An ode to the fascinating landscapes and extraordinary experiences of Africa, AMPM’s Spring/Summer 2020 Safari Edit from its Amah’le collection transports you to the land of natural luxuries and soul-soothing sunsets. Roughly translated into ‘the finest’ in Zulu, the collection is a beautiful edit of timeless garments that celebrate the progressive art, pottery, wildlife and culture of Africa.
As Priyanka Modi, Creative Director, AMPM, says, "Africa has such a vast and diverse cultural narrative that it is not easy to translate everything into your designs. So we picked specific elements—the masks, certain type of artistry and unique motifs from their pottery and reimagined it according to AMPM’s sensibilities. The second drop of Amah’le, the Safari Edit, comprises floaty silhouettes and handcrafted accessories in sun-drenched hues and wildlife-inspired prints."
Comprising breezy kaftans, spliced tonal dresses and belted tunic, the collection takes a leaf out of the unparalleled African Safari experience. The airy silhouettes and handcrafted leather accessories are designed in shades curated from the savannah and the wilderness-inspired prints beautifully exemplify AMPM’s signature artistry.How did Africa become the muse?
"It was one of the earliest places I explored as a child, and definitely the most magical. In 1986, our family went to Kenya for an extensive safari expedition. I was just nine at the time when we travelled to Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Seychelles among other places and the images were imprinted in my mind. Africa is an enchanting land—it draws you in while at the same time shows you how fierce and powerful nature can be. The stories still give me goosebumps. It was this intense emotion that I wanted to express for a very long time. Our SS'20 collection gave me the perfect canvas to articulate my love for big expanses, wildlife and adventure."
For this, Priyanka fished out the journals that her mother made them write every time they travelled. The three-decade-old diaries full of travel souvenirs, old coins, vintage photographs, and even a feather too, helped Priyanka relive the African safari experience once again and capture the emotion on to her fashion canvas.
Available across stores in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, besides their online platform, the collection includes casual wear that is easy on the pocket to a special, higher priced Gold & Ivory Edit. While the fabrics are linen, chanderi, cotton and georgette, the colours were handpicked from certain indigenous traditions. Hues like tan, steel grey and olive depict uniforms that rangers wear for the safaris. Splashes of mustards and pinks are reminiscent of the vivid aesthetic that Kenyan women sport in their daily attire.
Keeping true to its design aesthetics, the collection also features handcrafted leather accessories such as bags and belts that may be worn to dress up or dress down the silhouettes. "The idea behind this collection was to design beautiful pieces that are versatile in their use, stay relevant for a long time and travel well. Through this collection, we are offering our customers these lasting values that will help them build a timeless and well-rounded wardrobe," she says.
With the launch of AMPM in 2002, Priyanka’s aim was to develop a language that was reflective of the modern, discerning Indian woman. Over the years, with each collection, varied art and craft forms from India and around the world, have made a discreet entry. What next?
"We at AMPM have done some introspection in the last few months and are preparing to align ourselves to this unique situation and keep moving forward. Besides launching our autumn/winter collection in August, we are also in the process of reinventing our retail experience both online and offline, readying ourselves for the next generation of luxury shoppers," Priyanka signs off.