Recent History and Ancient Heritage with Supriya Lele

It's not all that often that a rising star soars quite like Supriya Lele, who has quickly become a name to know thanks to her modern perspective on traditional Indian æsthetics. As a second-generation British Indian who grew up in the Midlands, Lele designs in a way that examines and reinterprets her heritage and Anglo-Indian dress codes without being too obvious—the beautiful yet minimalist drapery of her garments is borrowed from the sari, for example. Her empowered approach to design shines through in each collection, whether it's through reworked heritage motifs or the showcase of a Nineties revival through a female lens. Focusing on the now (with those signature nods to the past, of course), the Fall 2021 collection is pitched for life after lockdown. It's a celebration of exuberant hues, exciting volume, and fresh fabrics, with each piece serving up a reminder of exactly what we love about creativity, style, and clothes with something to say.

The mood of the line can be summed up as energetically optimistic, an attitude that is conveyed through confidence-boosting silhouettes and cuts. "We worked on developing our signatures, such as draping and color mixing, to create a playful collection," explains Lele, who says that taking a hands-on approach in fittings works in her favor when it comes to generating ideas and pushing drapery or twisting to new places. "I've always worked this way and find it the most exciting part of the process," she continues, reflecting on the period between working directly on the stand (or body) and the final realized garment.

One glance at the Fall collection and its millennial influences quickly make themselves known, thanks to halter tops, dipped V waistbands, and shades that toy with the edge of bad taste, including lime, bubblegum, and cherry. Yet while the designer does credit the recent past as a recurring inspiration, you won't find the likes of Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, or Cindy Crawford pinned on her mood board. Instead, it's more about the general vibe: "I don't have a specific icon from those eras as such, it's more the feeling those times communicated, which to me is sexual confidence, empowerment, and also rebelliousness," says Lele.

It's not just the fun colors and throwback cuts that are stealing hearts, but also the innovative textiles, such as the midnight blue devoré, developed from screen-printed velvet, that hold their own on Instagram among a sea of sheer orange, pink, and green. Crocheting, a technique that Lele learned recently, plays a starring role. "My assistant is an extremely gifted crochet whiz, so when we knew we wanted to work with crochet, she kindly taught me," admits the designer of how she came to handmake key styles from the series at her studio in South London, where the brand is based. Both the crocheted patterns and the devoré fabric touch on the tribal tattoo motifs that the designer previously explored in her Spring 2021 collection, which also blended Noughties subculture references (including cowl drapes and artfully placed spaghetti straps) with her own family's history. It's with these designs that Lele's unique combinations and reinterpretations really shine, particularly through a reworked animal design that's connected to her father. "The snake motif from the region of Madhya Pradesh (where part of my family is from) resonated with me not only from my heritage point of view, but from the cross-linked æsthetic it conjured up," she explains. "It evokes memories of the traditional Indian patterns I had grown up seeing, but also Noughties references again, such as tribal tattoos."

Looking past the colors, patterns, and skin-baring cutouts, the effort that goes into making sure each bold, form-fitting design still feels inherently easy and comfortable to wear is clear, which is especially important following a year where loungewear has reigned supreme. It's why Lele carefully fits each of the garments on members of her all-female team in order to ensure they flatter and feel good for a range of body types before approving them.

Having already achieved so much, including a full NEWGEN sponsorship from the British Fashion Council, jointly winning the LVMH Prize in 2020, and the publication of Narmada—a special-edition book photographed by Jamie Hawkesworth that celebrates "people, place, and the next generation of Indian girls," with all profits going to Girl Rising India—the future looks effervescently bright for Lele. Naturally, a fanbase is rapidly growing, and the likes of Rihanna, Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, and Camille Charrière have already been spotted in her designs. Still, Lele insists that she creates her clothes with everyone in mind. "There isn't one exact person I would love to see wearing my clothing," she says. "I'm just happy when people love it and want to wear it! It makes me feel very proud."

For more information, please visit SupriyaLele.com. Read this story and many more in print by ordering our second issue here.