HYDERABAD: Style is personal expression through a combination of clothes, which often encompass an array of designs. And trendy designs make amazing collections the recent Walkthrough at Anonym Hyderabad showcased the fabulous Cinnamon collection by Shades of India. Garima Goel, brand head at Shades of India, walks CE through the collection’s creative outfits.
Speaking about what the Cinnamon collection is all about, Garima explains, “Cinnamon is a new vertical of the Shades of India, which is a textile company. We initially started with exporting and then came to the market around 15 years ago. The collection comprises contemporary wear and the focus is on textures. Each garment has a very unique texture; this is different from what we do in the other vertical. The collection is very minimal but has different types of textures.”
Delving into the collection available at the store, she says that they only work with natural fabrics. “We have a cotton wear range and fine kurtas with patchwork. We essentially use cotton, woven fabric like
khadi, and a bit of linen. And we have two racks of the new collections. We do have pieces that are complete classics and based on simplicity and minimalism. You can wear them today or 10 years later; it still won’t look out of fashion. We are driven by trends too, where we create very interesting pieces that are affordable, can stand the test of time, and will stay in your wardrobe,” shares Garima.
There is an interesting reason behind why the collection is called Cinnamon. “Our designer is actually inspired by nature and if you see our other collections, they are all named after trees. Chinar is Indian wear, Cinnamon is contemporary wear, Cedar is home, and we have Fig, which is accessories. It’s a story which comes together very beautifully; all outfits in the collection have rich textures and a good fragrance, which comes from cinnamon barks,” the brand head says.
About the colours that are used in the collections, she informs, “We have a very natural, muted palette but always do pop colors. You will see blacks, metallics, natural ivory, beige, and then suddenly you will see a pop of pink or a deep colour to add that little bit of vibrancy to our collections.”
Regarding the accessories that were displayed, Garima expresses that functionality is key, saying, “Right now, we do not have too many accessories. We do have scarves, which are created using different techniques. A few of them are top sellers. The idea is to create functional pieces that have very distinct and minimal design aesthetics.”
Shades of India lays special focus on aligning collections with seasons. The brand head explains, “We drop four to five different collections in a year. In the first half we have more cottons and an easier colour palette. Towards the current season, we are more into metallics and deeper colours. We also have winter collections that go with Christmas, apart from New Year looks, party wear and travel wear.”
