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Journalism of Courage
For years now, Archana Rao has been taking photographs of clotheslines in people’s balconies and lawns. A father’s gingham shirt, a mother’s handkerchief and a child’s frock, all hanging together, fascinated the Hyderabad-based designer. Such was the appeal and intrigue that Rao’s latest collection, also titled “Clothesline”, takes its inspiration from this story. “Each garment on a clothesline is different, but they all seem to come together. It’s these opposing elements that form the core of my collection,” says Rao, who is debuting with a runway show at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) Autumn-Winter 2014 at Pragati Maidan in the Capital.
At the venue, Rao is dressed in a black jumpsuit and heels, while the clothes at her stall depict her love for pastel shades. She uses gingham to create skirts and sleeveless crop tops. Collared sheer organza shirts, olive green saris, dull blue lehenga-saris with pearl embroideries, peplum tops with pressed flower technique and knee-length twill dresses with a burst of spring colours dominate the stall space. “I don’t take fashion and trends very seriously and my ideal client also feels the same. The clothes have to be wearable and relatable,” says Rao, as she takes us around her stall. She retails out of multi-designer stores in Chennai and Hyderabad.
Feminine silhouettes with a hint of vintage are this Parsons’ graduate’s strengths, and in 2011, she launched her label Frou Frou. “No, Imogen Heap’s band is not the reason behind the name. This is the cutest French word and it means the sound fabric creates when rubbed,” says Rao.
It was her last collection, titled “The Nostalgia Shop” that won her the prestigious Vogue India Fashion Fund 2013, beating the likes of fashion darling Masaba Gupta. “This award has generated a wave of interest and of course, there is fat cash prize, which I will use to expand business,” says the 28-year-old.
“Fashion was never a major factor while growing up, but clothes were. Since I am from Hyderabad, I have seen a lot of Kanjeevaram saris and I used to like the ones that would be distressing. I used to save tattered ones and use them on furniture. I even noticed the way the maids would mix and match their limited garments every day,” she says. Every conversation goes back to her early years in Hyderabad and it is this market that she is eager to explore now.
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