No Grey Area’s Arnav Malhotra conceptualised the label with the intention of modernising traditional silhouettes while keeping the art of Indian craftsmanship intact. His attempt is reflected in each of the label’s edits as it ventures out to explore the true potential of ethnic wear while simultaneously addressing certain social issues faced specifically by today’s generation. The two-year-old brand’s latest collection, ‘Agni Apaas’ not only explores the dimensions of the pancha bhootas (the five physical elements) but also juxtaposes water with fire in the context of climate change.
“We have dealt with the ill effects of technology in a futuristic setting previously through our second edit ‘Listen to the Lies’, prior to which our edit ‘Phantasm’ explored the roots of some majestic mythical creatures that rest quite high up in the food chain, in a very delicate manner. I feel Indian ethnic wear, specifically menswear, has not evolved much in the recent past and the fact is quite taken for granted. Through ‘Agni Apaas’, we have kept ourselves grounded both in terms of the materials used and craftsmanship while taking inspiration from traditional silhouettes and giving them a contemporary spin,” shares Arnav, creative director, No Grey Area.
According to Arnav, artist Sayed Haider Raza’s interpretation of abstract expressionism through fluent watercolours and vibrant hues has inspired the colour palette used in this edit—it sees a dominant use of shades such as terracotta orange, saffron, and India blue. Keeping in mind how water reacts when exposed to certain elements, a particular print named ‘Water Memory’ has been conceived, where water is conceived as a living being.
While the edit quite efficiently marries the Oriental with the Western silhouette through a range of T-shirts, polo necks, hoodies, dhoti pants, and sweatshirts, a closer look at the trench coats from this edit is sure to evoke a sense of familiarity. The silhouette is inspired by our very own traditional sherwani, embellished with kantha and zardozi embroidery.
“To further promote climate consciousness, we have resorted to packaging made of recycled paper and organic cotton and ethically sourced fabric for our edits. The thread used in our pieces has been processed out of plastic PET bottles,” adds Arnav. The label has plans of traversing national boundaries by the end of this year with a whole new range of hybrid silhouettes.
Rs 7,500 onwards. At Evoluzione, Mehrauli