The space is large and brightly lit, as you would expect from an indoor sports stadium. The crowd is well-dressed and classy, as you would expect from the front row of label Raw Mango. The collection is distinctive and beautiful, as you would expect from the artistic brilliance of designer Sanjay Garg.
We are referring to this iconic designer’s first appearance after eight years on the Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI ramp. Garg was given the prime slot of the opening show to showcase his playful collection called ‘Children of the Night’ which took inspiration from the world that awakens after dark. The evening was aptly titled Lakme Glitterati x Raw Mango, as it also saw the launch of Indian makeup behemoth Lakme’s ‘Glitterati Collection’ consisting of ‘Shimmer Siren’, ‘Rainbow Burst’ and ‘Glitter Bomb’. For inspiration, Garg paired the unlikely combination of the disco era with the precious handlooms he has become synonymous with. One wouldn’t think they would work together, but in his peculiar artful manner, they do. Celebrities Karisma Kapoor, Kalki Koechlin and Saba Azad took to the ramp, yet in a distinctive move, they walked amongst the regular models, going with the flow, instead of acting as showstoppers. ‘The Children of the Night’ theme was intuitively tied with the mandate of the Lakme Glitterati range of makeup, launched on the occasion. Over the course of his career, Garg has reportedly taken inspiration from a number of sources which have masterfully appeared on his woven fabrics. Even the blouses and jackets showcased in this collection were woven on the loom directly, in keeping with his commitment to promoting the highest standards of the craft. He did, however, play with the silhouettes, turning to a welder to create certain outfits.
“The inspiration for this particular collection came during Covid. While we were living through it, I kept imagining a time when Covid would be over and the sheer magnitude of our celebration at that point,” said the designer speaking to the press, right after his show. “I also wanted to tie this collection in with the disco movement, because that period in time was very culturally rich. Lots of things were happening behind the scenes back then. There was a youth revolution, a fight against body shaming, advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, among others. I wanted to draw from our understanding of the disco period to create this collection.”
Raised in a village in Mubarikpur in Rajasthan, Garg’s journey to the top of India’s design pyramid has been nothing short of phenomenal. As a student of textile design, he chose to formulate his design language by working with the fabric of Chanderi from Madhya Pradesh all the way back in 2008, when no one else was doing so. He played around with the yarn and weaving process till he created a visual aesthetic that was entirely his own. He also relied on unique weaving interventions which later came to visually define Chanderi as we know it today. Always committed to experimentation, Garg has explored a number of textiles and weaves such as Mashru, Benarasi and Ikat in his work. His primary commitment has always been to being Indian, even as he continues to engage with established norms to imagine and explore new possibilities and design
frontiers.
Garg emphatically believes that he doesn’t create fashion. Instead, he says, he questions its boundaries and definitions. “For me the body is a canvas,” is a thought he expressed at his show, “so I can play with it just like with other forms of art. A welder typically makes furniture, but he has also made my clothes here. Since I have already become synonymous with sarees, I wanted to question my own design practice here.”
On the occasion, Harman Dhillon, Vice President Skincare and colour cosmetics at Hindustan Unilever Limited said of this collaboration with Garg, “Lakme Glitterati’s opening show with Raw Mango at Lakme Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI, is a celebration of all things beauty and fashion. With innovations and a never-seen-before design language, Sanjay Garg’s avant-garde spin is a perfect complement to Lakme’s newly launched range. Together, we are delighted and proud to have created an immersive fashion and beauty experience unveiling trending glitter makeup looks.”
To this, Sunil Sethi, Chairman FDCI added, “Raw Mango has elevated weaves, giving them a contemporary makeover to serenade a wider audience. After an eight-year-long hiatus, he has returned to showcase at the Lakme Fashion week x FDCI. We are delighted to have him as the opening act, to set the rhythm, with his eclectic offerings.”
Garg chimed in with, “In the collaboration with Lakme’s new Glitterati Collection for Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI’s opening show, Raw Mango’s ‘Children of the Night’ collection found its true essence – a celebration of the energy that accompanies the evening. Each garment in the collection includes innovations in textiles, including brocade imparting a sense of knitwear, kaleidoscopic weaves and an incredible range of gleaming metallics – elements of surprise woven with the DNA that roots us. It was an evening of pure creative magic.”
Raw Mango as a label has always drawn on the colours, philosophies and cultures of India to present a uniquely Indian narrative through its design. Rooted in craft and community, Raw Mango began its journey in traditional handloom in 2008 and has singlehandedly managed to make the silk saree an icon of note, in this increasingly west-inspired world. Through its extensive range of sarees, garments and objects, this design house continues to forge new conversations in culture. Created exclusively by karigars from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Varanasi, Raw Mango’s designs draw upon skills that date back centuries in time, which are nevertheless ensconced in an entirely modern and distinctive aesthetic vocabulary.
Staying true to its commitment to promote the ‘Make in India’ label, the Fashion Design of Council of India (FDCI), along with Lakme, have fostered a meaningful partnership with label Raw Mango, to provide a worthy platform to the Indian handloom industry in this edition of fashion week. As eager supporters, we are particularly grateful to be witness to this beautiful and momentous design collaboration.
Noor Anand Chawla pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com.