THE ART, THE ARTIST AND THE CULT

It's interesting to see a new breed of young talent among fashion artists who believe and trust their work enough not to need top notch filmstars to endorse it so to find an identity in a chaotic world of me too's, where one can't be distinguished from the other.
Here was a bunch which stood out on their own because their products withhold effortlessly.

I've always believed that art is that which cannot either be contained or controlled by just a spin alone. Art is something which pushes boundaries and finds it's space trickling like water around every block to present itself to everyone in all forms.

Art like, good writing, will get noticed, however insignificantly placed it may be depending on how much it can impact you.

Curiosity and my undying obsession with Salim Asgarallys' detailing as a fashion artiste (I don't refer to him as a designer anymore), led me to attend the presentation of six young artistes by Ranjit Rodricks, my good friend whom I believe has an eye for the most unique, at young, dynamic and beautiful Surabhi Kalsi's boutique Aspasia in Bandra on Friday evening.

I was stunned with the collection of Neha Badlani's crystal jewelry, Ken Ferns kurtas and shirts in linens and paper cottons denoting a twill weave. I fell in love with, and even came back home with one of Dyana Linda's bags which were screenprinted with Bollywood images and embellished with antique lace, buttons and rivets.

Karan Berry's collection of footwear evoked a sense of deja vu as well as a feeling of excitement as I stared at the newest cosmo chic collection in a blend of modern design crafted with traditional fabrics.

ASPASIA also introduced a fabulous range of men's shirts by established designer SALIM ASGARALLY.

He has created a range of men’s shirts in linen and cool mull mull’s (fine cotton voile). Subtle yet trendy, this collection is for the man who appreciates subtle styling. “Understated elegance” which is Asgarally’s design philosophy shines bright here.

Tone on tone appliqué in silks and cutwork organza enhance the appeal of the slim-cut linen shirts which move with ease from day to evening. Earthy and masculine colors ranging from sand, brick, ecru to black become the perfect balance for the delicate floral cutwork patterns to evoke an overall macho look the men so love.

The mull mull collection plays up on tonal appeal again with “self patti work in rosettes” adorning the fronts. Shades of grey, olive, and navy make up the color palette here.

Also available in the store is a wide variety of party and trousseau wear by Aspasia's SURABHI KALSI. You can see Surabhi who is so beautiful herself, in almost all her own creations and wonder if she would ever need a model for her work when she could carry it off on herself so well.

I have to give it to Ranjit, who is finally in his element, because, since I know him so well I can vouch for the fact that if there is one person in the fashion trade who understands the evolving culture of fashion art and curates it so provocatively, it is him. Never needing more than the presence of the art and the artistes themselves to prove that it is all that is required to sell interesting work. And then he turns each of these evenings into super fun for all his friends like Nisha Harale Bedi, Jacqueline Pearl D'souza, Shraddha Kaul, Celebrity Chef Max Orlati and his son Jocopo, Siddhartha Kannan, Umaesh Pherwani, Leena Mogre, Gary Richardson and Ananya Dutta, a melange of creative folk from different art forms, who intensely live and love their work, sculpting a cult of their own collectively.

I believe Aspasia, with Surabhi as the vision, Ranjit Rodricks as the curator and Salim Asgarally as the idiom which sets a benchmark, is going to be one of those landmarks where you will always find what you want for whichever occasion - but, only, if you have the courage to be who you want to be in your own future.