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'It's an exciting time for Indian fashion'

Last Updated 30 June 2016, 19:10 IST

Designer couple Ankur and Priyanka Modi, from the label AM:PM, are known for using traditional methods of printing and embroidery in their designs to give silhouettes a chic and contemporary look.

 The designer duo, which has worked with celebrities like Madhuri Dixit, Kajol Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Dia Mirza, Karisma Kapoor among others, recently came up with their spring/summer (SS) collection ‘Shakuntala’, inspired by the romantic Indian fable.

Their brand, which started 12 years ago, now plans to expand to minimum 20 more stores by 2017.

In a freewheeling chat with Puja Gupta, Priyanka talks about their latest collection, expansion plan and fashion.

Tell us more about your SS ‘16 collection.
The collection is adorned with glorious nature-inspired prints and patterns. Motifs of the crane, lotus, monkey, along with reflections of the sky and elaborate jungle foliage are splashed onto luxurious silk, organza and satin in free-spirited silhouettes. Tunics, saris, skirts and classic separates come in hues of ivory, moss green, frosted blue, silver and black — perfect for the stylish, contemporary woman.

Why is it called ‘Shakuntala’?
We found surreal beauty in the life of Shakuntala, a young woman raised in a forest hermitage, as penned in the Mahabharata. Hence, we decided to give our collection a modern interpretation of the epic.

How has your journey been?
It has been an absolute roller-coaster ride. An indefinite learning curve. We’re still learning, adapting, evolving and we think we’d like to keep it that way.

What is fashion for you?
Fashion should be both comfortable and stylish in equal measure. One should never have to compromise on exemplary quality and comfort for the sake of staying on-trend.

How is style different from fashion?
Style is inborn, an innate ability to express yourself in any way you please. Everyone is ingrained with a fundamental sense of style. Fashion is more institutional and dictates specific trends that you may choose to follow or not.

Who, according to you, is the best dressed person in Bollywood?
It’s a tough question since a lot of the actors have really upped their style quotients. But if we were to pick just one, it would be Deepika Padukone. Her sense of style is elegant and effortless.

What inspires you?
There have been myriad inspirations over the years be it architecture, specialised crafts, intricate artworks.

How do you see the present fashion scene in India?
It’s an exciting time for Indian fashion as designers are constantly expanding their design sensibilities and reach, both in India and abroad. The future of the Indian fashion industry looks bright as demands for India’s designer goods are on the rise worldwide.

How do you perceive Western influence on Indian fashion?
The confluence of design between the East and the West is not only inevitable but extremely desirable. Experimenting with different elements and creating a new language is the most invigorating part of creativity.

What are you working on next?
We just completed working on our Autumn-Winter ’16 collection. We’re now working on our next collection, which is based in a specific historic era. We’ve also been working on a couple of projects simultaneously and hope to see them culminate soon.

Any fashion tip for the season?
Considering that we’re shortly entering an entire season of festivities, vibrant colours, with innovative hand embroidery using floral and nature-inspired motifs on beautiful hand-woven textiles, would be the perfect choice.

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(Published 30 June 2016, 14:39 IST)

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