Abhishek Dutta loves partying and The Park is often a hang-out. Pre-Covid-19 that is. When he dropped by at the Park Street hotspot to oversee this shoot, the silence hit him. The buzz that defines the iconic address was totally missing. One of the many changes we are having to internalise. The show must, however, go on. Like Abhishek’s “design innovations” and the result is this lockdown line that is all about detachable fashion. Fastening and unfastening. “This was R&D and also, come to think about it, a lot of designers are sitting with a lot of summer stock. We did masks before any other designer in India did it, before the lockdown. This collection was done keeping in mind that it can be used during the pandemic as well as it has got a reusable value. These are variations. We have done a lot of anti-virus coating on the fabrics also. They have Teflon coating. We are purely focusing on the forthcoming fall/winter. Since a waterproof factor comes into play, it gets a little hot given our kind of weather. That makes it perfect for fall/winter or pre-fall,” says Abhishek.
The designer loves leather and they are a part of this collection too. Here’s a leather care tip from Abhishek: wipe it with any kind of alcohol, alcohol-based sanitiser or even petrol and then put cream polish. Since the masks are detachable, you don’t need to wash the entire outfit,” he says.
The collection launches on his website www.abhishekdutta.in, on Wednesday.
Sneha Ghosh channels sexy biker chicness in this ensemble. The design innovation lies zipped up in the linen denim fanny pack. “A PPE suit is attached to it, made of waterproof plastic. The in-built mask comes with a respirator. We have given in-built gloves too. You can wear the fanny pack at the back and slip on the suit. You don’t have to even open the belt. Put it inside once you are done,” explains Abhishek. The scorpion-appliqued suit lends an instant sporty coolness to the whole look.
Rock star vibe meets boy next door in this linen lapel jacket and a faux leather vest with an in-built mask, on Mohammed Iqbal. “You can attach the vest and jacket too with a button on the shoulders. All our masks are three layered and have cotton,” says Abhishek. The jacket can be part of a nice brunch look when life resumes!
Hair & make-up: Abhijit Paul
Location courtesy: The Park