When it comes to Indian fashion, no one does glamour quite like Manish Malhotra. The couturier marries traditional silhouettes with a modern sensibility resulting in ensembles that promise maximum impact. His Spring-Summer 2020 collection ‘Taban’ — available to shop on A+CO — is no different.
The designer’s association with A+CO has been a long one! “One thing I love about Aashni + Co is its progressive approach to presentation. It’s just not about putting together the clothes but communicating the whole essence and story of the collection as well as the designer’s idea behind it. This speaks volume about the brand’s value system.”
With the fashion scenario changing rapidly today, we probed the designer on what the future holds for the average consumer. 
Tell us about your summer 2020 collection.
Taban is swathed in sequins, deftly embroidered with thread work, playfully experimental with holographic accents, and elevated with bright textures. This is our ‘essentials’ collection — a celebration of womanhood and her deep affair with glamour. It’s a freedom from fear, a pledge for self-care, and living the dream.
Your sequinned cocktail sari has become a staple — what makes it so? 
I’m happy that our sequinned cocktail sari took on cult status like my chiffon saris from the ’90s. We tend to forget that minimal clothes sometimes create the maximum impact. I saw a sequinned sari in my sister-in-law’s trousseau long back, and wanted to recreate a minimal adaptation. That’s how it was born.
The mood today is ‘less is more’. Do you agree?
‘Less is more’ is eternal. This is not just true of clothes but of jewellery and make-up as well. Remember the ’90s? We saw a departure from the over-dramatic ’80s with clean lines, simple silhouettes and pastel tones. It’s what is happening now too. Less is more because, it’s accommodating, it’s balanced and above all, easy on the eyes.
What are must-haves in a trans-seasonal festive wardrobe? 
Saris! I love saris so much. In our last Fall collection, we did a capsule collection on runway saris. Saris are our own and what’s better than that? So, for a trans-season festive wardrobe, I recommend a beautiful sari, which is versatile, timeless and eternally stylish. And let’s not forget, it goes so well with our tropical weather. Another thing, it’s sustainable too. As a draped outfit, there are minimal stitches on it, and that reduces waste. A sari is indeed an all-season and forever classic for me.
Do you think trends and trendy designs are totally out or not yet?Undoubtedly, we’re going towards ‘trend-less’ fashion. Trend-less is a new trend now. As a costume designer, I learnt the importance of a collaborative design, which is, by all means, trend-less, long before it became a norm. My original idea of setting the personality on the top helped me see fashion as a collaborative entity, and now the world is seeing it. Isn’t it a wonderful time?
Shop Manish Malhotra’s Taban collection here.
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