Bal and Kotwara collections at Ensemble

Ensemble, the country's leading fashion house and multi-designer

store which has an outlet in Mumbai has just launched the spring/summer collections of two Delhi-based designers -- Rohit Bal and by Meera and Muzzaffar Ali. Both are hot favorites of well-heeled Mumbaikars, who sometimes find it difficult to shop for the Delhi-based designer labels. With the new introductions, Ensemble is now looking at increased sales over this season.

The label Kotwara by Meera and Muzaffar Ali was started 18 years ago to revive the traditional craft of the region through sensitively understanding it ethos, upgrading its design content and creating a modern-day relevance in its application. Kotwara is the oldest living civilization of Lakhimpur Kheri, the largest district of erstwhile Awadh. Today, it is situated around 160 km from Lucknow in the Tarai region of Uttar Pradesh bordering Nepal. With continuous design inputs from Meera and Muzaffar Ali and their team trained at NID and NIFT, Kotwara has become a strong designer brand both in India and abroad. The craft in Kotwara is chikan, zardozi and dhurie weaving. At Ensemble’s new store, the Kotwara collection continues to focus on chikankari with Meera and Muzzaffar Ali having rendered fluid organza silhouettes in whites and soft pastels subtly embellished with muqaish.

Style is the mantra for Rohit Bal, known for his sophisticated cuts and breathing fabrics. His creations are a reflection of his own personality and not restrained by any norms. Subtle in his choice of colors, Bal prefers to use pastels and earthy tones to dress up his men and women. And since the designer does not stick to just one signature style, his versatile spring/summer collection at Ensemble, is expected to fly off the racks fast.