Exclusive: Anamika Khanna on AK | OK making its London Fashion Week debut this September
“I never like anything at first,” admits Anamika Khanna laughing, “I’m going to say no to a hundred things before saying yes to one, but all of this is part of the process.” It is this sequence of perfectionism, a constant balance between the instinct of thinking too much and the creation, which led the designer based in Kolkata to his first showcase in London Fashion Week, with a new collection under his Ak-Ok label.
Rooted in Indian culture but seen through a global objective, the collection reinvents secular silhouettes and pushes them to modernity. “Each time I wear kurta pajamas in New York or London, people stop me and ask me questions,” she said. “We have so many interesting shapes and ideas, I am delighted to take them and put them in the world in a way that does not seem foreign.” The result is a collection that is not only breaking the rules, it acts as if they were never there to start.
In front, Anamika Khanna opens up Vogue India on the stories that sparked the collection and the silver coin which is his constant companion.
Vogue India: Why does the representation of India on a world scene matter to you?
Anamika Khanna: This is pride for me; It has always been. I really believe that we have the richest culture, the richest profession, the richest textile traditions in the world. Even today, the world continues to outsource the creativity of India, whether they are ideas, artistic talent or production. For me, staying faithful to the origin of my inheritance is all.
VI: Indian Craft seems more than ever to influence international fashion. What is your opinion about it?
AK: I think it’s really cool. There are a lot of discussions on appropriation and to give credit, which I understand, but as a designer, I also want freedom to be inspired. Say that I am inspired by something from South African culture, can I explore this? Can I give it this recognition and be inspired? Or should I just leave it? This is something I always find. But with regard to Indian culture, I feel very proud and happy when others are inspired.
VI: How did this collection started?
