“MITHILA IN SOHO” by Neha Agarwal AT LAKME FASHION WEEK A|W 2017

“MITHILA IN SOHO” presents urban evening wear where each garment is hand embroidered depicting the kitschiest motifs of madhubani art, marrying Indian art to modern sporty silhouettes. Use of colours is inspired by nature like indigo, ochre, terra-cotta and warmer tones like chestnut, burgundy and vermillion with details such as ribs in collars, panels, plackets.

For the first time, embroidery, prints and knits have also been used to create uniquely India garments with this aesthetic. Each piece is versatile enough to go from day to night and style equally well with crop tops, sneakers or shorts. Hand embroidery derived from the ancient weaving called the “URTU” is done on stretch suede, matka silks combining it with studio knitted rayon and silk sari knits.

Designer Neha Agarwal who is showcasing her collection at LFW for the third time comments “Mithila in Soho’ is my ingenious attempt to take the splendor of traditional Madhubani art to fashion forward women of 2018: whether in New Delhi, New York, Paris or Hong Kong, ‘Mithila’ is a global citizen who has travelled the world and is a proud patron of heritage and culture”.