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Family matters Ritu and Amrish Kumar with models

Fashion may still be on the fringes in the country, but it is increasingly being considered a segment worth walking into by the children of designers.

The sons of designers Ritu Kumar and Anju Modi are at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week to carry ahead the “torch” of their mothers. When veteran Ritu unveils her Autumn/Winter range tonight, her younger son Amrish Kumar, creative director of the label, will mark his debut at the Fashion Week. It may be yet another show on the ramp for Anju on Sunday, but her son Ankur along with wife Priyanka is testing the waters with a quiet entry into the big league with their AM:PM label at the stalls.

While Amrish has given a new twist to his mother’s label, Ankur has expanded the House of Modi with AM:PM. However, both admit, their venture into fashion is about taking forward a legacy.

Ankur with Priyanka Modi

“Obviously, I don’t want her name to vanish,” says Ankur. “It is a way to keep the brand alive,” he confesses.

The advent of youngsters means a new approach to fashion for the old names.

The young sons don’t look at fashion as merely a passion, but yearn to fine-tune it into a viable business proposition. Amrish for instance, prefers to call himself the “creative director” rather than a designer.

“As the director, my role is to look into all aspects — the look and feel of the brand,” says Amrish. From designing to photo shoots and marketing, his diligent eye skips none. The show will have a significant Amrish stamp, he reveals.

“The collection is modern and international,” says Ritu. “It has less to do with the old and classical look.”

For one entrenched in a very Indian style of designing, with a surfeit of indigenous crafts reflected on her clothes, Ritu seems to have let her son take the call.

“Life goes on. Amrish is in his late 20s and his view of life and collection is different,” she says but adds, “He has imbibed the basic aesthetics from me.”

While Ritu “enjoys” the younger look of Label, Amrish admits it requires “a bit of pulling and pushing” to make his mother see things differently.

The Modis, meanwhile, seem to believe in giving each their space. While Anju continues with her more couture label, Ankur and Priyanka are prêt in their outlook. “She is the backbone of our label with her experience and knowledge,” says Ankur, but admits to a generational difference in the way he and his mother perceive fashion. Though coincidentally, AM:PM and Anju are working on the theme of global warming for WIFW, Ankur reveals the difference in outlook is reflected in their approach to the theme.

“The same thought process can be interpreted differently,” says Anju, who never expected her son to veer into fashion. “After a preparatory course for the National Institute of Fashion Technology, he said fashion is not his cup of tea,” Anju recalls.

However, after majoring in agriculture in Australia, Ankur came home to help his mother in business. A stint in fashion and marriage to Priyanka later, Ankur discovered his fashion sensibilities. “He learnt he had a keen eye for detail and can point out the wrong aesthetics in a garment very well,” says Anju.

While Ankur mans the combined Anju Modi and AM:PM stall at the WIFW at Pragati Maidan, Amrish is unsure if he wants the limelight as yet. “I doubt if he will walk the ramp after the show. He is too shy,” chuckles Ritu. For now, the mother will be the face of the label.

ON SHOW

Tonight at 9 p.m.

An avant-garde collection from Ritu Kumar’s Label. The collection will have a minimal feel with experimental large prints in monochromatic shades.

March 16, 5.15 p.m.

Anju Modi’s “Luminosity” interprets global warming. Change is represented through 51 outfits with the colour palettes moving from black to neutral.

At the stall

AM:PM’s “Hope” also deals with global warming. Different motifs on fabric predict a dangerous future for the environment.

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