431-88 BY SHWETAKAPUR

Grey Sheep

@431_88

Location

new delhi / india

University

london college of fashion

Graduation year

2011

Contact

431-88 believes that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. While focusing on absolute clean cuts and detailing, the entire look is dominated by lines within the garment. Each garment is then further abstracted by reduction of traditional use of seams and darts. Looking back at the evolution of our clothes from the overly grand silhouettes of the past to the simpler cuts of today, the label also questions the possibility of distortion being where fashion goes next.

The designer, Shweta Kapur graduated from London College of Fashion in 2011 and has been trained under Burberry (London), VPL (New York), Nitin Bal Chauhan (New Delhi) and Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla (Mumbai).

Latest Collection

THE MISFITS

In a quest to understand cultural behavior through fashion and clothes in the Indian context, Kapur started her research with the garment that is synonymous with the Indian woman, The Sari. The Sari, in all of 6 yards has come to represent India. With more than 180 ways of draping it, it’s the simplicity in its complexity, which drew the designer to study it more. The label that is quintessentially focused on urban wear, establishes its aesthetic with the Spring Summer 2016 collection that pays homage to the national costume, with a twist.

The art of pleating, wrapping and tying in different permutations and combination has given rise to styles, which vary across states and borders. The more the research grew deep, the more it started resonating with the subculture of punk, driven from the never-ending quest of establishing individuality, originality and a DIY spirit that defined the 70’s punk era.

THE MISFITS is sort of a personal study done by Kapur and incorporates the spirit of punk into the silhouette of a sari. The Pallus became hoodies, the hint of the sari waist and the back became the tears and slashes that were associated with punk. The stapled bead work was drawn from punk details like safety pins that were used to hold up tattered clothing. Mesh fabric from the era are translated into Mughal Jali motifs, laser cut to show a constrained distortion and colours drawing their inspiration from strong colours that were often used in hair dyes for the misfits tresses.

Fabrics used in the collection are a variety of crepes and georgettes, which are accentuated with strips of patent leather.