The festive season is in full swing, and we couldn’t be more excited this time after the state of desolation we were in the last couple of years. Most of us have already started browsing through the trends we want to flaunt this season, and our quest to find the choicest outfits for this season of celebration led us to Qbik’s latest collection Fiza.
The festive season is in full swing, and we couldn’t be more excited this time after the state of desolation we were in the last couple of years. Most of us have already started browsing through the trends we want to flaunt this season, and our quest to find the choicest outfits for this season of celebration led us to Qbik’s latest collection Fiza.
The brand has always stood for its craftsmanship in intricate embroideries, vibrant silhouettes born out of the rich color palette of India that fits the contemporary style to the T. Fiza is a beautiful blend of delicate Kashmiri hand embroidery and bright Ikat weaves brought to life by designer duo – Vrinda Sachdev and Gurinder Singh. The history of their collections has always highlighted their distinctive styles and sensibilities in a unique marriage of avant-garde lines, ever since they launched Qbik in 2011.
We got to catch up with the designers to get the exclusive scoop on their new launch.
Elle: Your ‘Satrangi’ was an ode to Rajasthan and now ‘Fiza’ to Kashmir, what drew you to this idea this time?
Qbik: Our country, its rich heritage, culture, and the skill we have acquired from the earlier generations will continue to inspire us in all our collections hopefully. Without sounding cliche, we have a lot of creative information around us and we just have been receptive towards putting crafts, colors, and techniques together to create something refreshing season after season. We love fusion. Qbik has made its niche amongst a clientele that appreciates our eye for detail and infusing crafts and colors to make an outstanding ensemble.
We first worked with Kashmiri embroideries and ikat weaves from Andhra Pradesh for our A/W’19 Jashn. It was an experiment that was very well received. The freedom of colors and patterns that Kashmiri embroideries give us and the fact that we are always trying to amalgamate floral and geometry brought us to the doors of weavers from a different part of India and opened the world of ikat and patolas to us. Fiza has taken two years to be completed. We have faced multiple issues and roadblocks in the production of the embroideries and ikat weaves due to the pandemic. But it makes our belief in creating timeless occasionwear with traditional old-school embroideries for modern India even stronger.
Elle: There is a lot going on in this collection, in the best way possible. Can you elaborate on your approach to incorporating and blending so many different elements for these creations?
Qbik: There is always a lot going on in our collections. Gurinder and I come from very different schools of thought. Every season, amalgamating our ideas and thoughts on paper and to life; is a process in itself. We go through multiple brainstorming sessions trying to match our sensibilities and the expectations from a decade-old label. We have experimented with colors, coming together of different crafts and skills, and basically we have treated our silhouettes like a blank canvas. It is always challenging to convince each other and once we are done with that, we only have fun creating each part of an outfit. I start with the blouse, always. And then it trickles down to the lower half of the outfit and the elements that really bind the whole piece together. Whereas Gurinder always creates a whole look keeping the client in mind. Our menswear is appreciated and bought by people from all walks of life. So any one thing or look or treatment is never enough. We do keep the vibe similar. In the case of Fiza, the vibe is traditional, intricate, celebratory and the coming together of old and modern.
Elle: You have mastered the art of blending traditional and contemporary as we’ve seen in all your collections, tell us more about your design journey with Fiza and what made it special.
Qbik: Fiza is very special. Firstly, because it is an extension of our most loved collection Jashn. Secondly, when something takes this long to be created, it has witnessed our own personal growth along with the transition of the creative minds behind a collection. It’s been through multiple waves of the pandemic and we never gave up on it because we believed we had a strong concept in our hands, not just in terms of sales, but mostly in terms of showing our skill on a larger platform to a much bigger audience that we have managed to garner with our flagship store at Dhan Mill, New Delhi which was launched in March’21.
The fact that the yarns used in Kashmiri embroideries, inspired by the patterns of floor tiles and wooden windows of Kashmiri houses and the beautiful gardens of Srinagar, are so matte that the materials we use in our hand embroidery over them and in the multiple-panel outfits that we generally do, just come together so beautifully. Each ikat motif stands out because of the hand embroidery done over them, following their own shape created while weaving. Multiple zardosi techniques and materials are used in borders, blouses, and sherwanis. It’s a fusion of old and new, modern and traditional, matte and shine, dull and bright, the coming together of two totally different techniques from two totally different regions of the country, meeting in Delhi.
Elle: This is your first line that truly champions dressing for a wedding in couture across both menswear and womenswear, tell us more about it.
Qbik: Yes, it does. We have now stepped into Bridal wear, slowly but surely. Our grooms’ wear has always been received warmly. It’s a Qbik version of tasteful occasionwear and Indian couture, with multiple techniques, intricate hand embroideries, a mix and match of colors and surfaces. We have kept in mind different occasions of the wedding festivities in India and abroad, different body shapes, and personal requirements if any. For some outfits, we have considered the weather considering destination weddings as well. The outfit is the king and even if jewelry and accessorizing are not an option, Fiza will be a beautiful part of celebrations and memories. We believe in making versatile separates that are easy to be teamed with other wardrobe essentials, creating a new look every time.
Elle: Qbik pantsuit seems quite popular in this collection, what are your personal favorites from Fiza?
Vrinda – My personal favorite is the fully embellished pantsuit, with lines mitering so well, that I expect people to stop and gaze for a while. It’s fully hand-stitched. The big gharara with pintucks on the top half and lines of hand embroidery on the lower half is such a special piece. It’s been on paper for more than a year and to finally see it up and ready in person is so fulfilling. It has taken two craftsmen 800 hours to painstakingly embroider and once you see it, you will know why. It’s the first time I have made bridal lehengas but unconventional and on my own terms. The full look is outstanding and I hope it gets the response I am expecting.
Gurinder – Inspired by floor tiles, merged with floral patterns, these artworks are one of my favorites from Fiza. They are intricate and bold at the same time. We have made both in several color combinations and have been able to use the same on Nehru jackets, bandhgalas, and to the newest addition to our ever-expanding lineup, bridal lehengas.
Qbik’s Fiza brings a mood of celebration, joyousness, and elegance through its brilliant craftsmanship, vibrant palette, and dramatic silhouettes. Just what you need to slay in this festive and wedding season.
To explore more from this collection, check out Qbik’s Instagram and their official website.
