There’s a feeling that Supriya Lele has now properly found her pace – and that confidence comes from the enthusiasm she knows she has friends behind her. Tish Weinstock and Tom Guinness exemplified this sisterhood at their wedding at Belvoir Castle over Halloween weekend. “The dress code is black-tie gothic. It’s fun,” the designer said. She made her own dress for the occasion—a long black dress with tiny side ties, fishnet panties, and twisted back to reveal the skin.
She has a shorter version of the Spring Lookbook. As she points out, these relationships can be adjusted according to the owner’s feelings. There are many such devices—adjustable apron dresses, lace-up halterneck bodysuits, and “layered pieces” in her designs. “Working with sheer fabrics is a challenging thing,” she rightly observes. “They have several layers of lining and lining, so you don’t have to show too much.”
Lele’s handling of light clothing is an obvious reason for her growing popularity. Body shows are all the rage right now, and will likely reach even greater heights next year when friends like Lele relocate to Mediterranean resorts. What sets her style apart from her London contemporaries Nensi Dojaka and Charlotte Knowles is that she associates prints and pleats with her Indian heritage.
She pointed out that the square print on the cotton shirt is in the collection: “It was done in India, in Madhya Pradesh, my home region.” Fishnet pieces – including Impossible But the luxe boot leggings, sure to post on Instagram – also “embroidered with tiny sequins in India.”
Lele’s natural inclination has always been to wear a drape over traditional saris A modernist approach to pleats and bra tops, not taken literally. This season, her blouse with ribbon tails is designed to knot the garment in a playful way that complements her adjustable jersey bodysuit—or a swimsuit? In any case, multiple options can save you from summer fashion boredom. “It looks simple, but it’s not,” Lele smiled calmly.
