Designer Anju Modi says she connects well with city audience

Explaining why she picked this theme, Anju says, “Around 15-20 years ago, we all used to take leisurely picnics or vacations with family and friends but these days, people hardly find the time to take a break from their schedules. I wanted to re-introduce this lifestyle of pausing to take a look around and admire the flowers, butterflies and nature.” Masakali depicts a young girl who is beautiful, delicate and painted with the poetic romanticism of life. “With this title, I wish to tell people that one should stop to look around, feel what you’re seeing and enjoy life,” she adds.

Her latest collection mostly comprises shararas and long kurtis. “This is what we would wear in the olden days so I’m bringing it back with a contemporary touch. I have used organic soft mulmul and self-cotton apart from other cotton weaves,” she explains. The material has been sourced from Benares and doesn’t contain zari work but have motifs like raindrops or small flowers. She says, “All the outfits are breathable and in spring-inspired colours like mango yellow, rose, ivory and aqua blue, which is the trendiest colour now.”

When asked what she thinks of her clientele in the city, she replies, “I feel that people in Chennai are not into showing off but are practical and intelligent, and know exactly what they want. They’re not pretentious and don’t like something over the top because they put comfort first. I believe everyone should look themselves instead of letting their appearance scream from the rooftop — this is why I connect with city audience very well.”

Once she returns to Delhi, she’ll continue working on her next collections. “The first one is inspired by Japanese boro textiles that have been mended or patched together. Indigo dye is commonly used in such fabric so my collection too will feature blues with ivory mixing. It is very cool and gives off a serene vibe. Another is called Parnika, which means first leaf growing out of the plant. This is also an ode to nature,” concludes the designer.