The melange of colours

Celestial world

They celebrate life as an expression of fashion while taking inspiration from around the globe. The creative duo — Sujata and Sanjay — are known for their forte in designing fusion wear.

Handcrafted brocades or French chantilly lace, their designs are an eclectic melange of colours and styles, which make them sought-after for every occasion. Their recent collection ‘Apsarasa’, true to its name, has a mystical influence with feminine silhouettes, shimmery fabrics and chic patterns. The duo describe it as their ‘celestial’ line of collection.

“I had a flair for designing and have a textile background. After I found the right designing partner in Sanjay, a NIFT graduate, we started designing fusion wear. We lay great emphasis on style, cut and unusual colour combinations,” says Sujata. While nature brings out the artist in them, they are influenced by the rich heritage of India and the West. “We take inspiration from nature. Vintage and historical art forms are a bang on for our creative rush,” she says.

From chic tunics to opulent bridals, they design wedding saris and gowns with their signature style. That apart, they work on humble daily wear like floral ‘kurtas’ and demure drapes. Their current collection which focusses on making every woman feel special, is “a true representation of imagination-meets-creation”.

“We have worked with dreamy elements like shimmer georgette, net, dainty laces, floral prints and glitter embellishments to create a blend of high and low notes. Subtle tones of peach, beige and ivory and grand shades of red and deep blue make the designs sophisticated,” says Sanjay.

The highlight of this collection is pretty laced borders, never ending bell sleeves, grand flared gowns and keyhole backs. “We have designed the outfits for today’s woman to resemble the look of an angel. There is a contemporary touch to the celestial collection with a fusion of chic and traditional styles,” he adds.

Avid admirers of Indian handloom and handicraft industry, they include a lot of hand-woven brocades, raw silk and ‘chanderi’ in their designs. “We are trying to promote the Indian handloom and handicrafts industry by bringing forth these traditional art forms through our designs. Indian fabrics like ‘khadi’ and silk now have a global market and is welcomed all around the world,” she says.

It is ‘passion for fashion’ that has become their driving force. Experimenting with various textiles from different parts of the country — be it the mirror work and ‘bandhini’ from Rajasthan, ‘kantha’ work from Bengal’, they say, “Ours is a fusion wear where tradition meets modernity. And, Bengaluru is a positive market for such designs. A City enriched with traditional values and modern sensibilities, it is perfect for our designs.”