Star power

Vivek Karunakaran, 32

After four seasons at Lakme India Fashion Week, and retailing in 15 multi- designer stores across the country, Vivek Karunakaran, now has enough reason to believe he knows his market like the back of his hand. The designer, who earlier retailed under his eponymous brand ‘ Vivek Karunakaran’, joined hands with wife Shreya in 2006, to re- launch with a new label, Viia. Over the years, they have designed for celebrities such as Sonam Kapoor, Amy Jackson, AR Rahman, Anil Kapoor, Suriya, Sarath Kumar, Parvathy Omanakuttan, Leander Paes and Chiyan Vikram. “We started in a 200sq ft room in 2007 and have arrived at a flagship store on Rutland Gate in 2013; one of the reasons we wake up with a smile every day,” says Vivek. Vivek’s signature style is to merge a good quotient of glamour to the simplicity of a garment to arrive at results that are understated, yet elegant. In his latest designs, Vivek uses a palette of peach, cobalt, deep red and pink with metallic accents. With its launch coinciding with the festive season, the collection has a mix of day and evening wear. INSPIRATION In my latest, line, I draw inspiration from the military, but the interpretation will be contemporary and unexpected. TIP Stay stylish and experiment, get that outfit you’ve loved but never dared to try. You’ll never know how good a makeover is unless you try it. TREND WATCH I see military reappearing in a big way; a lot of figurative influences with graphics, prints and embroidery STORE 2/ 177, 1st Cross Street, Karpagambal Nagar, Kottivakkam

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