She is special: Anamika Khanna on Shanaya Kapoor being her showstopper at LFW’24

Updated On: 17 March, 2024 08:05 AM IST | Mumbai | Aakanksha Ahire

Fashion designer Anamika Khanna, known for designing stunning outfits for Indian celebrities like Sonam Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Radhika Merchant, Isha and Nita Ambani, unveiled her Spring Summer’24 collection at the Lakme Fashion Week X FDCI 2024. She tells Mid-day.com what the process was like and why she chose Shanaya Kapoor as the showstopper

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The collection showcased jackets, slouchy pants, drapes, and kaftans. It reimagined staples like a pair of jeans, converting a wardrobe essential into a statement piece. Photo Courtesy: Satej Shinde/Mid-day

Anamika Khanna of AK-OK showcased her Spring Summer ’24 collection on Friday at the Lakme Fashion Week X FDCI 2024 in Mumbai’s Jio World Convention Centre. The designer’s collection was all about being fearless, bold, unapologetic, classy and sassy.

The AK-OK collection is inspired by the adventures of a travelling biker of Orissa`s Bonda Tribe. On being asked why she chose an ethnic group of India as the central theme for the collection, Khanna says, “Why not? I am a proud Indian. My country inspires me in everything that I do. The idea for this collection came about when I met a biker from Orissa who was on a tour. I started researching, went into the depth of the cultural outfits worn by the Bonda tribe and realised how beautiful it all was. That’s when I thought why not converge the tribe’s ethnic outfits with my encounter with the biker.”

Khanna’s AK-OK’s collections are known to be rooted in India`s vibrant culture using weaves and motifs that celebrate nature. Taking the brand’s signature approach one step further, the designer brought to life Bonda colours, motifs and embroideries in ensembles that are perfect for a night out in the city.

Anamika Khanna (left), Shanaya Kapoor (centre) and Mira Kapoor (right) dazzle in the latest AK-OK outfits. Photo Courtesy: Aakanksha Ahire

The collection showcased jackets, slouchy pants, drapes, and kaftans. It reimagined staples like a pair of jeans, converting a wardrobe essential into a statement piece. The collection is grounded in denim with a palette that includes quintessential whites, ivories, and blacks expanding over to a range of prints and bolder colours like red and pink. With rich detail at work, the collection combined thick thread work embroidery inspired by biker studs to reinvent the idea of urban wear.

Khanna tells Mid-day.com, “The entire process of putting the collection together was sheer madness.” Speaking about the creative challenges, she says, “During the process, I did have my share of challenges, I was like, ‘What am I doing,’ because I was trying to put two worlds together. But once I managed to capture the essence of the culture, it all fell in the right place, it became seamless. I love the fact that I could take something from one end of the world and mix it with the other end of the world, and let this collection be from India yet be international.”