswear” today, says David. Look forward to dresses, coordinate sets, sarees, footwear, and more.
The inspiration behind the new range, he says, was celebrating the return of normalcy. “It celebrates us starting to live our lives outside the confines of our homes due to the restrictions of the past couple of years. It focuses on elegant separates that are designed to see through a full working day or a social evening get together,” says David, adding that they are also launching their menswear collection of shirts, kurtas, easy jackets and pants in a range of exclusive prints, colours and patterns. As for homeware, there are bed covers, robes, cushions and accessories such as tea cosies and hot water bottle covers.
From the Autumn/Winter 2022-23 collection | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A quick look at the collection (upwards of ₹4,900) reveals that tussar silk is the conceptual pivot around which the apparels have been crafted. Shades of natural tussar — pale beige, sand and deep hues are a prominent part of the colour palette. “It includes a deep madder red and shades of warm colours ranging from clove to the golden hues of tussar. These are teamed with the perennial combinations of black and white that are an important part of the brand signature,” says David. The fabrics, he says, include silk and cotton along with sustainable cellulose blends such as tencel that are used with wool and wool blends for winter wear. His top picks from the new collection include the triangle block printed silk separates in madder, black and tussar; a multi-colour sequin dot saree with the coordinating saree, and a trench coat dress with tussar embroidery and sequins.
Addressing the collection’s sustainable quotient, the designer explains wild silk i:e tussar, “is a form of silk that is completely natural and is highly sustainable”. “While we have garments in tussar silk, as an innovation, we have also used tussar yarn as an embroidery yarn in many of the techniques this season creating a special tactile quality from this natural undyed yarn. We have also used organic cotton for many styles as well as sustainable tencel fabrics,” says David, adding that the duo is now working on their autumn-winter collection for which they are developing new designs in ikat and jamdani. “We are also looking to develop a small module of basic knitwear separates,” he concludes.
The exhibition is from 11am to 7.30pm until November 30 at Amethyst, Whites Road, Royapettah
