Anshu's Oriental Connection

Designers often allow art and craft elements from exotic lands to permeate their collections. This time around Anshu Arora Sen drew inspiration from the Japanese art of Origami, birds and the different times of the day for her collection of 45 ensembles at the Lakme Fashion Week.

Anshu is one of the most creative designers we have here in India, known as much for the esoteric quality of her clothes as their innovative garment construction. From her first foray onto the fashion scene in 2001 at the Lakme India Fashion Week, Anshu Arora Sen has always drawn critical appreciation. Post an introspective silence of two years, Anshu's voice resounded with more clarity than ever before.

Her storytelling was simultaneously crisp and concise, poetic and lyrical. With a whimsy reflective of the designer herself, the models sat by the edges of the ramp, dangling their feet and looking around curiously before walking down seemingly entranced by the deeply soulful music.

Colours moved from silver grey to acid green, orange, shocking pink and brown in short silk and organza. Garments were structured with draping, folding, pin tucking, pleating and cutting. The effect was very nearly sculptural and timeless.

Perfectly tailored pieces with the occasional contrast lining for skirts and dresses were breathtaking, while skirts wound their way around the body, to be held in place with tie-ups or pins. Halter dresses were given a new dimension as they plunged dangerously below the back waist and oversized collars held the garment together.

Trousers were skin tight but with enough detailing to remain eye catching. Anshu chose to keep embellishments minimal - beaded motifs, strings and beads, floral appliqués, smocking, quilting and hints of embroidery at neck, sleeve or blouse closures.

For Fall, she added in some vibrant jackets with overlapping closures and knee length coats. Here was a collection that was not only high on creativity but commercial viability as well. It gave one a sense of Issey Miyake's style, but Anshu's soft, dream like sensibility made it all her own.