Playing with vintage looks

Cocktail dresses

Shalini Jaikaria and Paras Bairoliya’s Geisha Designs studio in Noida has ‘vintage’ as its prime motivation. The luxury lifestyle brand has translated ancient, yet very modern world of present times into garments. Launched in January 2001, Geisha Designs personifies the ultra feminine old world romantic look.

The duo use western pattern making principles to re-create traditional Indian silhouettes. The emphasis is on silhouettes and delicate embroidery. They try to be unconventional with the use of traditional materials like beads, sequins and thread and take a 3-dimensional form to craft striking textures and motifs that are western in every way. Hand detailing and seam finishing are some of their major priorities.

Jakaria tells Metrolife, “Human race always believes it was good back then…in our childhood, in the recesses of our past. One should borrow ideas from the past in way of colors, garment details, fabrics, textures, accessories and add it to your style. The look should have a vintage borrowed feel.”

She says that these styles can be worn in any occasion where you want to look feminine, soft and romantic, like for a date or wedding functions or you can even wear Geisha to a cocktail.

Geisha is as much Indian as it is western. According to Jakaria, her works are influenced by the traditional and modern crafts of many countries.

“We love crafts and weaves from all around the world. We would start with a craft which is unusual from what we do. We gather lots of details and information about that craft, try and understand the ethos behind it, and assimilate that into our existing world,” she says.

Along with being associated with fashion industries from across the world, Geisha
Designs is also a member of FDCI (Fashion Design Council of India) and show cases its collections bi-annually at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week. The designers have also worked closely with CDI (Craft Development Institute),Srinagar, Kashmir to contemporarise traditional products available in Kashmir and Ladakh and to improve the quality of workmanship and assembling the products under the aegis of The
Directorate of Handloom and Handicrafts. 

Jakaria explains, “The products that we create under Geisha Designs are made keeping in mind the modern, girl, which is a contrast against those created under the aegis of The Directorate of Handloom and Handicrafts. Those products are more locally inspired and contemprorise, thus making them more viable
for non-locals.”