March of the misfits at Lakmé Fashion Week

As the glittering dust of the Lakmé Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI settled, contemporary label Péro’s celebrated a world of misfits and eccentrics at its showcase Cuckoo and Co. Their show was a canvas of creativity set in a world where being different is the new norm. The runway was live with a burst of carnival-like energy – models looked like animated figures engaged in frolic poses, fun activities and exuded an uncanny demeanour.

They wore outlandish ensembles like layers of jackets, skirt dresses with coats, multi- layered hats, oversized sweatshirts, co-ords adorned with meticulous floral motifs, medallions and geometric forms that came alive in 3-D crochet, laser cut fabrics, beadwork, stump work, patchwork, appliqués and cut work! If these craft techniques were not enough, the label also meshed the pieces with surface ornamentation seen in thread and custom metal buttons, bead work, quilting and patch work. An interplay of gingham checks, prints, stripes and colour blocking with hues of greys, blues, turquoise, pinks and oranges further accentuated the playfulness.

Out of the box

So what made the label go gaga this season? We speak to the label’s founder Aneeth Arora post show who recalls how the inspiration was incidental. “It all started with a booklet lying on my desk, showcasing tie prints from the 1930s. As I casually flipped through its pages, I became captivated by the fascinating tie prints worn by men during that era. It struck me that the use of ties had diminished in modern times. But I was intrigued by the world of the 1930s, where people were experimenting and doing out-of-the-box things. This era was often described as ‘cuckoo,’ and that’s how the name came up. The ‘Co’ is an invitation to join our amusing company.”

The name does justice evident in the robust overlapping of pieces to show a crazy way of styling. (The clothes priced at Rs 13,000 upwards are available online.) However, behind all the fun, the label’s commitment to craftsmanship stayed intact with handcrafted designs.

Aneeth elaborates on the same, “We maintained our ongoing collaboration with female knitters from Himachal Pradesh and Afghani refugee women proficient in crocheting. We have also worked with authentic woollen textiles sourced from Himachal Pradesh, silhouettes from South India, Chanderi fabric from Madhya Pradesh, and materials from West Bengal. Further, there are innovative twists like crafting handmade crochet flowers, use of tie print motifs and unique yarn twisting techniques to create pom-pom-like structures on the pieces.”

The label, known for its sustainable creations has maintained its penchant for the same by using natural dyes free of toxic substances. Additionally, pure fabrics instead of synthetic ones have made the pieces eco-friendly.

Breaking the norm

This was the most audacious offering from the label but not the first time that it had listened to the calling of its heart. Back in 2009, Aneeth took a major risk of dabbling into casual wear when there was no market for the same.

She recalls how her label broke fashion norms back then, “I was part of Gen-Next designer show in 2009 and went on the ramp with garments that had zero embroidery. They were completely handwoven and because of the floral techniques, were very expensive. Post-show, the feedback I got there was ‘it’s too expensive for what it’s looking’. That was the time when there was no word about handcrafted and a category like casual wear did not even exist! It was about occasion wear in demand. Sabyasachi was one of the mentors at that time, and he told me that you should stick to your guns because these kinds of pieces will sell like hot cakes, one day. However he advised me to reduce the hand stitching part. But, I came back home very disappointed and took a job that was not even related to fashion. Even the retailers’ response from shops in India was not very encouraging as they thought that my edit won’t sit well on their racks. Later, a miracle happened because Aza was also there on the Gen- Next runway and they were ready to put my collection on their racks! I got a Rs 50,000 cheque – a big amount at that time to craft more casual wear pieces. Gradually other shops in Bombay saw that edit and liked it. And after that there was no looking back,” she says.