Manipur Handlooms –Krishna Mehta Autumn Winter Festive 2013-14, Lakme Fashion Week

Krishna Mehta paid rich tribute to the craftsmanship of an often neglected and isolated region of India, i.e., Manipur with her Autumn Winter 2013-14 collection at the Lakme Fashion Week. Manipur, which has 4.62 lakh handloom workers, second among the top states in the country, has almost 100 percent women weavers. 

This might be the first time that a mainstream designer has gone out of her creative comfort zone to explore and use the rich handloom and weaving story of this North Eastern state, thus bringing it at the forefront of Indian fashion with a global appeal.

With woven traditional and tribal weaves in fine silks, wool and tweeds, this is a collection that gracefully embraces the old with new, thus marrying the distinct ethnic craftsmanship of the region with Krishna’s signature style.

The richness of bright cobalts, crimsons, reds ,fuchsia, oranges ,purples , resembling  multimedia artworks with subtle layering; lending to the vivaciousness of the elaborate ensembles of long architectural jackets and  soft skirted dresses, the varied pants and  flared tunics along with  the whole 6 yards.

"What you are going to see is my interpretation of the clusters of Manipur ,their lives,  their  textiles , their , traditions......So rich and lavish, so full and vibrant.....May be  each ensemble is an extravaganza, maybe  it is just a thought , maybe it is not reality , but  a world unto itself , just the way imagined in my mind  "says designer Krishna Metha on her new line.

(Image Credit :Lakme Fashion Week Facebook Page & Tandem PR)