In the elusive meaning of their surname, lies the mystery of not just their identity but also their eponymous clothing brand. Wrickie and Sheena Angrish (Angrish also doubling up as their brand name), are siblings who are using the continuity of history as anecdotes to preserve stories that germinated back in the day, but continue to reap meaning in the modern times.
Things such as heritage, lineage and family are most important to them, and you sees all that interwoven into his design dialogue. Wrickie and Sheena are new age creators with old-school hearts. Out with their new collections, they speak to us about their creative ideology, growing up with an usual last name, fascination with period design, dabbling in tattoo art and embracing eccentricity through their work.
The medium of clothes is a wide playing field for experimentative and explorative seeking, according to them. The stories they write are on the canvas of cloth, taking about eras gone by. Most recently, it’s the Napoleonic era, world war II, and 1980s that they’ve interpreted through their fashion art. Depicting histories in this way makes them continuously relevant.
The lines are specifically called The Napoleon Affair (couture line), The Royal Navy (couture line) and Flamboyant Brat, (resort wear). Napoleon Affair is all about the royalty of the French emperor Napoleon, which he quotes as a fictional character.
Through the garments he talks about Napoleon’s love for his two wives—one strong charactered, and the other charming and delicate. Their men’s couture line will showcase structured silhouettes and ensembles. “There will be a touch of regalia associated with Napoleon (fictional), whereas the women’s line will have two different styles—one a little masculine, structured, pleated and neat, and the other with soft, smooth drapes and silhouettes,” says Wrickie, adding, “If you’re wondering why I write Napoleon ‘fictional’ every time, the reason is that in literature, Napoleon Bonaparte himself said, ‘history is nothing but some manipulated and twisted facts, which is believed to be true by people’.”
Flamboyant Brat is an ode to Italy’s style of the 80’s with tuxedo’s, pants suits and structured dresses. The Royal Navy derives influence from the naval fashion from the Second World War and brings modern day Indian draping sensibility, asymmetrical silhouettes and vintage elements. “There is a reason behind each garment, styling detail, decorative brooch or intact. Nothing exists just for the sake of it. We’ve given lots of contemporary variations to the garments, otherwise couture would have looked like a costume,” says Sheena.
Today they know a lot about fashion and design, however, there was a time when they didn’t. If there is one thing they wish they were told at the beginning of their career, it would be about the detailed working of couture. “We would have been way ahead of where we find ourselves today,” says Wrickie, a former tattoo artist.
Just like fashion, his tattoo art is also a great storyteller. He still practices it sometimes, depending on his mood, and it’s as exhilarating as the time he first began practising it. “There is something so gratifying about marking permanency on the bare canvas of the skin,” he says.
He has 28 tattoos, all of which, just like his designs, are on subjects of history, mythology and spirituality. The most recent one was done this month. It says, ‘never forget your prayers’. “My parents have been very spiritual and I am just like them. They’ve always reminded me about opening my heart to the almighty. This tattoo reminds me to be thankful,” he says.
Keeping themselves grounded in the flighty world of fashion has been an exercise in self-discretion for the siblings, but the effort hasn’t gone in vain. Wrickie and Sheena stand tall with a stamp of originality. Their clothes aren’t just wearing a style. They’re also about living a style.