New Delhi-based designer Vrindaa Ashwani was recently in the City for Bangalore Fashion Week where she showcased a unique collection of gowns that were inspired by the Greek goddess Athena.
“Athena was a Greek warrior and my theme was around war. But she basically helped one fight one’s battles in the right direction. There are two Greek gods of war: one is Ares and the other is Athena. Ares is the destructive god, whereas Athena is a constructive god. So that is the inspiration,” she adds.
She says, “Everybody was wearing shields, there were long meshes, and black, gold and grey kind of represents the god of Armour. She basically helps you protect your inner world. This is my perception and everything is symbolic.”
Why was she drawn to the theme of war? “It is there everyday; everyday you have to fight your war. It is either an internal war or an external war. There is always a battle going on between yourself and what is happening around you, so you have to create that balance throughout.”
The designer says she has destroyed her creation in the past to get to where she is at the moment. “I keep destroying everything. Whatever I have created is destroyed to create something new. Every second in the past goes back and it’s over and that is how you move forward. You can either take good or bad things from your past but it stays with you throughout. That’s my mantra,” she said.
This belief is reinforced by her love for existentialism. “I believe in the post-modernistic philosophy, which was written right after World War II. If you study the writing of this time, it is all about waiting, nothingness and destruction. And after destruction, comes construction. And that will help a person create their future, which in turn relates to my brand,” she said. According to her, her brand, Silvense, manifests itself in the form of freedom and choice.
She said while everyone in the industry is enamoured by various types of metals, she has a fascination for silver and her boutique showcases many of her designs. “Silver I think sort of gives you elegance. And it is different from what other people are doing in the industry right now so I thought I would pick up silver myself.”
She mainly specialises in accessories and found it hard to design clothes at the same time.
“I think I was really short on time and it was very difficult to put everything together. Being an accessory designer, I had to figure out of my garments. I had to manage my time and that was a major challenge. That was the only thing. Otherwise, it was simple,” she sums up.