Alpana Bawa, a Bengali term used to describe a floral, rice
powder floor decoration depicting Hindu Goddesses, is an apt
name for one of today's most creative and exotic young
designers.
Born in Punjab, raised in Delhi, India is evident in
Alpana's clothing. Her colours, patterns, and embroidery are
sure signs that she is influenced by her homeland. "At
present there seems to be a lot of interest in India,"
states Alpana. "You see it in more aspects of our lives, now
that things like henna and bindi are so common."
Many in fashion would agree that this is the current trend,
evident among performers such as Tori Amos, Janet Jackson
and No Doubt. But, however trendy Indian culture may be at
the moment, Alpana is quick to point out that her pieces are
a continual body of artwork, which she hopes will endure
beyond trends. "I don't design for just one season," states
the 5 foot 4 inch Alpana wearing one of her Spring 96
dresses, from a collection inspired by geometric shapes.
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Alpana began her career as a teenager, designing children's
and women's wear in India, before embarking on formal
training and eventually a design career in the US six years
ago. Her decision to take on the design world was an innate
one as she had very little western influence growing up in
India. "I didn't know the names of any designers growing up.
My exposure to fashion came in the form of fashion I saw in
Indian movies and pop culture, which were influenced by the
West, giving me sort of a second hand exposure."
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Alpana's lack of Western influence is apparent in her unique
East meets West fashion portfolio. She mixes traditional
elements such as thick-soled, English style shoes with
Indian spice colors and geometric shapes to create a
sometimes funky but bold fashion statement. "For me design
has to be comfortable and practical," states Alpana.
Not only are her designs practical, they are also well
tailored to fit the needs of her customers whom she
describes as a reflection of herself. "My customer tends to
be a woman who is not afraid of getting attention, who is
not shy about revealing her body," advises Alpana. "Breasts,
she laughingly states, I always end up fitting the garment
around the breasts. I like for breasts to be prominent.
That's my fetish."
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This "fetish" is very evident in the Fall 97 Collection. The
dresses are long with a breast-tapered and body conscious
silhouette, utilizing wool, silk, and brocade fabrics. In
addition, she uses many colours in an abstract pattern
theme. "The idea behind this collection was to use more than
one shape in one dress," she states. |
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Take a poll of high fashion designers and you will find
that they get inspiration from some pretty unorthodox
sources. Alpana is not the exception. For Spring 1998, she
is planning to design a collection inspired by the scaled
wall of a restaurant that she visited. The theme - mermaids.
The concept will be fashions based on the mythology of
mermaids and their legendary sexual appeal to sailors; a
woman using her sexual power to lure a man to his death.
Definitely a collection to watch for.
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Menswear is a new addition to Alpana's line. She explains
that the line is more about creating beautiful pieces that a
man can wear season after season. To date she has created a
basic pant, as well as beautifully coloured and patterned
leisure and tee shirts of cotton, linen, and linen gauze
fabrics.
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