

Designer Wendell Rodricks is slowly moving out of his comfort zone. And that’s not a bad thing! Known for his love affair with white, off-white, beige and other subtle hues, the Goa-based designer has raided the paintbox this season and let himself loose, playing with vibrant colours in gay abandon.

What’s more, the designer has actually used crystal detailing on his clothes – something he has never done before. More prone to using rope, coconut shell buttons and other non-bling embellishments, the designer tells us, “I wanted to give the effect of the reflection of water!” These were on the clothes that were straight of the ramp from his Lakmé Fashion Week show for Himalayan Mineral Water.

Aparna Badlani and Azmeena, the dynamic ladies behind the three-month old boutique, Atosa (in Bandra West, Mumbai), hosted an evening with Wendell Rodricks and invited their celebrity clientele for an exclusive sneak peek.

In the hour that we were there, actress Simone Singh, jewelry designer Poonam Soni and her daughter Kriti and socialite Kunika Singh were busy browsing the racks and buying up their favourite Wendell pieces.

The collections at Atosa are fluid and sensuous and in true Wendell style, made from natural and organic fabrics like natural dyed cotton linen, pure silk and his signature permanent-pleated stoles.

Pix: Ranjit Rodricks for MissMalini