Excerpts from a chat with the designer on her collection at Lakme Fashion Week Fall/Winter 08-09, trends this season and more.

Elaborate on your designs at LFW Fall/Winter 08-09

My collection realises the concept of a Utopian world that depicts ‘now’ in the realm of time. I have used fabrics that are sometimes cubic and sometimes fluid, which are further enlivened with textures that are at times robotic, and at other times intelligent. I have made use of glistening fabrics in silk, satin and velvet which are accentuated with acidic embroideries in black, icy silver and gold. 

A lowdown on the trends this season

For the Spring-Summer I would say bright colours like oranges and yellows are hot. Neutrals are always a hot favourite. A lot of summer prints, florals and stripes. Cotton fabrics are in as always. Sheen and shimmer is still in for the nights. Silhouettes are voluminous and not very fitted. The whole idea is to be comfortable and yet make a statement. The lengths are shorter considering its summer.

Designer labels vis-a-vis the Indian middle class

Fashion has become accessible to all. Most designers introduce the prêt line to expand their consumer base not only to provide options to the existing clientele, but also to reach out to a whole new database. A designer extends his/her experience through the creations, the experience is felt differently by different people, but the product reaches out to all.

Your experience of interning with Ralph Lauren

It was a wholly different experience to be interning with Ralph Lauren. It was not only fun but also very exciting. I got to know how corporate companies work. Their system of work is just so organised. From the patterns to the production cycle... it is all so systematic that it makes work not only a lot easier but you also enjoy it a lot more.

The labels that you wear and adore

My style statement involves a casual t-shirt and jeans. As such, the brands I adore for my jeans are River Island, Calvin Klein and Armani. For my T-shirts, I like to go with simple knits which are very comfortable to work in. They are primarily from Araiya or from Armani, Ralph Lauren, XOXO and Bebe. If it is for the night I like to endorse my own brand Araiya. 

Your take on the following:

The best haunt for a first rate non-designer wear: The little boutiques in Bandra and Juhu.

If not a designer, you’d be: An artist as I’ve studied art at JJ school of arts for five years.

The worst-dressed celebs according to you: There’s no one single name that I can give. But a lot of Bollywood should keep in mind not to wear too tight or ill fitting clothes.

If you could be reborn as a designer in a place other than India, it would be: Definitely Paris.

The greatest fashion guru according to you: Azzedine Alaia