Anand Kabra

A beautiful confluence of traditional and contemporary style, eponymous luxury label Anand Kabra is recognised for smoothly melding Indian textile techniques and artisanship with a modern approach. 

Anand Kabra graduated from the London College of Fashion in 1997 and launched his eponymous luxury label in 2001. The label is an eloquent blend of juxtapositions. It's a dialogue that embraces heritage textile craft but reimagines it within modernism. It's a compelling contemporary design aesthetic that melds maximal vibrancy with effortless elegance.

"Indian-inspired prints, weaves and dyeing techniques need to be used in a non-traditional manner. Colour placements and scale need to be reinterpreted. Silhouettes need to be reimagined; a Banarasi brocade jacket would make much more sense today than a Banarasi sari…" Anand Kabra tells Grazia. "We also need to start thinking of world fashion and incorporate it into our design process. Information and trends are available readily, in real-time. Also, embellishments need to be kept to a bare minimum, just enough to enhance the silhouettes and make enough of a statement to give the garment its handmade, artisanal appeal."

The label's success story is hinged in its ability to tell a story through vivid colours, brush- stroked graphics or prints and exquisite hand- embellishment. A strong theme drives each collection where the accent is unfailingly femininity. His inclination towards organic fabrics, hand-embroidery and western silhouettes align his attention to technique. He tells Grazia: "I strongly feel that there needs to be fashion coming out of India instead of Indian fashion. We have a very rich history and an abundance of textiles, embroideries, patterns and silhouettes that are unique to the subcontinent. That needs to be celebrated."

Anand Kabra feels there is a bifurcation in Indian design aesthetic today. One is the opulent hand embroidered textiles rooted in Indian costume and the other is globally relevant, minimal and fuss-free. He is currently exploring merging these two design vocabularies to create a distinct Indian aesthetic that is relevant worldwide. This is clearly seen in Anand Kabra SS2011 where he used the Indian Pochampalli print with a modern global approach. Per Vogue: “We have the Pochampally print, lots of tie and dye technique along with an almost optical prints and finally we have a very geometric hand printed motif coming through… My initial inspiration was the world traveller. The creative bit for me was the merging of boundaries where geographies and all didn't make sense anymore."

Anand Kabra returned to the runway with his SS20 collection after a three-year hiatus. And despite the lightened-up tone and youthful vibe, it was as rich with intricate handwork as his past outings… a canvas for the rich heritage and traditional hand embroideries of Hyderabad in a contemporary context — the leitmotif of his collections over the years. Per Voice Of Fashion: “Kabra is known for his understated embellishments, experimenting with the hue and polish of gold to create a distinctively understated finish. This season his zardozi is the colour of burnished gold with silvery inflection achieved through a technique called pitta…”

Anand Kabra's pre-draped weightless saris is a sell-out with each new collection. Per Voice Of Fashion: "A range of logistical factors also played a role in the designs, from increased travel time to weather conditions, and most importantly the weight of garments especially in the occasion-wear segment. ‘Saris are big right now, but I know how cumbersome some find it—if they don’t have to they won’t wear it’ he adds. ‘For me it was about getting that drape in a user-friendly manner –just button it up, take [drape] the pallu and go. It’s based on the principle of the sari but we have manipulated it slightly.’"

'A hint of traditionalism with a contemporary design vocabulary' clearly describes Hyderabad- based fashion designer Anand Kabra's brand philosophy and mission.

Anand Kabra envisions his eponymous quintessential global fashion brand as one that would continually reinvent and revive Indian craftsmanship with modern design sensibilities. The Hyderabad-based fashion designer feels that there is a bifurcation in Indian design aesthetic. One is the opulent hand embroidered textiles rooted in Indian costume and the other is globally relevant, minimal and fuss-free. He is currently exploring merging these two design vocabularies to create a distinct Indian aesthetic that is relevant worldwide. 

Anand Kabra retails demi- couture including pre-draped concept saris, draped kurtas, shararas and clean cut trousers, crop tops, overlays and bottoms. Anand Kabra SS2011 sent out wide-leg pants and shararas, sherwanis and jackets, lungis and lehengas enhanced with haath ki jaali seam joints, hand- beaded embroidery and burnt zardozi. The collection he sent out two years later was stronger. Per Explosive Fashion: "The inlay pattern and borders of tiles, fragmented mosaics, 'jali' patterned windows and arches of doorways formed the base for prints and embellishments on cotton, silk, georgette, chiffon and crepe de chine. Despite the rich narrative, the collection boiled down to salable items like the jail print dress and white-and-gold saris. The strongest bits coupled wearability with mythology…"