November Issue 2003

Deepak Perwani’s collection for the “Rhythms of the Indus” show at Albert Hall in London was a sell-out success. With a British Raj-unisex look, the ensembles were snapped up by both men and women.

“Basically the inspiration was the sherwani meets Hamid Karzai,” says Deepak. “I’ve unstructured the sherwani and teamed it with a multi-layered S&M look.” Worn with boot-cut trousers and heavily pin-tucked kurtas, all the sherwanis have been lined with fluorescent colours, a la Shanghai Tang, giving the classic garment a whole new twist.

Deepak’s multi-layered four piece ensembles in ethereal ivory are minimalistic, but pack a striking visual punch: stretch churidars worn with stretch sleeveless tops under a jacket under a three-quarter length panelled sherwani, finished with a Swarovski-fringed long scarf. “I wanted to internationalise my work,” says Deepak. “And I think that with this collection I have achieved that.”

In the pipeline is a show in Canton, China, where Deepak will be showcasing his women’s wear line at a conference for the Board of Asian Investment, with designers from 25 countries participating in the event. Celebrating a decade in the business of fashion, with this collection, Deepak has come into his own.