Monisha Jaising On The Latest Trends & Being LFW’s Grand Finale Designer

Monisha Jaising On The Latest Trends & Being LFW’s Grand Finale Designer

Every year, there’s buzz in the fashion industry around who will be the grand finale designer for India’s most coveted fashion event, Lakmé Fashion Week. Well, the cat is out of the bag; this season it is none other than veteran designer Monisha Jaising.

Monisha Jaising strongly believes that fashion is a matter of sensibility and a way forward. She believes her pieces can be worn everywhere from a wedding, to the club, to even lounging at home. Scroll down to see the chat we had with her about her grand finale collection, which she promises is purely about fashion…

Why is your collection called “Shades of a Diva”?

Shades of a Diva is actually not my line. It is a beauty statement that Lakmé came up with. So when they asked me to be the grand finale designer, and they told me what their beauty statement was, I said, ‘Wow, that’s perfect.’ Because it could be the inspiration for my show; we do have elements of diva in our collection. So, I felt it would work wonderfully well.

What’s in store, and what can we expect from the grand finale collection?

So the collection has various shapes, lots of colours — the colour spectrum varies from electric to sorbet colours. A diva is a trendsetter, so I have worked on different shapes, draping and tailoring techniques.

How is being the grand finale designer any different from otherwise?

I think you are very privileged to be the chosen one. The Lakmé grand finale is something that everyone in the fashion industry looks at, and that is always spoken about in the fashion circle. So, of course, it is a privilege that they picked me. Maybe they picked me because they feel there is a diva in the garments I design.

Any pre-show rituals?

The pre-show rituals are the usual panic, and everything going wrong. Last-minute changes and working overnight because things always go super wrong, right towards the end. Maximum work is done in the last few weeks.

What are the key pieces in your collection?

I think every piece is a key piece in the collection. Because each one is different. My line is all about fashion, it is not about attending the big fat Indian wedding. It is just trendy and fashion forward.

Can you throw some light on the textiles and fabrics used to create these pieces?

We have worked a lot with the fabrics. We have printed on them and have played with texture such as pre-pleating, pintucks and rouching. We have also used different techniques of tailoring, such as flat pattern cutting and draping and embroideries like ariyan and zardozi. A lot of manual labour has gone into this collection, and it is a labour of love.

What do you think are key colours for the upcoming season?

Ultraviolet, floss pink, peach bud and sea foam.

Your best-kept fashion secret?

Never think of being “in” fashion, always think of creating it.

You have come up with a luxury prêt label with Shweta Bachchan Nanda. How did this brand take birth?

It was a common friend’s 50th birthday and the theme of the party was “Shimmer and Shine”. Shweta knew what exactly she wanted to wear to the party. She wanted someone to translate her vision into the final product. The first designer that came to her mind was Monisha Jaising.

She approached me to create the outfit, and after a couple of design meetings, we came up with an effortless-looking ensemble. Shweta had an after-thought post this fun experience that the two of us should come up with a capsule collection together, which then progressed to building a long-term association through MxS.

Shikha Kohli

Fashion enthusiast by birth, shopaholic by nature, and makeup maven by choice, Shikha serves you your daily dose of everything style and beauty, with a sprinkle of fabulousness!

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