The Fashion Archive — Igniv

Colombo · 2006

Twenty two sheets from the competition years — elephant motif palus, patchwork panels cut from old sari borders, and hand beaded hems, drawn first and then walked down a runway.

The drawings

Fourteen sheets, annotated in her own hand.

Illustration of a sari with an elephant motif palu, annotated with fabric notes — Elephant motif palu — the drawing

Illustration of a raw silk sari with patchwork elephant motifs and a banded border — Raw silk sari, patch worked

Illustration of a layered chiffon evening dress with a pleated net tail — Evening wear, chiffon and chamois silk

Illustration showing the back of an evening dress with a beaded and sequinned stole — A stole of beads, fixed to the dress

Illustration of a white linen jacket worn with an ice blue corduroy skirt — Office wear, linen and corduroy

Illustration of a cropped linen top with brass studs worn with khaki capri pants — Cropped linen, brass studs

Illustration of an off shoulder floral top over a rust pencil skirt — Off the shoulder, in bloom

Illustration of a blue crop top and sage skirt worn with a wrapped headscarf — Wrapped, tied, banded

Illustration of an asymmetric one shoulder tunic over wide legged trousers — One shoulder, falling away

Illustration of an orange sleeveless top with an olive pencil skirt — Saffron over olive

Illustration of a saffron yellow shift dress with beaded trim, front and back — Saffron shift, beaded at the hem

Illustration of a strapless dress with a gathered bubble hem — Bubble hem, gathered

Illustration of a strapless dress with a boned corset bodice and pleated panel — Boned bodice, pleated panel

An unshaded pen line study of a corseted top with flared trousers — A line study, before colour

On the runway

The same drawings, under stage light.

A model on the runway in a dark silk sari with multicoloured patchwork panels — Patchwork sari, on the runway

The back of a runway sari showing a large appliqued elephant motif on the palu — The elephant palu, from behind

A model turning on stage, patchwork sari catching the light — Raw silk, turning

A model on stage in a cream jacket and textured pink trousers — Cream and rose, under stage light

A model on stage in a red top and striped trimmed corduroy capri trousers — Corduroy, striped at the turn

Models lined up on stage at the close of a fashion design competition — The finalists, at the close

In print

Ten finalists, out of eighty three.

The Sunday Observer, October 2006 — the semi finals page, and the ten names that came through it.

A 2006 Sunday Observer fashion page covering the Fashion Designer of the Year semi finals — Sunday Observer, October 2006

The lower half of the Sunday Observer page, showing the ten named finalists — Ten finalists, named in print

“An old sari border is never finished with. It is only waiting to be cut into something else.”

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