THE GOOD LIFE: CATWALK
Designs on you!
MONA RAMAVAT
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Five labels, a hundred outlets across the country and dreams infinite! Ace designer Anita Dongre says she has big ambitions…
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Trendy and Eco-friendly...
She can bring out the glamour through vivid designs with a contemporary flavour. So it’s not surprising that Anita Dongre’s newest collection evokes nothing short of desirable shock! The Liva Viscose collection, the new spring-summer line for her brand AND, has got her into the headlines all over again. As also her Anita Dongre Timeless that redefines Indian traditional arts and textiles into creations and the stuff that heirlooms are made of.
Talk conservation and there is the nature-chic organic line, Grassroot, comprising bio-degradable, environment-friendly and at the same time, very stylish clothing. The women of Sawantwadi, a village in Maharashtra, were initiated to pick fruits, leaves and wood from forest to manufacture the vegetable dyes, with help from an NGO that works to promote vegetable dyes. The women were also sensitised on the forest wealth and its protection. Going organic has now become a movement of sorts across her brands. The result: clothing that’s natural, environment friendly and revivalist besides being stylish, trendy and unique.
And this is not all. Her foray into wellness, Clay, tucked in the Pali village, Bandra, is already a rage with fitness buffs for its therapeutic yoga, workout and ante-natal care. Excerpts from a conversation…
Tell us about the Liva Viscose collection …
Liva Viscose is all about natural, breathable, eco-friendly fabrics that I have introduced to my brand AND. The designs are underscored by soft flowing drapes and glamour in the everyday sort of an appeal.
Is there something that can be called your signature style?
Hmm, well anything that has a traditional craft involved gets me kicked like nothing else can. So I love working with things like bandhnis or leheriyas that are timeless and hold the same magic, season after season. Anything that has a classic traditional art or craft involved in its core, is totally me.
Colours you simply love working with…
I can’t resist indigo blue and sunflower yellow. I don’t know why though, but it could possibly go back to my roots in Rajasthan. Oddly, my creams seem to be more popular!
Aren’t you doing any films sometime soon?
Not really. Designing for a film takes away a good couple of months and I don’t have that kind of time right now. What with five labels and a whole lot of other things. My week just slips away. I am, however, dressing up a lot of stars including Isha Kopikkar, Gul Panag, Raveena Tandon among others.
Tell us more about Clay…
I’ve always believed in holistic wellness and wanted to start a centre for alternative therapy and physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness. Driven by this, I started Clay a few years ago. We have about a hundred women in Mumbai who have benefitted from the centre, be it emotional healing or antenatal care or simply daily fitness. And it’s quite heartening each time somebody says that Clay has made a difference to them. It’s a one-of-its-kind centre in the country. People who come here call it their oasis!
On designing men’s wear?
I haven’t yet forayed into men’s clothing, but it is certainly at the back of my mind. May be a year down the line. Who knows? Right now I’m just too deeply involved in my work with women’s wear.
What really keeps you going?
I am quite a disciplined person and don’t give up my daily fitness regime for anything. And you know what, I’m not a typical designer who parties till late into the night and comes home half dead! I’m a morning person and my day starts with the sun. So I guess that keeps me energised and on my feet through the day. And I must confess that I am helplessly sweet-toothed! So that makes it so much more essential that I don’t miss my morning routine. Besides, there’s one mantra I’ve always had: don’t design clothes, just make women happy! I guess this is something that keeps me inspired all the time.
Where to from here?
I have at least 10 stores opening in various cities this year, besides various other things including the Dubai fashion week next month and other fashion weeks. That’s the immediate. On the long term, well, I still have a very long way to go. Although one doesn’t really plan these things, I would love to sometime in the future dress up international stars too. I’m far from done.
When did you know that you wanted to be a fashion designer?
When I was 16 or 17. I had that kind of clarity at a very young age. I always dreamt I wanted to have the four labels I’ve created and much more! You know, when I was a young girl, I’d once gone to London. On Oxford Street I visualised 500 of my own stores! It’s that big that I dream (laughs). So now you know how long a way I have to go.
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