Yellow, white, red and blue tigers leap from green. They have big red buttons – with their faces on them – for company. This is a view of the Sariska Tiger Reserve as portrayed by Kshitij Jalori, on a trench coat that is part of her Spring Summer collection. Titled Jawai, the collection is a tribute to his hometown of Rajasthan. Jawai Dam is a dam known for its birds, leopards, crocodiles… No wonder, the collection has a generous dose of nature and wildlife.
Ranthambore on your sleeve
The Ajmer-born and Delhi-based designer gives very little information about his home state when it comes to his line. “Sariska recently received tigers from Ranthambore to resettle their tiger reserve,” he says on a call from the capital, where his workshop is located. Along this line, Kshitij is expected to create a sense of wanderlust, influencing the nomadic experiences of Rajasthan. “This collection gives a western perspective of the culture and festivities that take place here. Travel has been limited for the past two years and there were no luxury holidays happening till this summer. We wanted to present a luxury travel perspective.”
The fabrics have little touches that draw from the architecture in the area – for example, the finishes beneath some outfits inspired by three-inch wall skirting, as diverse as poppies (a recurring element in wall paintings) and palm leaves prints, and embroidery that explores tigers.
More details such as fringe, embroidered scallops and trims appear on clothing that has been named after national parks, gems, and architecture. Umaid is teal sapphire shirt Pant Set, Amod & Jaisal Saree, Naren Peridot Trench Jacket, Ranthambore Tanzanite Pant Suit, And Amer scarf In stripe, all cotton silk, silk satin, crepes and Italian jersey. humble but always in an effort to popularize shirt Jalori has introduced the Italian jersey in these silhouettes. Also a part of Jawai is the capsule collection of swim and lounge wear dresses. Seems like a well-rounded holiday wardrobe.
Kshitij Jalori | photo credit: special arrangement
While travel often inspires Jalori, he says ideas can come from anywhere. “What I try to do is tell a narrative.” With so much inspiration flowing in for this collection, the designer says, “Once we started designing there was no end to it. We designed 140 outfits for Jawai, but launched only 95. The rest will be unveiled for the winter.
View the collection at khitijalori.com