Jacket with Scarf attached

So this is one of my favorite designs that I happen to wear all the time in the early Fall/late Spring and in San Francisco (if you know how SF's perpetual fall weather feels like). I wanted to give people who follow Avni's journey to let me know what they think about a scarf attached to Jacket concept. My personal opinion is that its different yet warm and comfortable. More for hanging out in the crisp, cool air. I usually wear it when I don't have to take it off.

It's Pomegranate Skin!!

For those who don't know the philosophy of our natural dyes, its all about using waste materials such as onion peel, pomegranate skin, insect secretion or herbs such as Harda, Basil. They actually don't use food that can be consumed, such as beets, or actual insects/animal dyes such as cochineal.

Enjoy one of my all time favorites and most widely used in brand Avni- pomegranate skin.This dye is very versatile and can create grays/blacks and olive green. Enjoy some of our designs featuring this gorgeous dye.

Lac- An ancient Natural Dye

As natural dyes are gaining some momentum all over the globe, I am starting to realize that each designer that uses natural dyes has his/her own perspective on the colors and raw materials they use. For example, Mr.Larkin, a California based design house, uses waste from grocery stores and flowers to create colors. My suppliers use herbs and ancient techniques that have been part of Indian tradition for centuries. As I explore more into the world of natural dyes, I wanted to bring forth the first natural color that caught my attention (and not only because of its vibrant hues) and curiosity- Lac.

Lac is actually a secretion by certain insects found in Asia and Mexico. The residue is collected from the branches, then its crushed and cleaned after which it can be powdered for dyeing. It's even used for making jewelery in some cases. In ancient India, Lac was used as a dye and as a skin cosmetic. Today, a lot of synthetic options are fast replacing this ancient coloring method.

Our brand Avni uses this dye to create beautiful wine or pink colored clothing that are accentuated with the various textures that are our core signature. Enjoy some of our designs in this beautiful natural color.

My muse: The warrior princess

I have been thinking about the Fall'11 collection since June of this year. Usually for me, designing is all in the head. I get a vision that usually stems from something I have seen or am nostalgic about. My Fall'11 muse is a warrior princess, almost like Lena Heady in the movie 300, but more warrior like. I started to analyze my muse, from her character, her strength and finally every aspect of her portrayal. I began the process by researching all kinds of pictures and portrayals of warrior princesses, starting from Valkyries to Cleopatra and even the movie 300 itself. Once the vision is formed, I start pretty much obsessing about every small detail. I even started thinking about making a movie that would showcase the collection in a theatrical style setting (something that is being worked currently).

After much analysis the actual designs start to take shape. I knew I wanted to play with pleats and structure this time. I was thinking about my Bharat Natyam days and how the fan in the costume has such a striking shape and look. I wanted to use the so called "fan" in different ways and forms. I spent days designing and color coordinating about 25-30 designs. Finally, my product is starting to take shape. Next step, fabrics and color finalization.

Enjoy some of the pics that have inspired the designing process.