Rina Singh of Ekà is a champion of slow fashion. Her garments are the opposite of trendy or sexy, but you will often find models backstage exclaiming how soft and cozy they are and how the luxury of being in such a thing is pure joy. Singh's sentiments behind her clothing come from the thought that attention to perfecting the basic purpose of clothing is paramount, and not what sells it.
In an age of instant gratification, Singh's unhurried approach in the garment business is a radical one. For spring/summer 2017, she was looking at watercolour renditions of flowers and prints from vintage wallpaper. “Checks and stripes come naturally to me, and for the floral motifs we thought of using block prints,” she says. Each of the colour ways for the flowers are made using different blocks. “The process of printing every petal was almost like painting,” Singh explains.
The tactile aspect of the collection, which is the primary draw in Ekà clothing, is dominated by handwoven linen, khadi and cotton silk. Delicate tone-on-tone embroidery is added subtly in the crochet of slips and tea towel-inspired motifs. “Once the garment is created it has such a polished feel, I usually have it laundered for a lived-in feel. I don't like the unfamiliarity of a new garment and I think a softer, lived-in feel is what speaks most to my customers,” says the designer. The garments also follow a one-size-fits-all, inclusive philosophy.
As for not showing on the runway this season, Singh has a pure thought. “I don't know if I my clothes belong to the ramp or not. If our treatments are different, why should the way we show our work be the same as everyone? We are looking at arriving at a newer forms of presentation.” Singh has another thought, “By virtue of being a part of smaller group of designers who follow the slow fashion movement, our clothes offer a different unpretentious luxury that one day I hope is mainstream.”
