‘Because I’ve had some time off and I’ve not been showing [at London Fashion Week], I’ve been able to apply some ideas and see them through in new ways that I wasn’t able to do before,’ says Supriya Lele of her much-anticipated SS24 collection, marking her return to the runway in more than a year and her first standalone show.
Sitting in her studio amongst her team, Lele is poised and relaxed, although her schedule during the last few months has been anything but. The Royal College of Art graduate was one of four designers enlisted to fashion pieces for Victoria Secret’s reboot, due to be unveiled on 26 September. ‘I’ve been working on the collection, and then I was in New York for Victoria’s Secret. So, that’s all been happening at the same time – it’s been so busy. I haven’t had a minute to think about the fact that the show is on Monday,’ she smiles.
Since her last runway show in February 2022, Lele has been taking some time to think about what the future looks like for her eponymous brand, which was conceived in 2017. Her comeback has been worth the wait. At the core of the designer’s craftsmanship is a commemoration and interrogation of her Indian heritage and formative years as a teenager in Britain. Often holding up a magnifying glass to the traditional attire of South Asian women and her Indian ancestry with a contemporary twist, the results comprise slick draping married with sheer fabrics, dainty straps and sari-inspired silhouettes.
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While her lineage is still instrumental to Lele’s narrative, under the surface the creative, who hails from the West Midlands, had the itch to explore the unknown, which she’s finally tapping into for SS24.
‘Tension is always at the root of the brand – I love to drape; I love to play with sheer fabrics and colours,’ Lele emphasises, noting that there isn’t a huge pivot away from her signature style. It’s clear the designer feels elated at the introduction of sleek, new accessories and fine knitwear – a result of being less mindful of time constraints. ‘To develop a bag, it takes a while, and you want to be happy with what you’re showing.’
Sleek black shoulder bags are adorned with 3D-printed brass gold pieces, a nod to classical Indian sculptures and goddesses. A flowing, sheer bandeau top matched with trousers (look 30, to be exact) boasts a gold hardware weight, as do the belts. ‘I was looking at stone motifs and renderings of women, and I wanted to create these hardware pieces that looked super old but felt modern,’ she explains.
Pared back and refined, Lele’s offering is distinctly elevated without compromising the sensual, feminine and inquisitive nature of her designs. Seductive glimpses of flesh make an appearance; slithers of hip bones are visible atop low-slung skirts and flashes of torsos are seen through gossamer-fine knits and 1990s-style cropped camisoles and skirts.
‘There are some cool leather pieces in the mix. It’s not super heavily layered or busy in any way. It’s quite clean, and I think there’s a real confidence exuding from the collection.’ There’s an assortment of hues throughout the collection, from a sheer carmine top and skirt with matching undergarments peeking through to a cornflower-blue corset and skirt, wispy inky-black knitted bralettes and lacy knitwear dresses with feathers at the hem.
Away from fashion, the two-season pause has proved pivotal to Lele. Back in May the designer opened a gallery located in Camberwell named Qrystal Partners with business partners Donald Ryan and Parinaz Mogadassi. Jai Chuhan, the British-Indian designer and the first artist to be shown in the space, made quite an impact on Lele, who paid homage to the artist as she was enamoured with the pops of lilac emanating from Chuhan’s work and her everyday lipstick. ‘I was obsessed with the colour of her lipstick, which is like this frosted lilac colour that she wears, and she’s had it for years.’
Pre-show, Lele is already looking to the future, and she knows exactly what she wants. ‘I wanted to come back with this new kind of fresh take on my work. It’s my first non-grant-backed show and we have amazing things lined up and it’s part of this collaborative process that we’re working with now,’ Lele concludes, before returning to join her team in the studio.
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