I want to showcase our rich heritage to the world, says Anushree Reddy
“Being a working mom is all about striking the right balance,” says Hyderabad-based designer Anushree Reddy. “I had my second baby six months ago and a show one and a half months after that. You need discipline to be able to make that balance.”
Anushree was speaking to us on the sidelines of Lakme Fashion Week’s Winter/Festive extravaganza in Mumbai, where the bridal couturier was showcasing her newest works. “My collection this time is called The Wedding Chronicle, and it’s inspired by a very fun wedding. Of late, weddings have become very fun and they’ve moved away from being formal affairs and I wanted my collection to reflect that,” she says.
Her collection features bright coloured, flowing lehengas that the audience lapped up with thunderous applause. Walking out to the beats of traditional Punjabi dhol beats was showstopper Shilpa Shetty, in a fiery red lehenga with a gold embroidered choli with tassels. She even did a little jig, much to the delight of the present guests.
Said Shilpa, “I really like Anushree’s work and she’s a relative of a close friend of mine Pinky (Reddy). I loved everything about this outfit; the floral work is very young. Anushree had mentioned to me that she had never worked with the colour red before, so I feel very special.”
The designer admitted that she had qualms about working with the bridal red earlier. “Red is not my colour,” Anushree says with a smile. “But I thought since it’s winter festive, let’s go in for the colour. Even while I’ve worked with this red, I wouldn’t work with a dark festive colour like maroon.”
Anushree’s collections are a riot of vivid shades like mustard, blush pink, and mint — it’s the palette the designer thrives on. “I take my inspiration from the time when I was a bride and the colours and the outfits I had liked,” says Anushree. “I love bright pastels. The colour palette is all festive — oranges, sunset, pinks, peaches and aqua blues; we’ve gone all out and had fun with these colours!”
A common theme that runs through Anushree’s collections — as Shilpa points out — is her affinity for zardosi and raw silk. “It brings a vintage touch to her clothes,” says Shilpa. “I love zardosi and it features very prominently in my closet.” Anushree lights up when she talks about the ornate golden embroidery that’s become her trademark. “Antique is my personal taste,” she says. “Zardosi is from Hyderabad and we have some very skilled workers of zardosi from the city. When I first started, I loved the embroidery and I developed my style from there on. I want to take zardosi to the world. We have such a rich heritage and I want to showcase it to the world!”
