“I wanted to create a timeless collection, which would be like heirloom pieces; which a mother could hand over to her daughter or, you know, people could enjoy it, even if they invest in one piece now they can wear 30 years.” -Shruti Sancheti
At Lakmē Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI, designer Shruti Sancheti unveiled her latest collection, Advayaa. Much like its name, the line was both timeless and contemporary, crafted for today’s global, fierce fashionistas while staying rooted in Indian heritage. The Fashion & Style Buzz team had the privilege of sitting down with Shruti to discuss her inspiration, fabrics, and the ethos behind her designs.
Inspiration Behind ‘Advayaa’
F&S Buzz: Please explain the inspiration behind the show.
Shruti Sancheti: “Inspiration behind the show was chintz and paisley, which I have always used in my collection. But somewhere I was thinking, why did it take chintz, or as called chheent in India, and paisley, the ambi, and it took foreigners or global designers to make it so popular worldwide? So, you know, it is now up to us, as Indian designers, who take our heritage and take it globally forward. If you saw it, it is a totally global collection with the soul of the collection Indian, with immaculate finishing, impeccable detailing — and so you know everything relevant for anyone in the world, not only limited to India and the looks for the global market.”
The Fabrics and Textiles
F&S Buzz: What kind of fabrics have you used for your collection?
Shruti Sancheti: “I always believe in the unsurpassed legacy of textiles our country has. This was basically a lot of handloom woven matka silk, which I generally get woven in Jharkhand; then silk from Karnataka, which is very thin; and chintz for the inner layers. And then I use a lot of woollen fabrics also in small doses, and shawls we picked from Kashmir, and also we were using a little bit of raw silks to just give the opulence which is required.”
Detailing and Craftsmanship
F&S Buzz: The detailing was very beautiful. You mentioned chintz, but there was also hand embroidery.
Shruti Sancheti: “Because I wanted to create a timeless collection, which would be like heirloom pieces; which a mother could hand over to her daughter or, you know, people could enjoy it, even if they invest in one piece now they can wear it 30 years later. So the entire idea was to celebrate slow fashion. Life post-Covid has become, you know, people have started questioning their purchases, so you have to buy sensibly. People don’t mind buying luxury, but it has to be understated and restrained, and my collection is a celebration of restrained and understated luxury.”
Embroideries That Tell a Story
F&S Buzz: Can you elaborate on the embroideries you’ve used?
Shruti Sancheti: “Iktaar, French knots, Kashmiri, and there’s a lot of weaving. There’s Kalamkari, even on the soft stitch we did, there was block printing. Everything got Brand India gives put it all together, and we had to edit it and put the collection.”
Celebrating Indian Artisanship
F&S Buzz: You always use Indian craft. Is there anything that makes you especially proud — a moment when your artisans rose from scratch?
Shruti Sancheti: “I think I go for a lot of global trade shows and the appreciation what we get there is, what I feel, like Brand India does sparkle everywhere else in the world.”
F&S Buzz: So you find that they come to India for our heritage?
Shruti Sancheti: “I mean, the world is sourcing from India and we keep tend to look westwards. So that is what my thing is, that you know we are an unsurpassed legacy of textiles and craft and you don’t need to look anywhere else.”
The Show’s Highlights
Designer Shruti Sancheti herself walked the ramp at Lakmē Fashion Week 2024, presenting a collection that felt global yet deeply Indian.
F&S Buzz: This year, we haven’t seen any saree in your collection?
Shruti Sancheti: “There was a sari. The last one was a very modern adaptation over sari with the jacket. That was a way of putting it together — you know now young girls, they like to flaunt their bodies, so of course if anyone, saree is so versatile you can drape it in whichever form you want. That was very much a sari with a long jacket for winter wedding.”
The Sound of Tradition
F&S Buzz: And can you share the details of the live music? It was very traditional, melodious music.
Shruti Sancheti: “We chose Samandar Khan Sahab, Manganiyar brothers, as they have a legacy in the music field, and it gels with our idea of timeless collection.”
