Last time, it was nomadic with bohemian touch. This time round it was Shringara where shimmering, albeit a bit toned down version, was the dominant feature. In totality, diversity has been the hallmark of both collections of Rocky S at the London Fashion Week. For designer and style guru, the fashion extravaganza in London, with all its colour, razzmatazz and joie de vivre, gives him the ultimate high as he is able to showcase his expertise not just as a designer but also what he learned as a stylist in the dream factories of Bollywood.
“This one was about a woman who is in love. She is waiting for her love to come. So her emotions, happiness, tears had to be seen by the audience to get the theme of the collection. I showcased her feelings through different kind of textures, garments. The fabric was feminine but to make the audience realise about the strength of Indian woman I showcased different techniques of weaving.
Imprint of Indian craftsmanship was the driving force here, even though, soft, fluid georgettes and chiffons signified romanticism. “I wanted to show the beauty of Indian handicraft with international look. Therefore, the handcrafted embroidery was kept traditional but Western cuts were introduced to make the whole process look seamless. Traditional embroideries were brought to life in a modern way and were inspired by modern women. So vintage crafts were created in high fashion styles. Folding and pleating which required lot of hand detailing were done. Ruffles and detailed thread work were done in short dresses and free flowing gowns.”
Describing detailing in the collection as a time consuming exercise, Rocky says 20 days were spent in preparing each outfit. “On top of it, we had to do patchwork, make our prints. Thirty to forty artisans, embroiders have been working for the past three months. Outfits in the collection look wearable but lot of work has gone into them. Zardozi was the highlight; it was in design and even beadwork was in zardozi. We also did surface texturing.”
Inconsistency on the fabric was avoided even though all work was hand crafted. “We did everything with lot of care. So fusion had to be right while ensuring that the fabric did not shift from its stated position. Right cut and right feel were given to each garment. We created a drama by amalgamating voluminous dramatic silhouettes with flattering cuts.”
Decorative prints featuring hand-crafted textures and opulent embroideries were a manifestation of love. But for the designer it was important to take the narrative forward for fashionistas in London. “We had to create drama for my second show. So we joined voluminous dramatic silhouettes with flattering cuts. The colour palette ranged from neutral shades of soft grey and light pastels to bold shades of mysterious forest greens and royal golds.”
No inspiration from a film or iconic personality but whatever tricks he learned and mastered have gone into the collection. “After working for 20 years I have learned one thing that no matter what everyone whether on the ramp or off the ramp needs to be presented as a star. Each model needs to look glamorous and confident in her clothes. I had not drawn inspiration from a film but the whole experience has gone into the collection.”
Unlike in his shows back home, where actors like Bipasha Basu have been his showstoppers, Rocky did not seek the help of his friends from the tinsel town in London. But the designer, who has been grooming and creating their looks for various film projects, is pleased with the way things have progressed and actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Sonam Kapoor have become trendsetters.
Earlier, Rocky was the deciding factor; he would set the trend and others would blindly follow. Now, it is a reversal of sorts as actors are calling the shots and the public aping them.
“I am happy with the fact that actors from our film industry have discovered their outreach and are liked so much by so many people. They have the power to reach to a bigger audience than us. This is a great trend."
Speaking from Chennai, where he is currently shooting for sequel to Enthiran , Rocky says he is enjoying every minute of the shoot. “Filming has been going on for the past year. Best part of working with Rajini Sir is that he is able to transform himself effortlessly from one character to another. Here he is playing multiple characters.”
