Designer Anju Modi wowed the audience during Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/ Festive 2014 on the 20th of august with her latest collection ‘Manikarnika’.
‘Manikarnika’ is a woman of the past, reborn in the present, a story of revival and reincarnation. Anju Modi explored age old crafts and ancient techniques for this collection. For her embroidery designs, Modi drew inspiration from The Ajanta and Ellora Caves which are protected monuments and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. They are located in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India. The caves include paintings and sculptures; Indian art and Buddhist religious art.
The intricate embroidery that decorates the Indian style gowns takes us on a cultural journey. You can see different motifs like horse-drawn carriages and delicate floral patterns recreated in woolen and zari embroideries. It is as if Anju Modi is telling us a story with embroidery! I must say that this is one of the best collections I have seen on the runway this year so far. The embroidery blows my mind and the beautiful color combinations are a feast for the eyes; earthy, sepia tones like sand and old rose and rich jewel tones like burgundy, ruby and emerald.
It is hard to pick one favorite from this collection, but one of my favorites is the first design featured in the gallery; a pastel pink gown. A super feminine design due to the color, the figure hugging fit and beautiful white and shimmery embroidery decorations. True romance! If I were a soon to be bride, I would be pulling my wallet out of my bag right now to reach for my creditcard, because this would be THE dress! It is elegant and sophisticated.
A tip for those who love Bollywood, check out the film Ram-Leela which includes designs by Anju Modi.
Admire Anju Modi’s other collections on her website anjumodi.com
