HYDERABAD: Redefining couture, renowned fashion designer Shehla Khan launched her latest collection, Venus. The collection is inspired by the Roman goddess of love, beauty, and desire — Venus, and is a celebration of femininity, power, and regality. Shehla Khan is an alumnus of London School of Fashion and Instituto Marangoni Milan. Being an apprentice with Italian designer Giuseppe Daegatano, who has been associated with Gucci and Roberto Cavalli, Shehla delved deeper into the nitty-gritty of fashion.
Back in India, she participated in many fashion weeks and worked with celebrity designer Manish Malhotra. Charting her own path with professional learning and honing innate skills and aesthetics during the course, Shehla Khan started her eponymous label ‘Shehlaa’. Today, she is a red carpet favourite for leading Bollywood ladies and has styled the likes of Priyanka Chopra, Malaika Arora, Sonam Kapoor, Divya Kumar Khosla, Jacqueline Fernandez, Alaya F, Katrina Kaif and more.
Talking about the inspiration behind the Venus collection, Shehla says, “My brand has a predominantly feminine aesthetic, and for this collection, I aimed to incorporate feminist themes and convey a sense of strength while remaining true to Shehla Khan’s essence. To achieve this, I drew inspiration from ancient Roman goddesses, with Venus (also known as Aphrodite), the goddess of love, beauty, desire, and victory, being the ideal celestial figure to represent these concepts.”
Interestingly, Shehla chose to launch the collection via Instagram with actress Mrunal Thakur as her muse, rather than during a fashion week. “I chose to create a campaign instead of a runway show because I envisioned a museum setting with celestial figures, and a strong, beautiful feminine figure posing in my designs amidst it. To truly capture this concept and imagery, a film would be the best medium. In the current era, social media is the most effective way to reach people of all ages and backgrounds, making it the perfect platform to showcase this campaign.
Mrunal is a fantastic individual who is highly skilled and maintains a professional demeanour. She is always open to trying new things and allowing creative freedom for those working alongside her. My personal experience with her was exceptional and effortless, thanks to her willingness to let the team, particularly Anaita Shroff Adajania, the powerhouse of fashion and celebrity styling, explore and push the boundaries when styling her. Collaborating with her was an absolute pleasure, and I look forward to dressing her again in the future. The shoot lasted an entire day considering the production required to bring our envisioned outcome to life, in addition to setting up. The back end and prep was longer to conceptualise the shoot.”
Drawing inspiration from Venus’ mythological characteristics, the Venus collection features decadent textures, drapes of sheer fabric, and delicate lace detailing in each style. Intricate embroideries comprising pearls, crystal, gold cut beads, and sequins adorn each garment, adding to its celestial and powerful aura. The collection boasts a range of colours, including ivory, beige, nude, poudre, and seafoam blue, with gold and silver tones creating a celestial or goddess-like effect.
The Venus collection is versatile and suitable for various occasions, including bridal wear, wedding wear, cocktail wear, red-carpet events, and black-tie events. It includes cocktail sarees, lehengas, trouser sets, and indo-western draped skirts and blouses adorned with capes, making it suitable for women of all ages, shapes, and sizes.
Reminiscential about her almost decade-long journey in the fashion industry and how Hyderabad has become a hub of creativity, she says, “It has been almost a decade since I started this and it’s been a dream come true. Every day, I have the opportunity to learn and discover new things, and nothing brings me greater joy than being immersed in and contributing to making people look more beautiful. Hyderabad as a city is a hub of creativity, and I am constantly inspired by the unique and stunning designs emerging from there. It is very much on the frontiers of the fashion scene. I have an extensive clientele based in Hyderabad and there are so many designers from Hyderabad who are doing really incredible and unique work with their designs so definitely Hyderabad has established itself as a leading player in the industry.”
Shehla’s future plans revolve around continual learning and growth, expanding her reach to dress more people, and creating beauty not only in our country but also across the world. “I aspire to contribute my skills and talent to enhance the fashion industry’s landscape globally and make a positive impact wherever possible,” she concludes.