Known for creating fashion that speaks evening glam and elevated sporty luxe, designer Namrata Joshipura presented her collection, The First Order, at the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI in Mumbai.
Look-at-me cutout detailing, sensually charged drapes and high-octane shine have been her key signatures but what makes the new collection special is the fact that she's dialled up on glam accents. "Shine is a key element for us, we will always come back to our first love. Our silhouettes were traditionally more linear and this season it is a celebration and a ramp up in the hotness factor. These are clothes that slay," she says.
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In an interview with Lounge, the designer, who's also a runner and divides her time between Canada New Delhi, talks about the collection and what inspired her. Edited excerpts:
How did you interpret post modern disco elegance for the collection?
The ironic “nod and a wink” to a wonderful period in fashion and music, but also imagining this nostalgic time in the context of the overwhelming pace of technological innovation that is sweeping us all. How would an AI robot dress for the club?
What inspired you to incorporate ‘CD ROM’ print into your designs?
Again, this a nostalgic reference to an outdated technology. Everything is in the cloud these days. Like a Casio watch from the 80s, which we treasure and envelops us in warmth for a simpler, more innocent time.
You divide your time between Canada and New Delhi. How much do your travels impact your design process?
Vancouver, where I stay, is bathed in nature everywhere you look … mountains, sea and forests. It is the city of athleisure (also HQ to Lululemon and ARC'TERYX), which informs how I dress when I am there. And Delhi is definitely the capital of occasion wear, weddings, parties, events. This split personality existence is how I like it.
You’re also a marathon runner and have incorporated athletic elements into your designs, like the visor hats and trainers, for this collection...
This is a glam collection and less athleisure driven. Trainers are streetwear these days, and I always loved how fashion elevated these elements. We were early in showcasing streetwear in our shows and this likely came from my time living in New York and, of course, being a runner. I have used references from the outdoors in elements like fabrics, accessories and styling.
What are the demands of the resort/ready to wear customers? What are your key learnings as you’ve dressed many generations of fashionista?
Stay true to your DNA and don’t adapt with passing trends.
You’ve never really gone out of your comfort zone of glam-leisure. Can we expect you to do a completely off-kilter collection in the coming seasons?
Cannot predict what lies in the future, but we are always evolving.
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