Rendering the UAE: The impressionist

His brilliance, eager enthusiasm, charming insecurity and need for approval is disarming — but then Dubai-based Indian fashion designer Shrekahnth is not what you expect from many of his ilk.
He burst upon the fashion scene barely five seasons ago, and has already carved a unique niche for himself as an eclectic artist whose digital art work has created ripples in this style-concious city. Eager to experiment and completely wary of boxing himself in, Shrekahnth tries to blend his international sensibilities with Islamic calligraphy, architecture and Middle Eastern nuances.

Awe-inspiring creation
This is very evident in his spectacular creation for National Day. “Initially when I started thinking about the concept, the biggest challenge was how to represent a dress, as a print designer in the form of art and incorporate the colours red, green, black and white,” says Shrekahnth.
According to the young designer, the body of the exquisite dress is greatly inspired by the Italian painter Giacomo Balla’s art piece of abstract speed. “I have always believed the UAE stands for speed and change, so I’ve incorporated sleeves inspired by Piet Mondrian — a famous abstract painter, born in the Netherlands in 1872. Mondrian’s most recognised works are abstract paintings of coloured squares, rectangles and thick black lines. The red colour from the flag is depicted as crystallised Islamic art along with black bold lines. The hand embroidery on the shoulders with Swarovski crystallised elements of pearls and crystals depict the colours of national flag,” he says.

Artistic inspiration
The overall result is a beautiful crinkled chiffon dress with Japanese silk sleeves and the shoulder embellished with Swarovski crystals
is nothing short of a piece of art. The fluidity of the garment, the sparkle of the crystals and the sensuous fall of the silk shawl-collar are a true tribute to this dynamic nation. The colours represent the national flag, but by no means does the garment entirely depict the country.
It moves and shifts with every movement of the wearer, displaying another facet of the inspiration, astute thought, unflinching dedication and tireless research that has gone into creating this fabulous expression of art, culture, heritage all blended with a contemporary outlook.