Chanderi with a bridal twist

‘Jaama’ marks the beginning of Mishra’s bridal line,and was launched in Pune after Mumbai. Hyderabad and Kolkata will follow. The highlight of this Indian line is the opulent look that the designer has created out of chanderi. “It’s all hand-embroidered and handwoven. The construction is western but the outcome is very Indian,” he explains. Mishra is already well-known for experimenting with chanderi but with this collection,he has gone a step further. ” Chanderi is known for its small bootas and motifs. But for ‘Jaama’,we’ve done big,hand-embroidered motifs,” he says. The collection reflects his interpretation of the opulence of Islamic art and architecture.

The chanderi weavers have worked on this collection for six months. “The younger generation of weavers is no longer happy with just earning a living; they want to go beyond boundaries. While some of them come together like entrepreneurs,others turn into suppliers. The changes are significant,” Mishra says.

In ‘Jaama’,one finds jackets and kurtas that can be combined with tights or straight pants. The jacket dresses can be worn as they are or teamed with churidars . “The construction is what makes a difference,” he says. Focused on retailing this line,he adds,”I want to interact with my immediate customers,seek their feedback and understand what they want.” Currently,Mishra retails at 50 stores across India. Internationally,he has presence in New York,UK,Europe,the Middle East and Japan.

As for his future plans,Mishra says he will showcase his Spring/Summer line at the upcoming Wills Fashion Week. “I think Lakme and Wills fashion weeks are the only two events that can be called fashion weeks. The others function like a PR machinery. I may participate in a bridal week in the future,” he says.