Designer Anushka Khanna unveils a short film that captures a hopeful spirit

In uncertain times like the present, fashion creatives have  expressed themselves in a way that’s not only true to them, but also speaks for the future they want to see. For Mumbai-based resort wear designer Anushka Khanna, it all came together in a sweet story that encompassed all elements of her ethos—colour, print and nature. 

“The last few months have been unprecedented and while we've stayed home, our feeds were filled with beautiful photos of the world slowing down—bright blue skies, the wildlife roaming freely, people cooking, and spending time with family,” says Khanna about the state of mind she wanted to capture as we move ahead in time. The idea of bringing this emotion to life came through an off-hand conversation, resulting in a simple, yet moving story titled Zany, The Zebra. Narrated by Karan Johar and scripted by Vogue India’s fashion features director, Priyanka Khanna, the animation shares the message of resilience and the strength of spirit through an optimistic approach that would resonate with younger minds. Anushka collaborated with Australia-based animator Inder Aney and illustrator Bhavika Shah of Beyond Design for the vibrant visuals of the film. “We really wanted to record this moment in time for posterity,” she adds underlining that the project was intended to impact both children, and those watching alongside them.  

The animal motif has been the focal point of the designer’s latest collection, which is a modern play on psychedelic jungle prints. Mixed patterns, a contrasting colour palette and bursts of delicate mirror work and embroidery decorate the slip dresses, resort-ready kaftans, draped skirts and tailored blazers. “I wanted to create a fashion film that of course brought attention to our clothes, but also helped others during this time. That's why you'll see our prints woven seamlessly into each frame, done in a way that's not obvious but reinforces the idea that we are a fashion label and this film is being used for a larger purpose,” she explains. 

While the starting point was to celebrate the brighter side of the pandemic—how nature has rebuilt itself while the civilisation was under lockdown—the project’s core aim was to support the people behind the label. Khanna points out, “We have been supporting our full-time employees, but we also want to extend support to the vendors we work with—all small business owners in their own way—whether it's the dyeing unit we frequent or the cluster of machine embroidery workers who do projects for us.” 50 per cent of all proceeds from the sale of zebra-printed pieces in the collection will be donated to the families of these kaarigars. Additionally, the designer has collaborated with Firefly, a gifting service that works with social enterprises, to create a crochet collectible of the zebra. The pieces will be created by one of their partnering NGOs, Happy Threads, which provides employment to women skilled in embroidery and crochet. All revenue generated will be given back to the craftswomen. 

As the lockdown eases up, the first step of the rebuilding process begins with yourself, and Khanna, like many, believes in taking her entire ecosystem in account towards it. 

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