Friday, October 05, 2007

Ayesha Depala



Ayesha Depala

Ayesha Depala began her design career in 2002, when she launched her signature line AYESHA DEPALA under which she presents both ready-to-wear and couture.
Ayesha designs for the modern woman who appreciates style and quality. Great attention is paid to the finish of the garment. Her clothes are sexy and feminine, and there is something for everyone in her collections. Her clients range from young ladies to mature women.

Ayesha’s formal education began with a degree in Interior Design at college in New Delhi. She also attended various fashion courses at Central St Martins and The London College of Fashion to hone her skills as a clothing designer.
Ayesha’s presence in India has brought a fresh new sensibility to Indian fashion, with elegant gowns and dresses and sharp tailoring and separates. She has dressed some of the most glamourous women in Middle Eastern society and even a few stars of the big screen.

Ayesha shuttles between her homes in London, Dubai and India, enabling her to keep her finger on the pulse of the global fashion scene, and the influences of her travels are prevalent in her collections.
In a much anticipated move, September 2005 saw the launch of the Ayesha Depala brand at Saks Fifth Avenue in Dubai, the first and only Indian designer at that time to be present in this famed retail space. The exclusive line designed especially for Saks Fifth Avenue was well received and proceeded to sell out in no time. Ayesha has established herself in the Middle Eastern market, and has already become one of the most sought after and celebrated designers in the region. Ayesha also retails from Sun Motoyama in Japan, S*uce in Abu Dhabi, and plans to soon have a European flagship in London.
Besides her boutique in New Delhi, located at the Ambawata Centre, she has opened a glittering new flagship store at the prestigious Village Mall in Dubai in May.
The sumptuous space carries her ready to wear, couture and her newly established bridal line which will be an haute couture service. Ayesha’s boutiques are glamourous and elegant, yet comfortable and relaxing, making them very inviting, and your shopping experience a pleasurable one.

Ayesha has already amassed a sizeable couture client base worldwide, and her gowns can be seen adorning society women in Norway, Spain, UK and France.

Ayesha Depala is famed for her evening wear, with her use of light flowing fabrics and delicate embroidery. There is a meticulous attention to detail, and fluid, diaphanous gowns and dresses are a mainstay of her collections. The colour palettes are usually muted and soft, and the embroidery delicate, but rich. The paisley motif is always visible somewhere in her collections, albeit in a new and modern way, and the paisley has become synonymous with the Ayesha Depala brand. This fact was noted by New York publishing house PDN who is publishing the tome “ Romance With Paisley” , and Ayesha’s work will be included in the book along with the likes of Oscar de la Renta and Bill Blass.

Ayesha was selected by Lacoste, alongside other prominent figures and artists from the region to design and interpret her own Lacoste shirt. This was then auctioned for the Make a Wish Foundation in November in Dubai.

Ayesha’s design philosophy is to create a product that is both exclusive and impeccably finished, yet accessible. This is a fact not lost on her clients, and her increasing popularity amongst the fashion cognoscenti is testament to that fact.


Ayesha Depala Fall-Winter 2007 Collection
Ayesha Depala presented her sublime Fall-Winter 2007 collection at the Wills India Fashion Week in New Delhi this March. Her third time at the event, Ayesha has rapidly established herself as one of the most internationally marketable and outstanding designers to show in India.

With her collections available at Saks Fifth Avenue, Sun Motoyama, S*uce, amongst others, Ayesha’s designs have proven to be universal in their appeal, impeccable in their quality, and highly sought after by discerning fashion mavens worldwide. Besides her ready to wear, the Ayesha Depala brand has also become famed for haute couture and bridal, with clients from across the globe. One of the most prolific and well known designers based in the Middle East, Ayesha has the proud distinction of being Indian, with a truly global appeal.
Her show in Delhi was met with rapturous applause, and watched over by such fashion heavyweights as Didier Grumbach, director of the Chambre Syndicale de la Mode in Paris and Anna Orsini of London Fashion week. The front row read like a who’s who of the fashion and film world, with pride of place taken by film directors Karan Johar and Madhur Bandharkar, Hilary Alexander of the Daily Telegraph, Shweta Bachan, designers Ritu Kumar, Rohit Bal, Tarun Tahiliani, Surily Goel and Rizwan Baig.

The Collection: This Royal inspired Fall Winter 2007 collection is all about the blend of textures, luxurious fabrics, and striking, plush embroidery. Deep, rich colours such as bordeaux, purple, royal blue, ivory and black are beautifully presented in pure silk, velvet and tulle. The collection is peppered with bursts of intricately embroidered emblems and motifs, reminiscent of European Elizabethan royalty. This collection is one of volume and proportions. Faintly metallic embroidery in silver and dull gold as well as beading provide the sparkling accents in the collection. Dresses and gowns are the mainstay of the
collection, and full tops are paired with stockings and leggings and form fitting skirts for a dramatic, yet classic effect.


GRAZIA Style Awards: Ayesha Depala wins Runner Up accolade in “Best Designer Brand ( Clothes)” category

May 2nd 2007: In an international internet vote for the Grazia Style Awards held yesterday at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Dubai, designer Ayesha Depala was awarded the prestigious position of Runner Up in the “Best Designer Brand (Clothes)” category, beating such international giants of the fashion industry like Giorgio Armani, Valentino, Oscar de la Renta, Roberto Cavalli, Missoni, Ralph Lauren, Diane Von Furstenberg, Dolce and Gabbana , Elie Saab and many others.

“Just to be nominated with all these amazing names is just amazing! I feel so honoured and overwhelmed!” said Ayesha Depala when asked about how she felt about beating all these incredible stars of fashion.

This accolade, which is unprecedented in that no Indian designer before this has been included in a category with such an array international giants, is testament to the fact that this talented designer has made a huge mark in the fashion industry in the recent years, and she has become one of the most prolific designers to come from this region. Ayesha Depala’s designs are sought after by some of the world’s leading socialites and style mavens, and she counts many members of Middle Eastern Royalty as her clients.

Ayesha’s stunning boutique in the Village Mall in Dubai has become the “go to” place for the fashion cognoscenti, not only from the Middle East, but from all over the world.
Having been lauded by such international style bibles like Harpers Bazaar, Grazia, Hello!, OK! WGSN, Time Out, and The Daily Telegraph amongst others, Ayesha Depala seems to have well and truly arrived, and proudly flies the flag for Indian fashion in the international arena



The Boutiques:
The newly renovated boutique is located at the Ambawata Centre, New Delhi. The interiors reflect the designer’s design philosophy of elegant, timeless style, and provide a
stunning and luxurious backdrop for her clothes. Hand crafted silk mannequins and perfumed candles accessorise the space, and create a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere.
The Dubai boutique,which opened last May at the Village Mall in Jumeirah, is an equally elegant space, boasting crystal chandeliers, luxurious lace panels and plush furniture, creating the perfect canvas to showcase the ready to wear, couture and the haute couture bridal service.

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