Lakme Fashion Week 2014: First look of Anavila Sindhu Misra collection

Zee Media Bureau

Mumbai: The first look of designer Anavila Misra`s Lakme Fashion Week Winter Festive 2014 collection was launched by Konkona Sen Sharma. The designs are inspired by the magnificence of Mohenjo Daro. The designer has chosen the critically acclaimed actress as her muse with her rustic theme and Sen`s Indian style in sync with each other. Konkona wore a natural indigo dyed sari with patches of hand block printed indigo patterns and blouse with thread work. Both these signify the town planning of Mohenjo Daro. Konkona is wearing armlets made of bell metal hand moulded by the bell metal artisans from village Aura in Gujarat. Her cuff is a hand made accessory using embroidery, bell metal buttons and beads and thread work on handwoven woollen fabric. This Autumn/Winter 2014 collection has taken cues from various objects found in excavation, the regional economic conditions, cultural influences, architecture, craft practices and art remains, resulting in an inspiring visual story. The collection represents women from various stands of life of a bygone era very different from ours, with a different palette for every echelon. Potters, weavers, farmers, nobility dancers all call back from the past, to take us through the fascinating culture of Mohenjo Daro.   The emphasis in this line is on various treatments done by hand-woven textiles. The fabrics used are linen, cotton and silk, the very same that were prevalent at that time. The extensive use of natural dyes on these fabrics also recreates the culture of this golden era. The color story includes indigo, madder, sap green, rust, gold, bronze, cement, ecru and an array of beiges.   Techniques like extra weft weaving, block printing and ikat bring alive the Indus motifs. Over-dying and printing has also been used to create an aged, rustic look. Ajrak printing, featured in the archeological survey of Mohenjo Daro, makes for an essential element of Anavila’s collection.   To add to the authenticity, the accessories have been handcrafted by terracotta, metal and leather artisans. With a range of techniques thus working together with artistry to recreate her vision, Anavila Misra gives us a peek at her Autumn-Winter collection: Mohenjo Daro.   The collection will be showcased in its entirety at the Lakme Fashion Week on 21st August, 2014 at 1:30PM