Design wisdom

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><br /><br /><center><img height="63" width="97" src="-00.jpg" alt="-00.jpg" border="0" /></center><br />after priya got married, she took a break while her kids were growing up. then, to get back into the swing of things, she joined the career forum institute to do a course in fashion design. “basically i wanted to learn illustration,� she informs us.<br />in the past six months, priya has held no less than four exhibitions. her current exhibition, on at saks art gallery, narangi baug lane, off boat club road ends today.<br />priya works in tandem with her sister parinita ankola, who is based in mumbai. their label aashna, which means revolution, is the cumulative effect of both their creative inputs. their designs are today considered collectibles for their colours, patterns and virtuosity. little wonder then that their client list includes names like smita thakeray, renuka shahane and several other television stars. the duo consistently lay emphasis on style and comfort, imbuing classical designs with bold and subtle patterns, colour and wit. <br />the aashna label this season concentrates on nets, chiffons, crepes, georgettes, crochet and karachi fabric. the spotlight is on short <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">kurtas</span> and saris. the <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">kurtas</span>, especially, are contemporary with bell sleeves and teamed with lipster pants. kareena pants (named after kareena kapoor), which are bellshaped and frilly, also show up frequently. the colour palette features bright reds on one end of the spectrum and pretty pastels on the other. “silver is passé, it is gold which is in,� says priya. <br />as far as embroidery is concerned, it is a case of ''less is more''. one does see the use of tube, crystal and <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">kundan</span> work. studs, pin-tucks and cut-work also define the ensembles. gota flowers and <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">pattis</span>, which are quite the thing of the moment, show up in every ensemble. <br />absolute show-stealers are the cocktail saris which priya and parinita have designed. they can flit from the cocktail party circuit to the events associated with the festive season. imported nets and laces are combined with crepes and georgettes. karachi tarkish work on the sari and blouse look breathtakingly beautiful. <br />so what''s haute this season? according to priya a lot of crushed <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">bandhani gota</span> work, bell sleeves and pants make up the look of the moment. at the exhibition, besides ready-to-wear ensembles and saris you can also pick up embroidered unstitched fabrics. the cotton ensembles are priced between rs 750 and rs 1,150, semi-formals and formals between rs 1,250 and rs 2,500 and saris between rs 2,500 and rs 6,000. </div> </div>