CHENNAI: Airy, light and comfortable — these words describe your father’s dhoti or veshti. Now, add elegance, style and colour to the unstitched garment and the fact that women can wear it outside on a bright, sunny day.
A&T, the fashion brand has brought a new Spring Summer’15 collection featuring the iconic dhoti, with silhouettes in pure white and ivory, flaming orange, sulphur yellow and shades of khaki, for both men and women. Their collection that includes dresses, kurtis and shirts, is being showcased at the Amethyst Room.
Twenty years ago, two friends, David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore (A&T), from the University of Design came together to launch their label, A&T. They shared the same vision of creating fashion and textile products that draw on traditional Indian textiles and techniques in a contemporary design language.
Talking to City Express, the duo says, “Dhoti is one of the most elegant forms of attire. It is one of our favourite Indian textiles, so elegant in its simplicity. We wanted to showcase this special textile in light easy fashion silhouettes.”
The apparels are cut and stitched in different methods. From a tongue -in-cheek interpretation of the elaborately pleated dhotis, to a subtle block-printed and embroidered effects.
“A play on trompe l’oeil jewellery creates a contrast between the elaborate forms and the simple minimalism of the woven dhoti. Trapunto is also used to layer fine dhoti fabrics to create stability and structure appropriate to more constructed tailoring,” says Rakesh Thakore.
Designers make a variety of styles and designs to suit the wardrobe of different people, but A&T has its own favourites too.
“There are a couple of styles we really like — a tunic and a dress that use the entire dhoti with little wastage and cutting, where all the fabric is adjusted into the pleating. This technique creates a soft flowing silhouette, perfect for our weather and for the nature of the structure of the fabric itself.”
A&T has launched its collections not just in India, but also across the globe. Currently, besides its new home furnishings collection that will be presented in Paris in September, the brand is also working on new collections in brocade saris and an exclusive range of hand-knotted carpets that will be launched early next year in New York.
The Spring Summer’15 collection will be exhibited till June 20 at The Amethyst Room.