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Contemporizing vintage fashion, Indian style
Bollywood style: Models pose in creations from Indian designers Shantanu and Nikhil in Jakarta
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Bollywood style: Models pose in creations from Indian designers Shantanu and Nikhil in Jakarta. (Courtesy of Cognito Communications) (Courtesy of Cognito Communications)
Bollywood style: Models pose in creations from Indian designers Shantanu and Nikhil in Jakarta. (Courtesy of Cognito Communications)
The lights were dimmed, the ethnic instrumental music started playing and the bewitching, exotic tan models made their way onto the runway. The black and white 1930s era backdrop enhanced a vintage showcase.
That night, Indian designers Shantanu and Nikhil took heartfelt responsibility for bringing Jakarta's fashion lovers into a renaissance fashion trance.
This year's spring and summer collection is an array dominated by the colors peach and white contrasted by outfits in brick red.
'Our colors are always muted, tone on tone with a touch of vintage in them,' says Nikhil.
The lighter tone has a universal appeal, appreciated by many.
'When you play with a vintage you have a contemporary feel in it,' he added.
The delicately constructed outfits are made to suit the modern women of any race.
'If you wake up in vintage with nostalgia and give it the construction you want, the color palette at that point is not much of an influencing factor as much as a silhouette,' he said.
Shantanu and Nikhil use fabrics both of Indian and European origin.
'The georgettes, chiffons and soft nets are used to bring in the fluidity to romanticize the whole collection, while the raw silks and tussle silks bring in the structure,' Nikhil says.
Indians are known to add a touch of emotional drama to art.
The fashion trend for the collection was based on an imaginary character named Vanessa ' a British diva who lived in Kolkata.
She was very attracted to Indian culture but after independence she went back home to her country of origin. After many years, she came back and relived what she used to do and what she could have worn if she was living in today's age.
'What you saw in the background [multimedia], the architectural nostalgia, was a recreation of the authentic haveli [private mansion] of Kolkata,' says Nikhil.
The clothes featured were just a figment of the imagination of the British woman.
Brothers by blood, Shantanu and Nikhil are known for their 'vintage inspired' cocktail collections.
Whereas most Indian designers cater to brides, these brothers ' whose full names are Shantanu Mehra and Nikhil Mehra ' are taking a different turn by indulging the bride's guests.
'At times in India we do tend to focus more on the brides and forget about the people who are attending the occasions and who are looking for wardrobe solutions,' says Nikhil.
The outfits are creatively designed so that they can be worn at any kind of party.
'I think that is where we fit in because our target audience is mostly the young cocktail sort of flavor,' Nikhil says.
While catering to a cocktail party segment, the brothers incorporated their roots in their designs and at the same time gave them a modern look.
Paisely is a widely used motif for textile designs in India. It can be mistaken as a batik design because of its similarity. One of the outfits, an anarkali ' a long skirt with reaches between the knees and ankles ' is matched with a paisley motif bolero jacket to give a new dimension to it.
'Everything that is vintage needs to be contemporized and glamorized for a global audience,' said Nikhil.
Shantanu and Nikhil, who came to town invited by Jitendra Virwani of the Embassy Group to promote the Stonehill school in Indonesia, have also dressed Bollywood celebrities like Sharukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Kunal Kapoor, Abhay Deol, Kareena Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra.
Many sports celebrities like Serena Williams, Sania Mirza, Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan, Glenn McGrath and Stephen Fleming have also worn their designs. The brothers have also been designing sports outfits for Adidas.
'It was a versatile affair on our part to venture into a ready to wear prêt-a-porter with one of the biggest brands in the world,' Nikhil says.
In their line of work, Shantanu and Nikhil embrace the fusion of art and commerce. Shantanu takes care of the finances while Nikhil designs and creates.
The designs of Shantanu and Nikhil are applicable to Indonesian women. Some of their collection has the models sporting a headscarf, making the outfits wearable for anyone.
Indonesian designer Poppy Dharsono, who attended the fashion show, said the collection of Shantanu and Nikhil was beautiful and elegant.
She was captivated by the jackets and evening gowns presented.
'The collection is an international standard of fashion using Indian fabrics, with a touch of Indian but is modern and classic,' Poppy says.
Shantanu and Nikhil both agree on a certain point.
'We come from a background of very rich handicrafts. The world knows us for fusing that craft and contemporizing it. It has always been the dilemma. I think we took it upon ourselves about how to balance that whole art of matching the best in sense and sensibility and yet not letting go of India.'
