A storyteller, a designer and a crusader of India’s rich heritage and culture, Anju Modi’s long-standing relationship with Indian crafts has contributed to the growth of Indian textiles over the years.
With the focus on sustainability, Anju Modi along with TENCEL™ fibres will pay a unique homage to one of India’s most iconic artists Raja Ravi Varma on Sustainable Fashion Day at FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week on October 13th.
Ahead of her showcase, Anju Modi talks to News18 about celebrating the Indian artist’s work in her collection titled Damyanti, the need to develop empathy towards nature and her undying love for Indian crafts.
EXCERPTS:
Your body of work has contributed to the growth of Indian textiles and designs. How would you define your journey in this creative world you have created?
My journey has been blissful, both professionally and personally. It has brought me immense joy and learnings throughout. When I look back, I’m only enveloped in a blanket of immense gratitude for the leap of faith I took then and for where my passion has led me. My first-hand experiences with experts all over India have been a noteworthy impulse behind my growth as a designer. It has only cultivated my interest in working with and for our rich heritage and exquisite craftsmanship.
What inspired you to take artist Raja Ravi Varma’s art and blend it with your design sensibilities?
Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings are very well known, especially in India. A painting of a beautiful woman sitting by a pillar, staring at a swan, playing sitar, or wandering in a forest is found in many Indian households. Similarly, I’ve grown up watching a few of his artworks around me. There might be different variations of the paintings, but the essence remains the same. The beauty in her [Damyanti] expressions and even the dreamy backgrounds, colours etc have been very inspiring for me. Damayanti is an ode to Raja Ravi Varma, who has personally inspired me a lot throughout my design journey. It has been an honour and a long-held dream of mine to recreate his work of art through a way, best known to me.
Who is Damayanti and what does she stand for in today’s times and in your creations?
One of the reasons why I’ve always felt drawn to Raja Ravi Varma’s work is because I believe it was his way of celebrating women of that time. The way he has captured their grace, elegance and allure in his paintings is immensely beautiful and unreal. Damayanti was also one such lady, the most famous one rather. My collection, Damayanti is an extension of what I believe was the artist’s intention. It celebrates the modern-day woman throughout silhouettes that enhance their grace and complement their individual personalities.
Do you feel sustainability in fashion and in life is a necessity today and not a marketing gimmick anymore?
Sustainability has been gaining prominence for some time now, and I’m encouraged by how open people are to discussing ethical fashion. I believe we have begun to see the need of becoming mindful consumers and developing empathy for how we treat nature. The fabric used to create the collection is sustainable as it incorporates TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal fibre. TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal fibre are specialty fibre solutions from The Lenzing Group for apparel and home textiles.
It is known to be gentle on skin with smooth, long-lasting softness, colour vibrancy, colour retention features and can also absorb moisture efficiently. We experimented with natural fibres that were turned into sustainable fabrics employing current technologies. In addition, as we started working on this collection, we discovered that the textiles were exceptionally light weight, breathable, and comfy.
Showcasing back-to-back on the runway in the last couple of days, what’s the secret behind your undying love for Indian crafts?
I’ve naturally felt quite intrigued by our craftsmanship and always had this insatiable urge to explore more in terms of our textiles and embroideries. So, I believe the secret has also been my inquisitive nature. I wholeheartedly believe that travelling around India from a very young age is the reason behind my love for our country and its rich crafts.
Storytelling plays an integral role in your shows, what makes this story special?
A collection for me starts with my visualisation. It starts on an atomic level and slowly grows into something tangible. As my vision starts getting into depth, a story starts forming simultaneously. It is how I’ve always created my collections because I feel people relate to stories and it’s easier for them to connect to it more easily. Sometimes in the stories that I showcase through my collections, there are emotions that the audience finds relatable and that is exactly what I want to communicate to them.
I want people to connect to and receive my creations as if they were their own. With Damayanti, it has been my intention to pay homage to Raja Ravi Varma who has been a constant source of inspiration for me and other artists around the globe. Besides that, designing this collection was a way to show how important the silhouettes can enhance the way we look at something. Fashion is a tool for communication and a very powerful one at that and Damayanti proves that.
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