With intriguing and captivating creations, Aisha Rao's work is a confluence of Indian heritage and modern sensibilities. Setting an industry example for how luxury and sustainability can not just co-exist but also nurture each other. Her signature applique work with unconventional material like tissue is not just an eco-conscious design choice but is also key to sustaining age old savoir faire in Indian Couture. Aisha’s fun spirited creations of whimsical exuberance sets her designer occasion wear apart in a sea of modern bridal wear. In a tête-à-tête with Aza, Aisha Rao divulges her inspirations as a couturière and what impact she strives to make in the luxury industry.
Please tell us a little about Divergence, the collection that you showcased at the LFW 2022. What was the inspiration behind it?
Aisha Rao: Divergence is the process or state of deviation. Our latest collection, Divergence depicts an earth-friendly dreamland, imagined with fantastical prints and textures in mood-lifting colours. In terms of inspiration, I believe what’s true of art is even truer of the planet. The world we inhabit is one of the greatest works of art there is. However, the gap between an ideal world — green, lush and balanced — and our lived experience has widened over the years, propelling us into an age of divergence. It is this sentiment that catapulted us to search for a utopian world. It led to a transcendental escape through our latest collection.
How would you describe an Aisha Rao bride?
AR: For me, an Aisha Rao bride is someone who gets her way on the biggest decisions of her life, including who or how she’s marrying. She makes her own choices. She’s the hero of her own story.
What are the things that inspire you the most and how do you seek to reinvent yourself with every collection?
AR: Well, there’s no steady set of influences. My inspiration has literally stemmed from a character’s name in a movie to a change that I want to see reflected in my environment or society. But yes, I do go back to nature time and again to give expression to those influences, tie them all together. Fresh concepts keep me going – I don’t like doing the same thing over and over again. So, the process of ideation is challenging but exciting and, in the end, truly gratifying!
Would you say your designs inspired by your travel experiences?
AR: I love the idea of being transported and transporting others to another time or place. All my collections and shoots have that underlying mystical theme that take you elsewhere, even if for a few minutes. My designs may not transport an individual to a specific country, but they may take you to unknown, unfamiliar places that anyone would like to visit.
What are the things that keep you going through the designing and production stages – coffee/tea, music, family…
AR: Fortunately, I’ve never been a beverage person. I even forget to drink water so I have to set an alarm! (Chuckles) My boys definitely cheer me up on tough days. My AW’22 collection was inspired by all the tales I have read to my babies during our story time.
Mira Rajput Kapoor – please tell us a little about your association with her and what made her the perfect muse for your LFW 2022 showcase of Divergence?
AR: I think our clothes are designed keeping millennial sensibilities in mind. Vibrant, statement-y yet conscious and thoughtful. Mira is admired by women across age groups and segments. She’s young but she shoulders diverse responsibilities as a working woman, mother and spouse. In her first appearance on an iconic talk show, she captivated the audience’s attention with her wit and confidence. It’s impressive how she held her own even sandwiched between Shahid Kapoor and Karan Johar!
But, even on a personal level I can connect with her because she’s a young mom of two like me. We both got married early. While I have two boys, she has lucked out with a girl and a boy! Mira had worn our creations in the past, when we were barely a year into the business and relatively unknown. And she has always been vocal about vibing with us. So yes, that’s why Mira.
As an ardent supporter of upcycling and ecological sustainability, how do you incorporate the element of luxury in your creations?
AR: We are trying to propagate an idea where beautiful design can stem from waste – they’re not mutually exclusive. We’ve always used Tesla as an example. Making your product aspirational to a buyer because of its design and aura and not just because it’s sustainable forms the core of our brand ideology. Over the years, we’ve used applique as our principal technique for occasion-wear, designed lehengas from sock waste and collaborated with another eco-minded brand. But nobody celebrated our approach or labelled us an eco-conscious brand because we are being fed a notion of sustainability that only allows a certain kind of outfits to fall in that bracket. Saving age-old techniques and representing them in ways that exclude toxic materials is a huge step we have taken toward sustainability.
Divergence, Nadenka, Paper Dolls, Pastiche, Juna – what inspires the names of your collections?
AR: (Laughs) Like I previously mentioned, I draw inspiration from various sources. If the name of a character in a movie or story book that I may have read to my kids can transport me to a mystical place, I immediately start ideating! But I owe the name Divergence to a colleague, who came up with it.
What would you say is your fashion legacy?
AR: I have a long way to go! But yes, I aspire to be remembered for championing “upcycled luxury” with extensive use of applique. I want to be respected as “thoughtful” and “disruptive”, especially when it comes to my exhaustive colour palette and exaggerated motifs.
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Interview Credits: Sreemita Bhattacharya
