Australian-Indian designer Roopa Pemmaraju to showcase at Wills Fashion Week

Australian- Indian designer Roopa Pemmaraju will be showcasing her luxury collection during the

Spring/Summer 2015 edition of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week. The Melbourne-based and Bengaluru-born designer will display a premium ready-to-wear line featuring original artworks by Indigenous Australian artists on garments using fabrics created by Indian artisans.

The collection has been created in collaboration with renowned Indigenous Australian artists including Warlukurlangu artists from Yuendumu, Rosie Napurrurla Tasman from Warlpiri culture and Reko Rennie, whose art incorporates his association to the Kamilaroi people. To developing designs inspired by these artistes, Pemmaraju has collaborated with weavers from Varanasi, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Studio Calantha, a Bengaluru-based atelier founded by her.

Even in the past, she has worked with weavers in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Rajasthan. The garments are created using natural fabrics such as silk, cotton and linen. The aim is to introduce the unique Indigenous artistry of Australia in India. Last year Roopa Pemmaraju brand range was showcased with Indian fashion designer Manish Arora at a gala fashion event.

Over the years, WIFW has shifted its focus from being just a runway event to ‘business event’ attracting attention of more designers as well as global buyers. Participating designers, young as well as most seasoned ones now emphasize upon the fact that the event has developed a solid platform in terms of business, becoming the most successful one in the country.