BEYOND BINARY

WHILE WORDS SUCH AS 'SELF-LOVE' AND 'ACCEPTANCE' HAVE ONLY JUST STARTED TO BECOME A PART OF OUR FASHION VOCABULARIES, A HANDFUL OF DESIGNERS HAS ALWAYS SEEN THEM AS THE ETHOS OF THEIR BRANDS. ASHWINI ARUN KUMAR EXPLORES A CONVERSATION WITH DESIGN PERSONALITIES WHO ARE BEYOND ORDINARY

- ASHWINI ARUN KUMAR

ΝΙΚΙΤΑ TANEJA, ETE

ON KEEPING PLUS-SIZE GLAM

In 2020, when the pandemic hit our shores and people were clinging on to their jobs, designer Nikita Taneja took a gamble and left hers at the luxury label Gauri & Nainika. She gathered a team of pattern makers and master tailors, and started her own label, Été a size-inclusive womenswear brand that caters to the minimalist-chic aesthetics of modern women. "Été was born after years and years of being a witness to and experiencing fat-shaming," Taneja says. "Well-meaning advice dished out by family from time to time about being too skinny or fat is often laced with a tone of judgement. I aim to celebrate the feminine body through tailoring and patterns designed to honour every part of us, not play it safe like most dedicated plus-size brands that handicap individual expression. If a woman with bigger arms wants to wear sleeveless or to flaunt her midriff, she should be able to do it with confidence." With sizes up to XXXL available on its website in frilly mini dresses, midriff-baring co-ords, and tailored pantsuits, Été is giving women the choice to dress glamorously.

AKSHAT BANSAL, BLONI

ON HIS SIGNATURE AGENDA CLOTHES