Devyani Mehrotra an Indian Designer showcased her collection at Vancouver Fashion Week Autumn-Winter 2023. Vancouver Fashion Week is the second largest Fashion Week in North America. Her Fall-Winter 2023 was all about the nostalgia from her last collection ‘Safar-e-Misr’ (Journey to Egypt) where a modern traveller is on a constant journey collecting experiences and imbibing cultural accents as she infuses these aesthetics in her wardrobe.
Pharaonic elements collide with elaborate tents of Ottoman Egypt. Prints with ancient Egyptian symbols like eye of Ra, a falcon, Bastet the cat goddess etc. are highlighted with fine zardozi work. Detailed applique work inspired by the great Ottoman Empire and fur like collar made with fringes and tassels capture the essence of the vintage winter romance. Amalgamation of striking fabrics with elegant ease present flattering silhouettes. Sheen of velvet and crepe, translucence of wool and heavy cottons play with light and texture.
The grandeur of Ancient Egypt’s royal dynasties meets Indian Aesthetics and silhouettes that are now global. Tunic sets are paired with long jackets, embroidered Trench coat with trousers, shararas culottes with a jacket dupatta, Men’s short kurta(shirt) co-ord set, saree draped over trousers. The Richness of sapphire blue, dark jade, teal and garnet is fused with colours like citrus green, turquoise and kora. Some colours have been muted to look as if they have been lovingly used and worn details like mini scallop lace, anchor thread lines, a few metallic threads, natural stones buttons, multicoloured tassels are achieved by mixing and matching treasures from the cultures.
The collection was much appreciated and liked by many affluent people of the city. It was a perfect example of east meets west. It beautifully demonstrated the Indian craftsmanship while keeping the ensembles simple. ‘Safar-e-Misr’ seemed a very thoughtfully designed collection, it focused less on the popular, much seen Egyptian elements and more on just taking a hint from culture and mixing it well with the Indian Aesthetics.
Although the designer is known for her pastel palette and romantic nature of design, her recent collections have started looking richer in palette and more complex in texture. It is probably a good move to break the monotony of the look of the label.
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A distinguished post-graduate alumnus of Domus Academy, Milan(2014), Devyani Mehrotra takes inspiration from global nomads targeting a modern-day traveller. Her vision is to retain distinctive expressions and provide not just things but memoirs, clothes that are lovingly worn and owned. During her time at Pearl Academy, her graduate collection (2009) won the ‘Most Practical Collection’ award and went on to get featured on various blogs and magazines including Vogue. She has previously been trained under a popular Indian Couturier. Her eponymous designer label DEVYANI MEHROTRA was started in 2019 in India. The label seeks inspiration from various cultures around the world with a freewheeling nomadic attitude. Offering contemporary Indian clothing with global sensibilities, it is all about rich colours, prints, embroideries, and layers upon layers of texture. Her designs allow women to effortlessly go from day to evening while looking chic and never compromising on comfort. Today, DEVYANI MEHROTRA as a brand has been admired and worn all over the world. Her outfits have been worn by celebrities like Vidya Balan and Aathmikaa. She started her label out of her terrace and in no time had an office with a team of twelve and has now become a sensation of Vancouver Fashion Week.
