Péro’s Aneeth Arora calls herself a dressmaker and NOT a fashion designer | EXCLUSIVE Interview

Aneeth Arora of Péro believes that the wearer's style ultimately determines the outcome of her creations, which she cannot dictate. The unique thing about Péro is that it doesn’t run on a specific recipe or perception.

In an EXCLUSIVE interview with Firstpost’s Lachmi Deb Roy for Fashion Police, she says that clothing is becoming more of an expression for people. Her showstopper for this year at LFW was actress Aneet Padda. She wants her work to do all the talking and prefers to be ‘the voice and not the face’.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

Where does India stand on the world fashion scenario?

The textiles of India, everything is getting their new life at this point. And I don't think it is just a momentary thing. It is that moment for India where people all over the world are getting to know more about Indian culture and from here on it will become one of those things that everybody looks at when it comes to fashion and what is coming out of India.

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What was the thought that went behind getting the entire collection together at this year's LFW?

At Pero, there’s always a very small starting point, it's a little spark whether it comes from a colour or a piece of music and in this case for this season it barely started with those French Riviera stripes that I had seen on a holiday and a few months later, I saw that same stripe on somebody who was going to office and it was then that kind of felt how versatile these stripes are and it would be amazing to do something which transitions beautifully from an office to a holiday or from holiday to office outfit. That was the starting point and after that we started building on the concept and we started like we do for all other seasons we started taking fabrics and textiles from different parts of India.

Péro’s Aneeth Arora calls herself a dressmaker and NOT a fashion designer | EXCLUSIVE Interview

What is your idea of contemporary Indian ceremonial design?

 I feel that clothing is becoming more of an expression for people now so there are no set norms is what I feel so Indian ceremonial dressing whatever it used to be , I'm not saying just about Indian ceremonial dressing but now that is also somewhere if people are just expressing themselves and nobody is kind of looking alike and they all have their individual style because it's almost about a self-expression now it's not about following a trend blindly and it's not about everyone looking alike.

I've seen that there is a lot of inclusivity when it comes to the models running the ramp, and you do have a showstopper which is from Bollywood… What do you have to say about that?

I think we have a very holistic vision and we look at clothing and a lot of things, like even if you look at gender, a lot of things are very fluid these days. Even though we had a celebrity walk the ramp, she was amongst all other models.

The way the clothing transitions from a male body to a female body because of the kind of comfort clothing we do. There is not much to do about the contours of a body. It is about comfort. So that is why I think it allows us to be very fluid and inclusive like you mentioned. When we do such collections where there is no such restriction or rules which are based on a certain body type or a certain gender or a certain age.

Péro at LFW

You put a lot of attention to when it comes to even the little bit of details like a pair of socks, a little brooch or the bag… What is the thought that goes behind it?

This is all a game of very strong research and we work on the present season collection, two years in advance and you know when you're working on something for two years, it evolves beautifully and it takes a lovely shape towards the conclusion time and it also then engages a whole lot of artistic people, design people, who we are working with us and putting things together.

So, when you are working on a concept, and in this case, you know, even if you look at the colour, which was just blue and white, when a whole lot of people are working towards a concept with that kind of colour palette, and a very clear vision of what is the final theme for the thing then everybody contributes to every little detail. Be it a craftsperson who is sitting and embellishing or putting a little button on the garment who can suddenly come up with an idea that this can become the brooch for the season because now it is ingrained in everybody at Pero that every season there will be a press kit which will be elaborate.

There’s a lot of conflict of opinion when it comes to fashion versus style. What is your take? What is a better way that you would like to explain your collection? Is it a fashion or is it a style statement?

So, from day one, we have never called ourselves a fashion brand. I don't go by calling myself a fashion designer. I always call myself a textile and a dressmaker because I always feel that whatever we create at the end of the day, it is the wearer's style which cannot be dictated. Hence, everyone will carry it off in a different way. And I think it is always style over fashion for us.

You are one of the rare designers who is more like a voice. You want to stay away from all kinds of attention and you don't want to be the face. You want your work to do the talking. Was it a conscious decision?

I think you put it beautifully that you know and I am glad that it's coming across, I am the voice of the brand and not the face and that is what the intent is because I do love telling the stories and talking to people about how the product is being made and but whenever it comes to taking credit or you know being the face of the brand, I always feel that it cannot be one person it is a full team effort and that is where I refrain from platforms where the brand is talked about through a face or a designer. The whole philosophy that it’s all of us together who make the brand and I am just somebody who's thinking about it or dreaming about it. But without the people that are putting their hard work in it, it is impossible. And it is teamwork.