I can, any day, take a Matthew Williamson and do Indian embroidery on its floral prints to fit the fashion here. And not just any embroidery, Chikankari to be precise.

Luckily, I don’t have to go far to get hold of this neat trend. This season, let fashion designer Vidhi Anand’s creations articulate this grace in your wardrobe. Let’s see what the Delhi-based designer has to say:

The Beginning. 

My qualification is a fashion designer, but I consider myself an Artist. Since childhood, art has been surrounding me. My mother was a painter, and our house is full of her artworks. On the other hand, my father used to make diagrams for college textbooks and sell paintings to pay his college tuition fee. Both of them are a huge inspiration to me, and it is only because of them that I chose Design as a career.

When My Design Vision Started Travelling Far East.

I explored historical evidence, different art forms, folk cultures and learnt to mold traditional with contemporary facts whileI was studying fashion after high-school. I realized I couldn’t do without the vintage Asian influence. It took me time, but I understood how variations could be brought together. That’s how I began fitting Indian motifs in these quixotic silhouettes.

Creating My Own Niche.

The famous Chikankari is available at every nook and corner of almost every city, especially in India. However, I think the style has remained the same over these years. I try to give this beautiful thread work a new dimension which defines the modern women. My idea is to create things that are timeless, youthful and versatile and at the same time, ooze sophistication.

Like most women, I am fond of pleats, off-shoulders, noodle-straps and Everything Feminine.

I always say I take my inspiration from our history and heritage as that’s where the true beauty lies. I love the fashion that women of various ancient eras carried. They looked feminine, but the world knew how strong they were from within.

I am an Arabian Nights fan.

One look and you might say our jumpsuits are straight from the wardrobe of Jasmine from the Arabian Nights. For me, every kind of kingly history is fascinating. For example, one of my collections reflects the story of Gulab Kamal, the decline of Rajputs and rise of the Mughal dynasty. It’s got a lot of Asian and Middle Eastern influence. I have tried to depict the bold transition during those periods in the couture using soft silhouettes, bias cut drapes paired with big puffy sleeves.

Let me tell you how you can experiment with Sleeves!

In my collection, I have done a lot of sleeves with long slits and cone slits. Have you noticed how fashionable kimonos have gone in the East? Trust me, these romantic silhouettes and bold sakura patterns embrace these experimental sleeves outstandingly.

I can’t do without Florals.

To me, flowers are a symbol of love and beauty. When I think romance and femininity, I think flowers. When I want to feel grace and freshness, I imagine flowers. Remember how the ancient portraits from the Victorian era were filled with floral motifs? Mark my words, florals are here to stay for longer than you think.

You can always win hearts in Pastels.

I strongly believe pastels have this hidden power to make a woman’s OOTN and OOTD style look powerful. I use a lot of pastels in my collections. Moreover, they are ruling the runways this year. You should see how bright big floral appear on a pastel palette. Feel free to fill in your wardrobes with shades of forest greens, bark browns, and midnight blues.

I want to Dress Up…

The Kapoor sisters. Where Karisma is effortlessly stylish and classy; Kareena, for me, is the feminine Goddess. I love how they carry each look with so much finesse.