Designer Shehla Khan counts Bollywood divas Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Karisma Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Jacqueline Fernandez and Katrina Kaif among her muses. Her eponymous label, known for its modern take on Indian wear, has two new collections — a line of pre-festive garments, and Lola, a range of sustainable lounge wear.
Inspired by the fashion of the late 70s, the pre-festive collection comprises wedding-appropriate ensembles. Expect her signature floral prints on velvet and lace. The second collection is luxury loungewear made with satin fabric and lace, which can also be worn for evenings out. With a palette of pastels and bold colours, the line is the epitome of femininity. We caught up with Shehla Khan to talk about her recent collections, and more. Excerpts:
What was the idea behind the brand Lola?
Lola is just a different style of Indian couture. Even though we have done the ethnic Indian couture on demand, so far, our approach to Indian couture is more about intricacy, delicate embroideries and fabrics as opposed to the ethnic Indian style of couture.
How have you represented femininity in your recent collection?
It’s not so much as representing femininity but more so about enhancing it. Women are born with a feminine side, some choose to hone it and some choose against it. Today, it’s about the power of femininity — for every woman to use her femininity to empower her and those around her. The collection was conceived keeping this in mind.
With the pandemic, the industry has seen a shift, with a focus on leisure wear. However, Lola is dressy. Your thoughts?
I think the brand aesthetic was always minimal, even opulence for the Shehla Khan customer is more classic, not ‘in your face’ glamorous. I have used bolder colours over the last few years because I feel like I need to explore the audience that isn’t just into pastels. Our new festive collection consists of statement pieces that are versatile yet bold and can be reused over time keeping the essence of sustainable couture alive.