Indian fashion designer Urvashi Kaur showcased her latest collection named VASA during Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2017 last month. Her label embodies glocal fashion, which comes from the phrase think globally, act locally. Glocalization, a fusion between the words globalization and localization, is an advice/successful strategy for companies that act globally or distribute their products internationally. It says they should adapt their products to local culture, keeping local traditions and values in mind. Only then global success is guaranteed.
Urvashi says her designs are ‘global in their construction but defiantly Indian in their sensibility’.
Sustainability is also a theme Urvashi discusses through fashion. She embraces heritage hand-woven, organic textiles and natural dyes. The promotion of indigenous Indian weaves and age-old techniques define Urvashi’s design philosophy.
I’m intrigued by designers who have a solid, well-thought-out design philosophy like Urvashi. One that goes beyond ‘dressing for the masses/mainstream’. Kaur shows that sustainable design can be fashion-forward.
Her collection VASA is a modern-day homage to an ancient and diverse (Indian) heritage. Urvashi took inspiration from her travels to remote parts of India as a child, exploring memories and experiences from her past.
For VASA Urvashi used time worn, handwoven textiles like khadi (hand-woven cotton cloth), simple cottons, traditional Ajrakhs (block printed fabrics), kota doriya (woven fabric with a square-checked pattern) and cotton silks. The color palette includes earth tones like dusty fawns, faint blush but also darker shades like indigo blue and olive greens. The designer added dimension and depth to the textiles by using a range of indigenous treatments; dyes, block printing and chikankari embroidery details.
The collection includes versatile, multi-piece ensembles. The pieces are trans-seasonal and can be worn in various ways. Layering plays a key role in this collection: tailored shirts, skirts and structured jumpsuits meet fluid outerwear and paneled separates.
I love the diverse character of the collection, the colors are stunning! I’ve spotted several items which I would like to add to my summer wardrobe like the trousers made from lights fabrics with print details, the jumpsuits and (long) vests for layering. I’ve included my favorite looks from the collection in the gallery:
