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Conjuring dreams of Arabia

A NAME like `The fabric of the genii' conjures up images of the Arabian nights, kohl rimmed eyes and dreamlike fabrics. Ashima-Leena's fall/winter collection was hardly as exotic as all that but pretty nevertheless and if we were to call the collection sparkling we would be talking literally.

Inspired by the countries of the Middle East fuchsia, turquoise and scarlet combined with gold lent a rich colour to the collection. "The clothes have intricate, ancient patterns, geometric motifs and the designs are taken from everything Arabian, be it the architecture, books, rugs or even the inscription on the Quran" says the designer Ashima. The opening collection had Palestinian embroidery and was followed by different types of caftans, dhoti sarongs and gathered trousers. There were also bustiers with sequins and gold thread work, which were combined with pants, tights and saris. The bridal wear which is their speciality, was nothing that has not been seen before but was heavily embellished with a combination of sequins, gold thread, bead and Resham work.

Accessories however made a bold statement and had been payed a lot of attention to. Scarves, Kiln inspired bags and the Arabian headgear set of the clothes beautifully " It is important to have simple but stunning accessories, instead of big, chunky pieces to offset the clothes" says Ashima. However, what stood was the wear ability as none of the clothes were over the top or too revealing.

The duo will complete 11 years in the industry soon and is planning to expand rapidly by taking their collection to America and London. " We are planning on opening our stores in six different cities of U.S.A starting from New York and San Francisco. We will also have our own store in London," says Leena.

Meanwhile denims are taking a bow from the traditional as Hi-End jeans, the prêt line of AN Denim introduced its fall 2003collection. "The collection is playful, fun and it will add a hip touch to daywear or an evening out," says Anil Nanda well known industrialist who launched AN Jeans last year.

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