LONG TIME COMING

Timeless, eclectic, and punk best describe the hottest fashion collab this fall

- PRATIKSHA ACHARYA

Anamika Khanna has always stood out in the fashion industry for marrying her boho-luxe aesthetic with an effortless look.

The designer doesn’t just find muses; they come to her, so it makes sense that all the fashion ‘It’ girls want to be an Anamika Khanna girlie. From Sonam Kapoor to Athiya Shetty, she’s the designer of choice when an outfit is meant to exude femininity in a nonconformist way. While the industry has always loved her for her design DNA, the hubbub around it truly shone through when she showcased her collection for her AK-OK line during the last season of Lakmé Fashion Week X FDCI. Inspired by the Bonda tribe of Odisha, the collection seamlessly integrated the heritage and beauty of a lesser-known community into high fashion. From beaded clothing, which is the tribe’s signature, to thick threadwork embroidery, there was nothing not to love about the collection. So, a couple of months later, when a certain global apparel retailer asked us to sign an NDA to discuss their newest collaboration, we were intrigued. To find out that Anamika Khanna was to be H&M India’s second local guest designer collaboration was only the cherry on top.

At the preview of the collection held in Delhi, it was truly interesting to see Khanna’s sensibilities play out in a collection that is to be accessible to a global audience. Designing for a highstreet fashion brand isn’t easy, given the questions around sustainability and the need to appeal to a mass audience, but a conversation with Khanna and Ann-Sofie Johansson, Creative Designer and Head of Design for H&M, put those worries to rest.