A play of vibrant colours

Haute style

Designer duo Anu Nagappa and Susan Fernandes make sure that their designs are made to suit their subject’s personality and the season’s peculiarities. Working out of their fashion label,  ‘Astara’,  the two have literally shunned machine-made clothing and have worked around traditional fabrics to not only revive them, but also give them a contemporary flavour.

The bold streak

The association between Anu and Susan goes back to their school days. They were best buddies in college and joined hands later to create the fashion label, ‘Astara’. Seamlessly blending  the country’s rich design heritage with a sensibility that is global, the duo let their imagination go wild.

   “Our fashion line always reflects international design directions accented with fabrics, embellishments and colours that have become synonymous with us,” say Anu and Susan.
Hand-woven fabrics is what the designers play around with and this, they say, not only help the weavers but also inspire them to create something new. “Our design philosophy is unpretentious and inclusive. We believe fashion must be flattering, beautiful and distinctive. We offer trendy work wear, a show-stopping evening range and special cuts for plus-sized people,” they add.

They confess that they always try and weave what they see around them into their designs. “The ordinary things around us inspire us to create something new. We try and transform the mundane and give it a distinct character,” they share. 

When the two of them put their ideas together, the result is an explosion of colours. This best describes their latest line which is called ‘Day Collection for 2015’.

    “The hallmark of this show stopping line is colour, texture and fit. Each dress is perfectly styled in vibrant block-printed cottons and silks, accented with zany zips, lace and subtle embroidery,” they reason.   

They have also extensively used materials like Batik and mushru silk which they picked up on one of their travels across the country.

Anu and Susan say the latest line gives the wearer the liberty to play around with the accessories like neckpieces, footwear, bangles and bags. “Accessories further add to the elegance of the garment,” they suggest.

Kavya Prakash, a student of second-year BA, Mount Carmel College, picked up a purple and grey hand-woven, Batik print day dress with a front zipper. 
Punchline: “A single piece, bright coloured cotton dress with a long zip in the front, this is easy to wear and maintain. It’s comfortable and can be worn both during the day and for an evening out. I really like the colour contrast.”
Price: Dress (Rs 5,500)

Surabhi Santosh, a student of fifth-year BA, LLB, CMR Law School, chose to wear a pink and navy Batik-printed dress.
Punchline: “I always prefer Indo-western outfits. This dress is a crackling combination of unique prints and great design. It is stylish, earthy,  comfortable and attractive.”
Price: Dress (Rs 6,500)

Aishwarya Subash, a student of third-year BA, LLB, CMR Law School, slipped into a blue Batik-print day dress with a front zipper and a cut-out back.
Punchline: “I really love what I am wearing because it’s an Indian outfit with western cuts. It’s perfect for Bengaluru weather and suited both for day wear and an evening out. This outfit gives me the
freedom to play around with accessories.”
Price: Dress (Rs 5,500)

Swati Sharma, a student of second-year BSc, Army Institute of Fashion and Design, chose to wear a rust and indigo block print, mushru silk and midi length party dress with ruffles and narrow straps.
Punchline: “The outfit is a brilliant combination of Indian fabric and Western design. It has a bias cut, which sits well. It has very simple and sober colours that make it all the more attractive.” 
Price: Dress (Rs 8,500)

Varnika Verma, a student of third-year BSc, Army Institute of Fashion and Design, picked up an Indigo blue hand-block print, mushru silk mini length party dress with front zipper and cut-out back.
Punchline: “The dress is attractive because of the way it is shaped and cut. The designs are unique and the colour combination makes it trendy.  The dress is in keeping with the current fashion trends that are doing the rounds.”
Price: Dress (Rs 7,500)

Sridevi VG, a student of second-year BBM, Mount Carmel College, picked up a pink and navy Batik-printed, handwov­en, knee-length day dress with a front zipper and cut-out ba­ck.
Punchline: “The combination of pink and black in diamond-shaped prints is truly a work of art. The outfit is a perfect blend of colours and cuts. The designs prove how well Indian fabrics can be shaped into a Western outfit. The bold prints make the outfit stand out.”
Price: Dress (Rs 5,500)