Rathore to offer women’s line

Ace designer Raghavendra Rathore best known for his bandhgalas and sherwanis

is introducing an ethnic line for women. Blue Mantra his ethnic women’s wear line consists of saris, salwar kameezes and kurtas and inspired by heirloom concepts. There is a line of printed and embroidered saris which have traditional motifs but are printed in a modern way. Blue Mantra promises to be a complete wardrobe solution for bridal and festive wear. In fact, the brand will be sticking to the Indian seasonal cycle, which revolves around the wedding season mostly, instead of trying to follow the western calendar. The Blue Mantra line, will probably range from Rs 7,000 for the more casual day wear, and can go up till Rs 20,000 onwards for richer pieces.

Having focused on men’s wear for over a decade, the designer felt it was a logical step to move into women’s wear. Rathore will also be creating a line of jewelry and accessories like sandals and bags to complement the garments. Trained in Manhattan, at the Parsons School of Design, Rathore worked at DKNY and Oscar de la Renta before launching his own label in 1994 under the Rathore Jodhpur brand. He spends time traveling between the metropolis and his native town of Jodhpur. His training in New York with international labels has given him the ability to understand design from a 360 degree perspective.