Partying Shot

On Thursday evening ,the designer duo previewed their Autumn/Winter collection from their label Cue. The party was hosted by Priya Kishore,owner of the trendy SoBo boutique,who quickly changes into a piece from the line—a sequined sheath,with an asymmetric neck—making Gandhi and Khanna go off in raptures. “This is exactly the kind of woman we’re designing for,” exclaims Khanna,“the young,working woman who wants to dress in something chic,but with an edge.” There’s always something edgy,even quirky about the Delhi-based designers’ clothes.

Their Spring /Summer 2010 collection for men has seemingly ordinary-looking suits,but with just that little touch,whether it’s mismatched lapels or unexpected zippers. “Why would anyone come to us for their suits if they wanted something staid? If that were the case,they would head to the retailers and not to designers,” says Khanna,while admitting that it is tougher to get men to experiment with clothes. “Working with women is more fun; they’re so effortlessly glamorous.”

The A/W collection on display at Bombay Electric is an equally apt example of why the duo is referred to as the Sultans of Subversion. Even when they use something as overused in Indian fashion as sequins,they make sure they do it differently,by using dull sequins on neutral backgrounds,so that the wearer gently shimmers,instead of crassly sparkling. And in a nod to the woman on the move who doesn’t have time for fussy purses,they’ve included pockets in the least expected of clothes—cocktail dresses.

When Khanna and Gandhi got together in 1997,they were the first designers to launch prêt collections in India. It’s been over 10 years now and they show no signs of slowing down. Post the Mumbai preview,there’s a much deserved New Year break in Goa,but after that it’s back to the grind for the duo with the opening of a store in the Palladium in Mumbai and their participation in the upcoming Paris and Delhi fashion weeks. How have they stuck together for so long? “We fight all the time,but we’re also very in sync with the way we think about aesthetics,whether it’s fashion or art or interiors,” explains Gandhi.