THE NEW MAXIMALISTS
PAYAL KHANDWALA, ANUSHKA KHANNA, NIKHIL THAMPI, AND PAYAL PRATAP
INDIANS KNOWTHEIR EXCESSES, fashion or otherwise. From the costumes of the erstwhile royals to those made for current-day couture clients by the likes of Suneet Varma and JJ Valaya, maximalism is a byword for the Indian aesthetic. But today’s fashion mavericks pride themselves on their ability to marry the opulence and craftsmanship of maximalism with the ease of ready-to-wear.
Look to Delhi-based Payal Pratap— currently working on a collaboration with high-street store Westside—who is taking India-inspired silhouettes like the Gujarati kedia blouse, the lehenga, and the anarkali, and uplifting them through her bold use of print and colour. “I draw from classic concepts, and then try to put my take on it. Stretch it, merge it with a juxtaposing idea, play with it, and whatever emerges is inevitably new and fun,” she says. Like Pratap, another working mother Payal Khandwala’s palazzo pants, asymmetrical blouses, and draped maxis may seem understated, but her rich, jewel-toned colours and handwoven silks and khadis are not for the faint of heart. The Mumbai-based designer says her designs are, “quite dramatic even in their simplicity. That dichotomy makes them part of the new type of maximal”. On the other hand, Anushka Khanna eschews Indian silhouettes completely. However, the Mumbai-native’s party dresses, blazers, and shorts are, “classic silhouettes updated with detailing. Embellishments and surface texturing is a huge part of my DNA”. Kareena Kapoor attended her debut show in 2012, so clearly she’s hitting all the right notes.
Then there is the red-carpet, which is, after all the perfect platform for over-the-top, unabashed drama. Here, maximalism is the mantra. So when Kangna Ranaut and Vaani Kapoor were spotted in Nikhil Thampi’s clothes, we took notice. His velvet cocktail saris, daring V-cut dresses and bold, cut-out kurtas are unabashed in their sex appeal. Thampi believes that as a maximalist, you have to make an impact. “It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s a statement.”