With colour, culture and mysticism — India has often commanded the attention of international haute couture houses and designers. “The ‘Stan Smith’ is an epitome of minimalism and linearity. Haven’t heard of it? Talk to those who waited to grab Indian designers Gauri and Nainika’s creations from Koovs headquartered in UK, but couldn’t because it was sold out in a matter of hours. 1 tennis champ Stan Smith dropped by Mumbai, she had to pay tribute to the athlete and his eponymous shoes by associating with Adidas, headquartered in Germany.

“A good collaboration can elevate a brand in another geography or with another audience.So, why collaborate?Cross-border associations puts Indian designers, their work and their home country on the global map, while also helping them offer a western sensibility to the Indian palette, and introducing ours to the West. It highlights their own design philosophy, they say. It opens up a new think tank, helps get out of the comfort zone and in an enriching way, tests your own abilities,” says Hyderabad-based designer Suhani Pittie, who was commissioned by a wildly popular Austrian jewellery house to create exclusive designs for them.Designer Runa Ray with the cast of Quantico in New YorkIt’s a win-win.Sanchita AjjampurIt’s not just their international counterparts light blue wool faux fur fabric that Indian designers are hopping on board with anymore.

“Collaborations allow a designer to think on a brand new tangent with another’s perspective in tow.Anything is possibleA few weeks ago, the fashion world’s wickedest dream came true — bridal godsend Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s antique sequins and undisputed Parsi gara work had found their way to every girl’s fancy — Christian Louboutin’s shiny, red lacquer soled Victorian heels. It’s a good mix-and-match and can be beneficial, so long as the project serves the needs of both companies and comes across as a natural combination,” pitches in the Bengaluru-based designer, who believes that her gates to collaborate have opened up thanks to her stint at the New York Fashion Week — not once, but for two seasons in a row. Delhi-based fashion designer Namrata Joshipura has infused ath-leisure elements into her collections for years. The newest buzzword is masstige, where designers associate their prestigious names with fast fashion chains to roll out a limited-edition line to reach more people. And now, the winds have shifted. Fashion designer Runa Ray believes collaborations are like good friendships.. It’s a story of going out there and being as wild as the imagination allows.

“They are good for publicity and create a buzz.All in the bizThe economics behind these associations is nothing short of golden. “You might spend a few years with each other and then probably move on, but then, it could turn into a marriage if both grow independently while still complimenting each other,” she says, collaborating with Los Angeles-based rock bands like The Destroyers to create funky jackets for them.

Abraham and Thakore with their craft-inspired collection for West Elm, loungewear and home accessories for London’s Harrods is one such example. Brand building is a slow and deliberate process — it highlights your strength and relevance globally,” says Namrata, who now retails her own line across Paris, Dubai, Japan and Los Angeles. High-end couturier JJ Valaya, Rohit Bal and Manish Arora are working with Swarovski to roll out baubles for under Rs 11,000. High-flying brands that some can only dream of are collaborating with Indian designers.Aneeth Arora worked with Afghan refugees to hand crochet flowers on tennis shoesSomething for everyoneOwning an Indian designer label comes at just as steep a cost as say, what a Parisian couture house has to offer.Suhani PittieA brand new story is being written in the global fashion world — a story that is challenging the way we look at ourselves, the clothes we wear, the accessories we sport and the combinations we thought worked.What tomorrow looks likeFor Indian designers, fashion collaborations are just the beginning. Her models have sported sneakers on the ramp and as a runner, she often slips into a pair herself.

So, when the once World No.Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s antique sequins and Parsi gara work found their way to Christian Louboutin’s red lacquer soled Victorian heelsDid you know Vienna-raised and now Bengaluru-based fashion designer Sanchita Ajjampur has worked with several top designers including Lacroix, Gaultier, Moschino and Armani?Designer Suneet Varma has found phenomenal success with international design houses — he’s the only Indian designer to collaborate with Judith Leiber to roll out a line of minaudieres that are now retailed (and coveted) across the world. Innovating is what keeps fashion and designers relevant. Kolkata’s Abhishek Dutta, who has an ongoing collaboration with Portico-New York, brings out everything from sheets and cushions to duvet covers. Just like this crowning alliance, Indian designers plunging into the international collaboration pool has today become a regular affair. And these are just a few of the many. But some heavyweight Indian designers with luxe-loving clients are now associating with international design houses to spring on affordable ranges. Suhani, who has earlier worked with the 120-year-old crystal house, believes that when an international brand comes forward for an association, they have a lot of confidence in the designer’s ability.

Namrata Joshipura (right) with Stan Smith and Ranveer SinghFor most designers, collaborations aren’t just a shot at fame. And embracing this globalisation evokes a sense of freedom, while finding balance and diversity and allowing us to stay competitive in a world of disruption,” says designer Sanchita Ajjampur, who also consults for Parisian fashion houses such as Lanvin, Yves Saint Laurent and Chloe developing patterns, fabric and embroidery from scratch. According to Namrata, they can either highlight design similarities between brands, or make for interesting juxtapositions, like her own. While the gold lines highlight linearity, the crusted crest and wings provide a twist with a touch of bling,” she tells us.

And the best part? Our very own Indian designers are playing the biggest role. “I’d say, why not? If we can marry luxury with affordability then why not allow a larger audience to enjoy one’s beautiful work? Once you have built a trusted brand name, the larger audience too will have faith in your products,” adds the celebrity favourite, who is soon launching her own luxury-meets-affordability range. Developing, in his words, ‘superbly mad and sexy’ designs for Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Caroline Herrara and Nicole Miller only takes the icing.Designers Rahul Mishra and Aneeth Arora followed suit with their own variations — while Arora worked with Afghan refugees to hand crochet flowers, Rahul decided to draw from both impressionist Henri Rousseau and traditional Indian kaarigars to hand-embroider rainforests with multi-layered stories of nature and art — something the West hasn’t thought of on tennis shoes yet.Imagine.“These collaborations are thought-provoking. Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s antique sequins on Christian Louboutin’s red lacquer-soled Victorian heels; or bling on the minimalist Stan Smith — two different worlds, one wild imagination. In short, it gets people talking. In designing my version of this classic, I incorporated my signature approach — complex embroideries and colour. Design maverick Rohit Bal’s marketing strategy of collaborations has taken his creative partnerships from Luxembourg international cosmetic giants to even Japanese automobiles and Pennsylvania cigarette lighter manufacturers

Odissi is no exception. Pulling the hair back and tying it at the back of the head, then pulling the hair through, around, and over a large ring to give fullness to the shape, creates the beautiful hairstyle. Many of the ornaments described in the Abhinaya Chandrika continue to be used in the dance as well as in daily life.workshop@gmail.Odissi dance, like the other classical genres of India, gives great importance to the costume, ornamentation and makeup used in the performance. The eyebrow should arch, and even curve up at the end, to resemble the bow from which the God of Love shoots his arrows. The dancer wears a silver tika along with the part of her hair, often with decorative silver chains from forehead tika to ear. The woven sari used for a costume can be from any of the many wonderful traditions of the state, in particular those from Sambalpur, Berhampur, and Cuttack. Rudraksha bead designs date back to the Harappan Civilization and are a frequently found motif on Orissa saris, as are conch shells Beige rabbit fur faux fur fabric and fish, among many other nature designs. I’m occasionally asked why it takes over two hours to prepare for a performance and my response is that transforming from a mere mortal into an apsara is not a five-minute job! Sharon Lowen is a respected exponent of Odissi, Manipuri and Mayurbhanj and Seraikella Chau whose four-decade career in India was preceded by 17 years of modern dance and ballet in the US and an MA in dance from the University of Michigan. The makeup developed over the last half a century emphasises classical images of feminine beauty. The alta on the feet is used by women in Eastern India for beauty and is considered to make the feet look like lotus flowers. Shola pith, for those not from eastern India, may be best known for the British Colonial pith helmets. The back of the hair bun may have a large silver filigree pin or even a crescent silver wreath over the central pin. She can be contacted at sharonlowen. Over the years, various styles of tailoring the sari into the costume were developed. The dancer may wear two to four necklaces and she may have silver armbands, wide filigreed bangles and perhaps rings on every finger.

The hair curl spiraling on the cheek in front of the ear is also standard in Odissi makeup for the stage. Maharis, who danced in the temple, typically wore black velvet bodices with the sari wrapped from the waist down. Every classical and folk-dance form of India reflects the regional character of its performing arts in the local traditions of textile and ornamentation used for its dance. Alta, a red natural dye, outlining the feet and on the palms of the hands and fingertips, completes the makeup. A delicate style is popular far beyond its state borders and has become part of several Southeast traditions as well. It feels much like the plastic Styrofoam or thermocol but, of course, is organic. The classical texts refer to four essential forms of expression in the dance, namely body movement or Angika, vocal and sung textual expression, Vachika; pure communicative expression, Sattvika; and the expression through costume, makeup and ornaments, Aharya. The Odissi dancer wears shola pith flowers around her hair bun and it is topped with a tiara of shola pith flowers representing the spire of Jagannath temple. The jewelry is inspired from the detailed representations on the temples as well as medieval Oriya text. Many costumes include the unique single and double Ikat tie-dyed and woven patterns of Orissa which traveled to Southeast Asia from this state. Everything from the indigenous silk sari to the bangles and bells, are described in the text.

A dancer may certainly use fewer ornaments than mentioned in the text. In this design, the decorative end of the sari or pallu is pleated and snapped on to the costume so that it fans out as the dancer sits in chouka position. The silver work comes from the unique tradition of Cuttack filigree in Cuttack district of Orissa. This is occasionally combined with a braid of hair plaited down the back, if the dancer chooses to follow the Mahari tradition. The beautifully woven silk saris of Orissa, its silver filigree ornaments and pith flowers, are the trademark accompaniments to the dance of Orissa. When Odissi began to be presented upon the stage, the sari was first wrapped as a dhoti to form a divided “pajama,” with the decorative end design of the sari, or pallu, spread in front. The belt or mekhala draped from the waist is usually made with secular silver disks strung together in three lines. The eyes are outlined with black kajal extended far beyond the corner of the eye to resemble that of a fish with a tail. Those round topped hats with a small sunshade brim were lined with pith to protect the wearer from heatstroke. In this costume design, the blouse is made from the same sari material as is the cloth draping the front of the dancer. Earrings rise over the entire ear in peacock or geometric designs with large dangling bell shaped jhumkas.

The Maharis, and Odissi dancers through the 1960’s, sometimes used gold ornaments near the face and on hands, though the three-tiered silver belt has been in use much longer. Various artists have incorporated several variations on the length or angle of the front fan in the design, but the main distinction is the vertically draped front or the knee-to-knee fanned out cloth. A popular variation on the costume design is to have the decorative front pleated in a vertical fashion down the front that is closer to the Mahari temple dancer tradition. One story of the need for this is that child artist Kum Kum Das Mohanty insisted on going to the bathroom after she had been carefully draped and wrapped in a sari. All the elaborate hair designs seen on the temple sculptures of Orissa and described in Abhinaya Chandrika, the most commonly used style is a kind of hair knot at the back of the head with a pushpuchuda.

It also serves to articulate the foot movement for the viewing audience.com. Her guru, Kelucharan Mohapatra, then designed a tailored costume so that the divided pantaloon could be easily stepped out of. The Oriya Mahabharata, written by Sarla Das in the 15th century, gives a detailed description of Prince Arjuna dressed as Bruhannari during his year disguised as a dance teacher. A fabric is fastened around the hips from behind which define the hipline. The art of carving shola pith has been used to create a unique stylisation of flowers for the elaborate hairdo of the Odissi dancer. Abhinaya Chandrika, the Sanskrit text specifically on Oriya dance, gives a great deal of detail on the makeup, costume and ornaments of the dancer. Odissi classical dance is unique among other classical traditions of India in its use of silver ornaments. The apron of frills skirting the hips and draping in front called Nibiandha and a belt with tassels tied at the waist called ajhoba. The soft, white, inner stalk of the shola pith, which grows throughout Orissa and Bengal, is a unique regional craft. Today, Odissi dancers all use silver from head to waist. It specifies a brightly colored nine-yard sari, generally in red or green made of indigenous silk, a brightly colored, bejeweled Kanchula or tight fitting blouse. The red bindi or kumkum on the forehead is surrounded by white painted designs representing the sun and moon, or a flower. This quite accurately describes the costume worn by the Maharis at Puri Jagannath temple but the costume worn by the Odissi dancer on the stage today is closer to that worn by the Gotipuas or young male dancers who perform outside the temple over the last few hundred years