FT NEWS

This year, nothing post Q1 has gone according to plan. September, an important month from the purview of fashion, is littered with activities in the form of digital fashion weeks and Zoom sessions with industry insiders. Influencer marketing is seeing a rise like never before. We are all out there in the “scene”, without leaving our homes, or social bubbles in case of a few. At a time when we’d be sitting in the front row at fashion weeks, we are now transfixed at our screens watching the show unfold. Coping, not lamenting on times gone by is the only way ahead. 

Testing the waters of the virtual format is Péro who just dropped fall/winter 2020 by way of a fashion film in a unique collaboration with Lakmé Fashion Week. “This showcase is a glimpse of what’s in store at the upcoming digital edition of Lakmé Fashion Week where we once again push the boundaries of Indian Fashion and look forward to future collaborations with Péro,” said Nikhita Punja Bhimjyani, head - fashion events, IMG Reliance.

Designer Aneeth Arora is known to be a private person. Her approach to design by way of nuanced storytelling, deep diving into concepts, collaborating with artists across the world only adds to the intrigue of getting to know the mastermind behind the job. Does the pandemic-induced social distancing benefit a talent like her? “On a regular day at Péro, when I am working, I don't get a single moment to myself. But during lockdown I got time to spend with myself, which might have reflected in my creative process. We were all confined in our homes and needed an escape from what was going on. The mood of the collection really changed that. There was an urge to party, and it came through this collection,” she tells us. Disco 2020 is the theme this season—bright and upbeat. Arora’s detailed press notes take you behind the emergence of the ’70s subculture, which brewed in cities as an antidote to the hopelessness of the time, owing to the Vietnam War and assassinations. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic goes beyond a healthcare crisis into financial decline and global unrest. “It’s not just the protests or the news, the overall negativity in the air really made me see the similarities in the two. The brand always believed in work hard and party harder. After a long year of hard work, I felt that the time is right to put out something positive,” she says.

Fashion can offer a respite in these times and highlight the collaborative power of talented artists across the globe. For Péro, this translated into using textiles from West Bengal, Merino wool woven in Himachal Pradesh, and mashru textiles from Gujarat. The designer also collaborated with French mixed-media artist Nathalie Lété on creating illustrations that are embroidered in the collections. Sneakers courtesy of Japanese labels Grounds are meant to make the wearer feel akin to floating.

The clothes themselves speak of optimism—with sequins for party, floaty dresses to sequester in, the occasional mini and plenty of outerwear, Péro’s fall/winter 2020 is ready for a party when you are.