NIFT alumni Oindrila Choudhury and Arka Kundu started Ode by Oindrila and Arka last March with nature at its core. And now the label has come up with Rang Raag, a summer line full of rustic prettiness. The young duo talk about playing with colour in these glum times and why they are full of hope.
Rang Raag looks lovely. Can you tell us about the name?
Rang means colour and raag means melody. This collection depicts the melody of colour. It’s a canvas drawn to cherish happy times and bring back those days again in our lives.
This is your ‘ode’ to spring. You have used handpainting and shibori extensively. What do you love about these techniques?
Arka: It radiates peace, love, a sense of freedom and fluidity. These handcrafted techniques are done by the people who work day and night wholeheartedly and the outcome reflects the love, emotion and warmth of those hands, which makes it so special. And, every piece is unique.
Oindrila: We always love playing with the surface and this time we tried to do it with colours using these techniques. For the time we are going through, everyone needs hope and we really think colour is something which enhances your mood and spreads positivity.
Oindrila Choudhury and Arka Kundu
The colours are a play of monotones and they look soothing. What are your favourite spring shades?
Oindrila: Every colour is beautiful and when it is been extracted from nature — the purity, the process and the outcome makes it more beautiful and precious. Colour plays an important role in our life and is always with us in every moment of our life. For me it depends on my mood. Sometime I am more attracted to green and sometimes to red.
Arka: I love more earthy colours. Not that much moody! (Laughs)
Your first collection was a seasonless one. This too can be seasonless, right?
The garments can be worn through all the seasons. We design and produce our collections with the intention to have a longer shelf life. Enjoy wearing it with no worries .
Tell us a bit about the structures you have played around with here?
This time we are bringing an edit of colourful essentials to build your wardrobe with easy-breezy styles with a luxurious touch to it. Dresses, tunics with statement collars, sharp cuts with panelled pleats and gathers will ramp up your fashion game. There is fluidity in all the styles.
What is your fashion mood right now?
Right now, we are not very sure about the apt answer to this. Fashion at this moment is luxury. But yes, the sense of comfy, easy-breezy wardrobe with lots of colours can bring about a sense of optimism. The brand’s USP is to communicate through fashion. We would like to reflect positivity through our next collection too. The truth of life is we are all bound to a single thread. Nurture a good heart and we shall pass through this together.
You sound hopeful in your lookbook. How are you tiding over these difficult times?
The pandemic has hit us hard. In these trying time, we are keeping ourselves busy with lots of brainstorming and creative articulation. It is a stress-buster to overcome the situation. For every dark night, a beautiful day is awaiting us. This keeps us motivated.
As nature lovers, how do you view this wrath of nature?
Arka: We are already paying the price of our deeds. But there is a always a chance of hope at the end if we genuinely start to rethink and restore everything.
Oindrila: Be a conscious human being, a conscious consumer and think before you act. And if there is an option where you can choose that which will lead to a better future of the earth, please choose that to make it a happy place to stay in.
What kind of a collection can emerge from what we are going through?
We are passing through a dark tunnel, at the end of it awaits a new era to welcome us. Inspiration is all around, the emotions, the struggle, the support and what not. We are trying to put the strings together for the new collection amidst this. It will be an ode to the spirit of unity amongst diversity.
