“My show-stopper is such a diva, she fits the bill completely and so you will see this diva walk down the ramp,” says an exuberant Monisha Jaising, who happens to be this year’s Lakmé Absolute Grand Finale designer. From reviving haute-hippie holiday dressing to pairing leather lehengas with white button-down shirts, Jaising’s design graph has modestly defined and redefined glamour in the most laid back style.
Coming back to the big question, the veteran designer isn’t giving away any names yet! So, we ask for a hint, “Well, a diva can be young or old. Every woman is a diva, age has no barriers,” she disappoints again. Clearly, we have no definite answer from Jaising. But looks like we can take ample guesses, as we chat with the designer herself at her Bandra store. Jaising gives us a sneak-peek into her upcoming collection titled, ‘Shades of a Diva’ and here’s what she had to say.
Excerpts from the interview:
Your designs express luxury in a contemporary, fresh and edgy way. Tell us who is the ‘Monisha Jaising Woman’?
Monisha Jaising: The MJ woman is the one who is totally clued in. She uses her styling techniques whilst wearing our brand to perfection. She is well exposed to the global market and knows exactly what she wants when she enters our stores.
Give us a sneak-peek into your latest collection?
MJ: The collection is all about the moods of a diva. When you look at a diva’s life, you realise that she is everywhere. She could be at a club, lounging by the pool side or at a bar of a metro city or she could be simply chilling with her entourage of friends. So clearly, she has various moods and has a very diverse social lifestyle. Since a diva has several places to go to and each place that she goes to has a different dressing type, so you can well imagine how rich the collection will be in a variety of shapes, moods and shades.
You will see, abstract vibrant graphics in embroidery, liberal use of lamé and metallics to create a modern yet laid-back bohemian glamour.
Where did you derive inspiration from?
MJ: Travel, art and music have always been my source of inspiration. This season, Lakmé’s theme is ‘Shades of a Diva’ and it blends in with my design philosophy. According to me, every woman is a diva in her own right. A diva is someone who exudes great style with confidence. She is very comfortable in her skin and wears luxury and prêt in an effortless manner.
How important is a showstopper?
MJ: In my opinion, a showstopper is very important for any show. But more so, for a show like this. I wouldn’t say she is important for a show which is purely for business, but this yes, is all about branding. It’s a grand finale. So obviously, it’s all about the showstopper.
Rohit Bal recently dropped a stinker on how celebrities get free clothes from designers and how designers piggy back on fame, riding on the credentials of Bollywood. Your comments on the same?
MJ: Bollywood is huge in our country and we cannot ignore that. So, it’s not only clothing, even your water is being branded with Bollywood stars. You just switch on the television and you either see a Bollywood star promoting a cosmetic company or a cola company or even things like noodles. I think it’s just a medium that everybody uses in marketing. It’s not only for fashion, so I don’t know why fashion is so abused. What about the rest of the world?
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