Farah’s fashions

She was among the eight debutant designers selected to showcase their creativity at Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) Winter/Festive from August 16 to 21, 2011. "Yes, it was my first show (on the LFW platform). To be amongst the who’s who of the Indian fashion industry was absolutely overwhelming and a fabulous learning experience!” bubbles Farah Sanjana of Nagpur.

Sanjana centered her collection around collars! There were collars crisp and cropped, layered and embellished with origami, metal work and architectural shapes. They flowed from the neck, shoulders or the front, unfolding an unusual design dossier for a part of the garment few focus on! The new designers, including Sanjana, were accorded the privilege of opening the show at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Bombay. "At LFW, a Gen Next designer should have been formally educated in fashion and have a strong enough design theme to submit for the selection process. He/she should have been practicing for at least three months in his/her respective field – men, women, accessories,” she relates. Renowned designer Aki Narula was the mentor, guiding the newcomers to fashion their thoughts and move from vague to vogue, ramp to rack. "He steered me and other Gen Next designers to deliver a very high quality show of an impeccably professional standard,” Sanjana endorses.

LFW is one of India’s premier fashion and trade events, providing a powerful platform for new as well as established designers to connect with domestic and international buyers and speak a global language. Pushing the envelope as always on the design front, the fashions ranged from mod to maudlin, gorgeous to grungy! Quilted jackets, military shirts, bubbled skirt dresses, a leather appliqué dress with sequined cape, etc from Gen Next designers shared runway space with opulent creations on Indian and other themes from heavyweight designers like J. J. Valaya and Sabyasachi, with Ma­nish Malhotra providing the showstoppers with his waves of fashion fantasy!

Designer Farah Sanjana (inset, top left); models showcase Sanjana styles (above) and (alongside) a model presents the Farah Sanjana label at Lakme Fashion Week

Sanjana’s highlights included a white multiple collar jacket and pleated trousers, rubber collar pearl drop jumpsuit and a brown and white organza multiple collar shirt. "My collection at LFW called "Collars Galore” is a depiction of the collar in an edgy, sharp yet feminine way. A strong line of waistcoats, winter jackets and trousers is what I put forth using pearl drops as my form of festive bling,” she describes. "I had basically started my research with architectural shapes and origami. After scouting around and looking at loads of different buildings like the Gherkin (London’s first environmental skyscraper shaped somewhat like a bullet) and buildings in Canary Wharf and Liverpool Street in London this summer, I went into decons­tructing garments and did a lot of manipulation of fabric on my mannequins. This resulted in repeated patterns and shapes which I felt resembled collars. I wanted to reinvent… this resulted in a merger between the traditional collar and its new age cousin!”

Brand Farah Sanjana has received very positive buyer response and the clothes have been picked up for various shoots and (editorial) features as well, she says. Sanjana has been profiled in magazines like Elle, Grazia, Brown Paper Bag, Verve, Vogue and on various blogs. In Bombay, her brand is available at Creo and Amara at Kemp’s Corner and The Dressing Room at Juhu. Her studio is located at Byramji Town, Nagpur. "I have a crazy clientele here!” she exclaims. "It was my trips abroad, the fashionable people and my sheer mania for clothes and anything vintage and beautiful that drew me to fashion designing,” she narrates. London dreams materialized when she obtained admission into the prestigious London College of Fashion, one of the leading institutes in the world in that field. "During my four years there, I learnt an entire gamut of different skills which culminated in my specializing in women’s wear. After graduating, I stayed on in London and worked for a year with the couture house of Escada and then was fortunate enough to get a chance to work with the iconic British designer Vivienne Westwood. My tenure with Vivienne Westwood saw me participating in the actual creations for both the London and Paris Fashion Weeks held in February and April 2010 respectively.” Her parents, she declares, have been extremely supportive. "My father Jamshed is a consultant in steel and my mother Vindhya is a freelance journalist. It’s only because of their support that I have been able to gain top class education which is absolutely priceless.”

Sanjana did her schooling from Centre Point School and her plus two (junior college) from the International School, Bangalore which follows the International Baccalaureate (IB) system. One of the seven subjects she specialized in was higher level IB art. "I absolutely love experimenting and designing,” she bubbles. "Every new design is a challenge and so is every new customer and body type. My main aim is to explore my creativity by pushing all boundaries and also make sure my client is super satisfied with the fit and looks half her size in it! I personally enjoy constructing complicated jackets and edgy androgynous ensembles (trousers, waistcoats).” Ready-to-wear prices range from Rs 4,500 to Rs 35,000. "I also do a small couture line for specific customers. These prices vary,” she notes. Tops, trousers, flowing drape dresses in vibrant fuchsia, lemon and neon and more evening wear can be viewed and bought online at www.indianhangar.com Coming soon is her website www.farahsanjana.com