Celebrating a decade of fusion in styles

Fusing traditional Indian craft cultures like mirror-work, cutwork and the use of cowrie shells with contemporary silhouettes, designer Arpita Mehta’s ascent on Bollywood’s popularity chart has been stuff that tinsel dreams are made of. Therefore it is only natural that the designer commemorated her eponymous label’s 10th anniversary with The Mirror — a beautiful coffee-table book that reminisces her sartorial journey in the fashion industry with 10 actors shot in special custom-made designs for the occasion. From gorgeous lehnga-cholis and an organza sari to tiered skirts and jackets, the collection showcases Arpita’s design aesthetics as a modern interpretation of our crafts. In a chat with The Telegraph, the designer recapitulates and also looks ahead:

Congratulations on completing a decade of your label. How did you zero in on your aesthetics that have now become synonymous with your label?

It started with a lot of trial and error to arrive at mirror-work as a concept. But even as a child in my Gujarati family, I have always been fascinated by the mirror-work lehngas that my mother used to get for the garba events in school. When I was starting out, there were the senior designers around who were doing different kinds of things but I clearly remember that I wanted to do something that I loved and that’s how mirror-work came to me.

The challenge was how to present it in a contemporary manner because as a child, I had seen it as a traditional Gujarati craft. I did a lot of trial and error and came upon this idea of merging it with cutwork and the minute we did that, it completely changed the aesthetic of the craft. So while one is retaining the authenticity of the craft, you’re still presenting it in a modern way. Having done that constantly is what created an identity for the label, which is very important. It’s easy to spot a AM (label Arpita Mehta) outfit when you’re at any event because it’s so typical to our brand.

Despite being true to the DNA of the brand, how have you kept evolving to stay relevant to the times?

I get bored of what I do very easily so I want to constantly excite myself, which helps in getting people excited as well. So every season, we try to reinvent what we have done in the past season and mix it with different elements. One season could be about mirror-work, then the next about cutwork, cowrie shells after that or pearls after — we are experimenting every season and adding a newer touch to the same craft.

When it comes to contemporising an old craft, how do you ensure that your kaarigars and you are on the same page?

I am lucky that my embroiders and masters have been the same since Day One for the last 10 years. My core team has been the same and over the years, we have built such a bond that all I have to do is briefly explain an idea in my head and they are able to achieve it. The initial years took some time to understand each other better and doing a lot of samples. But the process has now become so much smoother that I think we can create anything that we dream of.

Bollywood loves Arpita Mehta. How did that happen?

I have been lucky that when I started out, I had a lot of friends who started out at the same time and evolved into successful stylists of today. So it was a very organic way of moving forward because back then, there was no Instagram. Every day was an effort and we were sourcing out clothes to actors whenever there were requirements for events. What really helped is that the women we have dressed in the past took to it positively — they liked what they wore and how it made them feel and that’s how they asked for more. The motto of the brand has always been to create beautiful clothes and to keep working.

All the Bollywood actors have different aesthetics and they are very sure about what they want. It’s always like a two-way partnership. A Sonam Kapoor, Ananya Panday or even Madhuri Dixit — everyone comes with an idea of what they want and so it’s always a conversation about creating a look.

Coming to the coffee-table book, The Mirror that commemorates your 10-year journey — how did you conceive it?

I have been excited by the idea of doing a coffee-table book for the brand for a while now but I was waiting for the right time to have enough things to write about and to make it exciting not only for me but for everyone who has been involved with the brand. I thought completing 10 years was a celebratory moment to do this and I started working on this a year back. We shot with 10 actors celebrating the 10 years of our brand, wearing custom-made designs made for each of them for this shoot as a part of our new collection. The classic sari, a tiered-skirt, the jacket, the cape and bralette style — we have tried to pull out a few of our classics and mix it along with the current trend to create this collection. We did a few shoots before the pandemic and then after the lockdown too. Covid-19 changed a lot of plans but by the end of it, it has turned out to be a lot better than what I imagined it to be.

Standing in 2021, when a lot of things about fashion have changed, what lies ahead for you?

Even a year back, I always used to have plans — for the next five or 10 years. But 2020 has taught me to not plan that much in advance. The wholesome plan for the future is to not put a timeline on things and understand the way we are going. The idea is to have stores all over the country and if things permit, even internationally. We have already launched our website along with our store launch in November and we want to push our brand digitally.

(Pictures courtesy: Arpita Mehta)