October 2019 Edition Apparel October 2019 issue | Page 68

BRIDAL, FESTIVE, AND
PRÊT GARMENTS MAKE
FOR ARPITA’S CENTRE
OF FOCUS.
palazzos, and elegantly embellished blouses
that can be teamed with jackets to create a chic
fusion look.”
Bridal, festive, and prêt garments make for
Arpita’s centre of focus. These garments are
suitable for myriad occasions such as weddings,
parties, pujas, and more. “The technical
knowledge that I acquired during the course
helped me to define and distinguish my style to a
great extent. This reflected in my first collection,
which got noticed immensely and as word went
around, it did even better.”
INSPIRATION ALL AROUND
To create free-flowing garments with fluid
silhouettes and a feminine look, Arpita works with
fabrics such as chiffon, crêpe, georgette, and raw
silk. More recently, she has been designing with
organza and chanderi weaves. She begins each
collection by brainstorming on a theme, creating
samples, following it up with shortlisting fabrics,
looking at colour combinations, cuts, prints, and
other design elements.
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I APPAREL I
October 2019
Before designing each garment, Arpita asks
herself, “What occassion am I designing it for?
What look can I create around the same?” Most
importantly, she always designs garments that
she would like to wear. “I find it crucial to design
garments that I would personally enjoy wearing.
While designing, I always keep in mind the
occasion, be it a pre-wedding piece, bridal attire,
or party-wear. I also always keep the location in
mind. For example, if it is a wedding sangeet in
Istanbul, then I would design a beautiful fuss-free
ruffle sari; for a mehendi look, I would design a
vibrant block-coloured kaftan. For me, sampling
is extremely important. Only once I am completely
satisfied with the sample, do I develop it into
a collection.”
To Arpita, inspiration typically comes from
varied sources—from travel and life around her
to a concept, colour, and nature. For instance, a
trip to Mykonos led to the collection ‘Paradiso’ in
2014, which was inspired by the cobbled streets
of the charming Greek island. An idea to fuse
tribal elements with elegance led to the collection
‘Golden Hour’, which alluded to the deep, rich
colours of the sky at sunset and sunrise. One
of her collections, titled ‘Neocap’, consists of
billowy palazzos, bralettes, capes, block-coloured
kaftans, and pants in vibrant neon hues.
FASHION WEEKS AND CELEBRITY
ENDORSEMENTS
Arpita has been an active participant at Lakmé
Fashion Week ever since 2013, when she
showcased her debut collection ‘Violet Garden’,
which was all about flowing garments with digital
floral motifs and intricate mirror-work detailing
in shades of violet with a touch of gold. Her
ensembles are currently available at Aza, Mumbai