First Look catches up with Anamika Khanna, who has been espousing inclusivity in fashion much before it became a buzzword, and giving a lesson in how less is more.

“The age of individuality and the era of self-expression is here, and it is going to continue to rule the fashion landscape in 2022. Consumers of fashion are not going to be restricted by trends,” says Kolkata-based designer Anamika Khanna, who is known to have a distaste for the word ‘trend’. And, in the beauty spectrum, the designer whose runways are known to have steered strong beauty looks, says that pretty is passé, and “extreme” will continue to acquire more colour and currency. Well, the aesthetic that conforms to majoritarian standards of fashion or beauty, anchored in rigid notions of what is pleasing or ‘acceptable’ may well be signalling a metamorphosis with an emphasis on multiplicity of identities and issues, and an increasing awareness of the need to be inclusive and diverse. The narrative, today, is far more fluid.

Social media, for instance, as Khanna points out, has been a big influence in the last decade in the way people demand, consume and respond to fashion. There has been an explosion of choices and an unprecedented influx of information as well as an increasing awareness about fashion leading to the rise of the well-informed, and if one may call it so in some instances, the ‘woke’ consumer who wants to tell her own story and choose the causes that matter to her.

Cowl Dress to Dhoti Pants, A Tale of Innovation

If one has to look back at some of the most memorable chapters in Khanna’s career spanning over two decades, and one that has seen several significant highs, one can safely say that she has been at the forefront of innovation that breaks rules.

From innovating with the cowl dress to the use of soft fabrics with added drapes while cinching it to the waist for structure, to the dhoti pant, commonly credited to the brand, a modern high-waist trouser worn with a dupatta or the Indian skirt, or the pick-up skirt teamed up with kurtas, capes and boots, the eponymous brand has innovated within an Indian context of silhouettes and craftsmanship only to make it more relevant for a global representation. “It was always not the case of a well-thought out design move that ‘hey, let’s innovate’, it was far more organic, a process of evolution. something that sprung from how I respond to my body and fashion at large. I am glad that we have been able to influence people’s choices and I must say consumers have been fast in adopting changes,” shares Khanna. Perhaps, it could be because consumers were themselves waiting for that change, and someone needed to fill in the gap with original thinking and a desire to take risk. or the courage to not play to the gallery.

During a phase when Khanna was a bit weary about her own body weight and image, she also grew more sensitive towards older women, their bodies and their needs, their feminine urge to still look sexy and appealing but with comfort playing a bigger role. And that’s how the signature cowl dress shaped up in that space of kindred sisterhood and solidarity.

For Khanna, “more is less, less is more”. The brand launched the AK-OK label in 2019 with a catchphrase inspired by the American agency NASA’s (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) ‘A-OK’. Often described as a millennial-flavoured label of kimonos, kaftans, sundresses and skirts, Khanna describes AK-OK as having started from a small conversation at home with her son, and ultimately designed to respond to the pre-existing need to wear something that would be flattering but not overwhelming.

In fact, she says, “Brand Anamika Khanna is sexy but not overpowering or overwhelming. I tell everyone that you don’t need to be Anamika Khanna from top to bottom. Let it add to your personality, or you enhance your style with a slice of Anamika Khanna, but you don’t have to become Anamika Khanna. You should remain who you are.”

It is this stress on individuality that distinguishes the journey of the brand and the designer rooted in principles of self-love, subtlety and elegance.

Home and the World

The tale of subtlety and elegance along with a modern identity is intrinsic to the brand and the designer who says Kolkata is both her home and creative haven.

“Art is in the air of Kolkata, and so is subtlety, be it in the immensely talented pool of kaarigars, or generally at weddings to Durga Puja, the city is intrinsic to what I design,” asserts Khanna who says logistics could be a challenge, and the brain drain not good, but it was because she worked outside the famed Delhi-Mumbai fashion circuit, she could retain the freedom to do more and take up challenges initially. “I’m not part of any mad race, I know what’s happening around me, but I love my own space and peace of mind,” says Khanna.

Weddings, Bollywood and Luxury

In India, where bridal wear is heavily synonymous or at least perceived to be concurrent with couture, Khanna reiterates that India is a country of marriages. ‘Bridal wear is 90 per cent couture, handmade and bespoke, so it is a natural extension,” she adds.

For someone who has styled Bollywood actors from Sonam Kapoor to Kareena Kapoor Khan, Khanna acknowledges the power of Hindi cinema and its stars as influencing fashion in India. Does she think the sway of the celebrity on and off the runway is diminishing though owing to various influences from OTT content to Instagram influencers? “Bollywood is undeniably phenomenal but even though I might not be liked for saying this, I would still say people are looking for change and probably tired of seeing the same-old format of a celebrity on the runway. And people will always connect with newer voices as long as they are looking for that change,” says Khanna. The very production, optics and messaging of fashion as luxury might need to adopt and accommodate newer ideas.

The designer is quick to point out that in today’s world, the term luxury is used synonymously with wealth or pricing, but it is far more relative and subjective than that. For all we may care to know, time could be a luxury for many. Khanna is clear about one thing that just by working with handlooms or artisans doesn’t make any label sustainable, it has to be much more than that in terms of rigour, commitment and vision. Sustainability has to be a way of life; a mindset.

She has been listed by the Business of Fashion as part of the BOF500 for being one of the global players in shaping the $2.4 trillion fashion industry. When asked about her role in this global exchange, she is quick to say that the recognition of talent feels great and is indeed empowering, but she doesn’t believe that she has played a big role in the global exchange of fashion, but would like to make a bigger impact hopefully given that there is a happy marriage of time, energy and endurance. As of now, Reliance Brands Limited (RBL) has announced a 60:40 partnership with Khanna for owning and developing the AK-OK Brand.

Text by : Priyanka Swami