At the preview of her Autumn/ Fall, Fight & Feast collection, inspired from her travel to Nagaland, designer Anupamaa Dayal tells Riya Sharma how this collection is completely different from what she usually does. She further shares that she learnt the philosophies of the tribe by spending time with them
She has travelled all across the world and she claims that whenever she travels, she leaves her identity as a designer behind, and chooses to explore a place and its beauty like any other traveller. As Anupamaa Dayal undertook her recent expedition to Nagaland, she could not help and resist converting her exotic holiday into a collection that she very proudly calls, Fight & Feast.
Inspired by the Ao, Chaksang, Konyak and several other tribes of Nagaland, the collection presents a twist to the traditional dressing style of Nagas. “I am a big time traveller. I have travelled all across the country and the world. For me, it was more thrilling because you need permission to visit the place because of insurgency and it became all the more special. I did my research, I read as much as I could and I never thought that it was going to result in a collection,” shared the designer at the preview of the collection at Grappa, Shangri la’s Eros Hotel.
She added that she never lets the idea of creating a collection from of her travels pressurise her. “I leave behind my identity as Anupamaa Dayal as I never want to put the pressure on me. So, when I decided to travel to this exotic land, I only wanted to do so as a traveller. I was the only Indian in the flight, and when I went there, I had the time of my life. I tried everything, and people asked me, ‘You ate all our foodIJ’ Indian palate is so different but I wanted to try all of it. I danced with them, chatted with them and loved hearing about their philosophies of living. The aesthetics sense is so refined that it is hard not to get influenced by them,” she shared
So, what all has the designer brought along with her from the land, we askedIJ “There is a sense of playfulness not only among people but in the whole vibe of the place. That is the reason why I have kept that in my collection,” she replied.
A model at the preview with her fierce look, shashayed around, flaunting some of the designs from the collection. She showed one of the variations of the long dresses and teamed it with the accessories which is also the USP of the collection. Dayal, on the other hand, also was seen wearing one of her designs. She wore blue track pants along with a crop top and carried it well with the drape which can be worn in any other variation. “There are a lot of shirts which I think is the trend these days. But, the main thing about this collection is the accessories. There are headgears, masks, long earings, neck pieces, anklets, waist bands, bracelets et al.,” pointed out the designer who has also done some funky footwear for the collection.
She also admitted that this is different from what she usually does. “It neither has flowers nor pink colour. It is a slightly fierce collection — not what you expect from me. It is one of the deepest part of me,” she shared.
The collection is not only chic and vibrant in terms of colours but is also comfortable and casual at the same time. “A lot of khadi, silk, cotton and linen were used for the collection. It has red, black and white — typical Naga colours. It also has a little bit of blue and hints of green, too,” she said.
Keeping her women in mind, Dayal has refrained from working on tight and body-hugging silhouettes, though some of the dresses are shaped. “My woman is not who wears a black dress, but is someone who is much more confident in her body,” she concluded.
photos Sanjeev kumar