People have experienced a major shift in style sensibilities amid the pandemic as physical distancing disrupted social lives. While some of us had a post-pandemic fashion awakening, others took a liking to comfort and made space for luxury loungewear in their wardrobes. Fashion designers, too, have rediscovered their style during this time. There were some who decided to continue living in the age of relaxed dressing, and a few others who were not afraid to experiment with fashion. But how have these personal sartorial identity changes translated into their designs in a post-COVID world? We speak to five designers, who showcased their collections at the FDCI X Lakmé Fashion Week 2022, to give us a rundown. THE STYLE EXPERIMENT Designers Kanika Sachdev and Neelanjan Ghosh have rewritten their personal style rules after the pandemic. “The pandemic has taught us all a lot, especially to live responsibly. Our sartorial identities have become more responsible and more casual, where we pick outfits that have a story to tell and pick experiences over mindless shopping. It has also become more experimental,” shares Sachdev. Ghosh adds, “With the pandemic, we spent a lot of time indoors. Hence, wearing comfortable and breathable outfits that need minimal care is what I personally prefer now.” The co-creators of the label Jajaabor mention that both experimentation and comfort, which they incorporated in their personal style, was well rendered in their collection Wah Usta, Wah!. Ghosh shares, “We have included prints and tried a more diverse palette of colours and added layers, more cutwork detailing with overlay of different fabrics such as organza with chanderi.” Their collection—it also uses multi-coloured patchwork, contrast coloured linings, draped collars—was inspired by Bikaner’s Rampuria Havelis and the intricate Usta art form that they witnessed there. KEEPING EVERY LITTLE DETAIL IN MIND For designer Aartivijay Gupta, lessons from the pandemic include stressing on self-love and self-care. “In the pandemic, it was self-love that most of us discovered.” Gupta adds that finding joy in the little things is also something that she embraced during this time: “The fact that it is the little things that makes us happy is something that I discovered; and I also incorporated these elements in my latest collection.” For Gupta's eponymous label, she included an explosion of animal and foliage prints for her collection ‘Summer Resort 22-23’. Talking about it, the designer adds, “In this season, we celebrated the Indian art of Tada Patra from Orissa’s Raghurajpur village. You will see a lot of happy prints with an emphasis on Indian crafts as well as silhouettes that are both fun and easy on the skin.” EVERYONE IS PAYING HEED TO COMFORT Designer Siddhartha Bansal shares that in this season, his eponymous label's collection ‘Blooming Tales’ was redefined keeping in mind post-pandemic trends and consumer demands. The fluid and feminine silhouettes created by Bansal had fauna-based motifs. “This time, most silhouettes have been made keeping in mind ease and demand [of consumers], as well as the idea of how people will dress in the months to come.” How about modifications in his personal style? Bansal adds that his personal style has never been reflected in any of his collections. That being said, he shares that his style has evolved drastically In the pandemic, “With work-from-home and Zoom calls being introduced in our lives, my wardrobe has changed to incorporate more interesting topwear and relaxed bottoms.” TIMELESS LOOKS WITH CHIC STYLING “On a personal level, I have learnt to spend more time with and for myself,” shares designer Nikita Mhaisalkar, adding, “For me, self-love has taken a front seat due to the pandemic. And as far as my style is concerned, it still remains classic and yet a little over-stylized.” In her collection ‘Terrain 2022’ for her eponymous label, Mhaisalkar explored the graphic opulence and colours often identified with the Native-American Navajo tribe to offer trans-seasonal and vibrant separates that can be elevated through chic styling. Mhaisalkar adds, “Post the pandemic, we have become more aggressive towards sustainability in production and sensibility. Also, as always, our focus stays in exploring curated carpet prints and signature luxe embroidery.” |