At the Talent Box show of Veruschka by Payal Kothari, it was apparent that the sprightly young designer has sought inspiration from the dark lands of Africa where colors burst into vast open skies.
“African clans have always been using symbols or totems to represent their tribe. Hence, I have designed a collection where the accessories acted as these totems to symbolize the social & cultural facets of these clans thus encapsulating the rich, varied and diverse culture of the African tribe. The association was more vivid than concrete, just like the totems aim to express,” says Payal.
The event was graced by an eclectic mix of celebs and socialites, like noted actress Tanisha Mukherjee, VJ Mia,supermodel Nina Manuel and Zoa Morani, who walked the ramp as a show-stopper.
Payal Kothari spent her growing-up years in East Africa and hence, is strongly influenced by the ethnicities of the region. She reminisces of her years spent there, and brought this nostalgia to her collection, Totems of African Tribes.
The collections aesthetics had been accentuated with wedges and wooden carved heels, inspired by traditional African art. High collar counters, on some of the shoes, mirrored the high neck accessories worn by the native women. The wide-array of colors used in organic jute, paid tribute to the several tribes that co-existed on an otherwise ethnic and diverse continent. Animal embossed leathers were aptly used to add an uninhibited edge to complete the look. Simple piping weaves were used to contrast colors in very sophisticated yet bold silhouettes. Textured beaded embroidery in canary yellow, bone white and flaming orange were harnessed with zebra prints to echo the sounds of the continent.