CRACKING THE PERO CODE

Delhi-based label Péro is available in over 350 stores across the world. Shweta Shiware meets the reclusive founder and creative mastermind Aneeth Arora, arguably the Indian fashion industry's best storyteller.

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ANEETH IS one of the most buzzy and critically acclaimed designers to come out of India since she launched her brand, Péro, in 2008. Her bohemian staples-both lavishly simple yet staggeringly complex-quietly chisel away the boundaries between masculinity and femininity through silhouettes, materials, model casting and staging. The signature Péro look prefers a lounging swagger over overt sexiness, and it's too sumptuous really to be truly fashionable. She freed women from I-can't-breathe cinched waists, and her anti-fit, anti-iron, crinkled aesthetic became a real game-changer for legions of consumers who adore a no-fuss approach to getting dressed. She took the starch out of traditional menswear by mixing floral prints and lace, crochet and fabric patches, and experimenting with new weaves and colours that work in tandem with her womenswear line.

Apart from her talent, Aneeth is known for fiercely guarding her privacy. In sharp contrast to many bold-faced designers who leverage their personalities, her press team has been instructed to deny requests for photographs or videos of her. This leads to a feeling of dissonance when people actually meet her: "When I introduce myself as the designer for Péro, the first thing people tend to say is: 'You dress so basic, so different from Péro clothes."