HYDERABAD: Rocky S needs no introduction in our city. After all, enough has been said about him designing the look for superstar Rajnikanth and Akshay Kumar in their upcoming Shankar film, the sequel to Enthiran. He is usually the big ticket at Fashion Weeks, and the name behind the wardrobes of celebrities like Bipasha Basu or Lady Gaga, that high priestess of fashion. So it is worth sitting up and taking note that the affable Mumbai designer is on to yet another showing at the London Fashion Week today.
The collection, titled Shringara, is all about love, beauty and ethereal tales and the designer says he is keen to showcase Indian crafts and techniques on a global scale. With our online access to front row vantage points of every fashion week, from New York to London and Mumbai, has Rocky planned any differently for this show? “I don’t give myself any sort of brief. My own personal experiences and things that inspire me in my journey inspire all my work,” he says, simply. Having experimented with metallics and geometric cuts with his A/W 2016 collection at London Fashion Week earlier this year, he says he hopes to focus on creating awareness for his brand this time around. “It is a dream to be known and recognised globally. I am taking things slowly and steadily, as they come.”
Besides the enviable collection of designers, buyers and fashion editors London Fashion Week attracts, it is known for some of the most unconventional off-site locations for showings, from industrial sites to opulent private rooms. Rocky’s show is at The Gallery, Freemason’s Hall. “It is an extremely prestigious venue and I am looking forward to it,” he says, admitting that while a designer today is expected to network, adapt and be global, the most important characteristic is to stay grounded. “You cannot let the fame get to your head. It then distorts the way you perceive the world and consequently your creativity.” For Shringara, the designer has worked with georgettes and chiffons, and has called his collection a journey “of a modern woman finding love but also finding herself in the process.” He asks us to expect strong and bold pieces that are extremely feminine too. “The softness and fluidity of fabrics like georgettes and chiffons highlight the romanticism in the collection. I think the colour black, my standard, is the most versatile and essential to the wardrobe every season.” Look out for fine tailoring and innovative textile manipulations, he insists.