Preview: Amit Aggarwal On Blending Two Cultures At LFW Winter/Festive 2017

Why did you choose Monaco as your inspiration?
“My travels continue to inspire my work. To me, Monaco is a beautiful boutique country with strong French and Italian influences on its culture and architecture. The colossally gilded interiors of The Prince’s Palace and the Opera seem to draw a direct parallel with the rich textiles from Banaras, which I was already working on. It was a serendipitous cross-culture blend to create a modern interpretation of a collection that is deeply rooted in heritage.”

How have you reconciled the fashion sensibilities of Monaco with the design philosophy of Kashi?
“I haven’t exactly adopted French fashion influences but been inspired by the motif language which harmoniously blends with the weaves of Banarasi brocades. This marriage of cultural identities allowed for a greater sense of exchange between two histories to birth a contemporary design ethos.”

Tell us about the interesting array of colours on your mood board.
“I am presenting a bridal collection at Lakme Fashion Week this season so I wanted to use jewel tones which would complement vintage Indian textiles beautifully. Of course, our signature technique of fortifying the weaves adds a hint of metallic sheen and structure to the garment.”

Can you talk about some of the weaves and techniques you’ve used?
“Vintage weaves have been restored using our signature techniques of industrial pleating and latticing with recycled polymer strips. I have also worked with contemporary zardozi embroidery both with metal and fibres, exquisite hand pleated tape embroideries and detailed thread work mixed with unusual industrial yarns.”