After the success of two brands—The House of Angadi and Advaya—K.H. Radharaman ventures into the luxury ready-to-wear space with his new label, Alamelu. Incorporating his finest woven designs into contemporary silhouettes, the collection is designed for people worldwide. ELLE caught up with the designer to know more:
ELLE: What led you to start Label Alamelu?
K.H.RADHARAMAN: Although the idea of the label took form over a year ago, Alamelu was born out of The House of Angadi’s legacy in textiles that goes back over 600 years. It is the outcome of my design philosophy and a culmination of many ideas that have built up over the past year. I also felt the need to explore and contemporize India’s vast wealth of textile techniques and perhaps reinvent their design language to suit a global aesthetic.
ELLE: Tell us something about the latest collection that will be launched for Alamelu. What will we see in terms of fabric and techniques?
KHR: Our first collection is called ‘Architexture’ in tribute to two of my personal passions: architecture and textiles. I’ve explored the amazing versatility of handwoven Ikat through patterns ranging from the classic Houndstooth to jewel-like Uzbeki motifs and polka dots reminiscent of Yayoi Kusama’s work, all woven by hand in the most luxurious silk.
ELLE: On what occasions can one don the beautiful pieces from your collection?
KHR: Alamelu is created for women who have a discerning sensibility and express this by way of their sartorial choices. Their sense of style evokes a quite confident and effortless grace, regardless of the time of day or occasion or even indeed, the roles they play at work and in life. In keeping with this, the collection—a lineup of everyday luxury ready-to-wear separates— lends itself to being dressed up or down by the wearer as she wishes. The collection is not oriented for a particular season or occasion and can be worn in many ways.
ELLE: What are the future plans for your label?
KHR: From a business point of view, the label’s design philosophy is aimed at capturing the attention of design-conscious women across the world. In keeping with this, our next steps will include international expansion through e-commerce and retail presence in strategic global locations.
