Are you ready for space chic?

Designers Falguni and Shane Peacock offer a glimpse of the finale they will showcase at the FDCI X Lakmé Fashion Week today.
Are you ready for space chic?

The sixties space-age fashion has experienced a renaissance across the runways in the major fashion capitals this season. We are unsure if the reason behind these designer mood boards is the billionaire space race keenly contested by the likes of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and other similar deep-pocketed individuals.

Nonetheless, the gravitational pull towards all things cosmic has never been stronger in the fashion space. Designers Falguni and Shane Peacock, however, have been working on a diametrically opposite idea. For the duo, it is the back-to-Earth thought that has intrigued them more than the dream of an experience in outer space. As they return to the physical runway with the highly anticipated Lakmé Absolute Grand Finale at the FDCI x Lakmé Fashion Week today—Bollywood actor and Lakmé brand ambassador Ananya Panday will be the showstopper—the internationally-acclaimed designer duo are all set to offer their sartorial take on the galactic theme, but with an unexpected twist. Their latest collection ‘Earthbound’, which is set in the 80s, stresses on a homecoming to Earth after five decades of seeking refuge elsewhere.

Come to think of it, this is a rather befitting theme given the designers’ statement maximalist approach in fashion. We hear they plan on lending a dose of rock chic to futuristic silhouettes. Will elements such as crystals, beads, pearls, and plumes—which are usually incorporated in abundance in their creations—be part of their collection? One might just have to wait for a few hours to know. We asked Falguni and Shane Peacock to give us a sneak peek at their latest collection, which will be showcased today. Excerpts from an edited email interview follow:

1. Does the inspiration for the upcoming collection 'Earthbound' parallel the return to a new normal in a post-COVID world?

‘Earthbound’ is basically a celebration of humans returning to Earth, i.e. coming out of the pandemic. The collection’s intergalactic undercurrents can be credited to the fact that Shane has always dreamed of a life on other planets in his head. With ‘Earthbound’, we decided to become more vocal about his fascination with the final frontier, setting the scene for an imagined homecoming to the planet after five decades of finding a home elsewhere.

As the pandemic comes to an end, we want to celebrate life again in its truest form in colour, and this is going to stay for some time.

2. Given the galactic theme you are exploring, we anticipate greys and blues. What are the colours we can expect in this collection?

This collection is a galactic theme moving away from the typical greys and blues to include bright bold hues as well.

3. Tell us about the silhouettes we will see in 'Earthbound'. With Ananya Panday as the showstopper, we expect a collection that appeals to Gen Z. Is the collection for a younger clientele?

[You can expect] Lots of bold shoulders, short hemlines, inclusive sizes, and extravagant shimmer! We did want to target a younger clientele with this collection. We’d wanted to work with Ananya for a long time, and we always knew we wanted something unusual for her because Gen Z loves their drama, and this collection turned out to be perfect for that.

4. Finally, tell us about the working dynamic between you. Apart from creative similarities, how do you work on artistic differences, if any?

We have made peace with our creative disagreements and learnt to agree to disagree. Both of us have two distinct personalities and so our opinions are not always the same, it took us a while to understand this but we realised that we have the same goals, so adjustments and disagreements are part of the game. But together, we always find a solution that suits both of us and that makes us an ‘A’ team. Working and building a business together has made our relationship stronger and successful.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com