There are times when the sinking melancholy is unbearable. A cloud of vacillation takes over and there is nothing really to hold on to as a crutch. Love seems to be the most natural thing to reach out to. Finding that person, place or thing that stimulates closeness during sombre times, is what Delhi-based fashion designer Abhinav Mishra scouts for in moments of crisis.
As an ode to this unconditional reinforcement, he dedicates a collection to love, calling it Love Stories.
This bridal couture collection encompasses this emotion in the way it transcends the narrow visions of communal, racial or societal love. “It’s about ‘one love one religion’ or in other words, the religion of love. It’s a place where there is acceptance, where Hindu, Muslim and Punjabi weddings aren’t governed by individual rituals but by the law of eternal, all-encompassing, never-ending love,” says the 30 year-old-designer, who gets his creative forbearance from the karigars of Delhi.
He would visit them at their kharkhanas, often located in the city’s nooks and crannies to see how they executed complex stitch work gracefully. Old Delhi too has fuelled his creativity. Its history urges him to incorporate the city’s cultural excellence into modern clothing. “Delhi runs in my blood. It’s here that I began dreaming and it’s here that I’ve realised them too,” he says.
A little dream has been achieved through Love Stories as well. Divided into Seerat, Roshanara and Banarasiya collections, these propagate the diversity and dynamicity within each.
Through his label, he has dressed women from different cultures and seen how they approach their outfits. They are all operating from that one strong central desire for attachment and need for tender attention.
The lehengas, anarkalis and shararas come with dextrous mirror work, symbolising the way love reflects more love. Some of the garments have been treated with gota patti and marori work.
The choice of colours too paints a cheery attitude with mustard yellow, rani pink, powder blue, ivory, maroon, red, emerald green, and sapphire blue to symbolise the many shades of love. “It took me four months to create this. Since love is the essence of weddings, I visualised a utopian world where love unites and is treated with equality. Inherently, I would like to see his translate into reality, hopefully, while I am still around to see it.”
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