The root of fashion forward should be the sheer necessity of easy living. It is a call for a sustainable fashion industry. Hence the inspiration behind the collection was to design futuristic and textured garments. The aim was to design garments using a technique that is still at its nascent stage. Hence the team zeroed in upon fabric manipulation. Fabric manipulation is a technique of creating shapes and patterns out of fabrics. This often makes the fabric more 3D-like and not flat.

The concept was to create a blend between art and fabric manipulation. The designers decided to use an Indian art form thereby adding an element of art in the garments thus presenting art with a contemporary twist.

Various art forms were researched such as Chola art, Varli art, Miniature paintings, Tanjore painting, Murals and Buddhism. Out of these art forms, Sanjhi art seemed to be an apt choice for the collection. Sanjhi painting is a tradition that originated out of the cult of Krishna and flourished in the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The themes of Sanjhi are taken from Krishna’s stories and created in stencils which are then used to decorate spaces during festive seasons. Since this art form is nearly extinct, the collection is a way to create awareness about this beautiful offering of our heritage.

For fabric manipulation, various techniques were looked at. The designers chose patterns that complement the garment story. Fabric manipulation adds a level of complexity to the garments. The designs are for the modern independent woman with a strong, confident figure that still maintains her elegance and femininity through her clothes. By including stencil art in the garments, these young designers’ presents a collection that is modern yet connected to our cultural roots.

Titled ‘Krishna Forever’, the collection was presented by Shivali Chengappa,Shilpa,Suman Mehta,Sonal Jain,Kusuma