For celebrated jewelry designer Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, it was just another email checking day when an email from Helen Anthony’s team caught her attention. Helen Anthony, a UK-based high fashion brand led by renowned and popular fashion designer Naeem Anthony, wanted to collaborate with Riddhima for their Spring/Summer 2023 collection during London Fashion Week.
Riddhima’s happiness knew no bounds as life comes full circle for the talented designer. “It all started in London, I went to London to finish my studies, I did my fashion there, my marketing there. Now I’m going back and putting on a show, it’s very nostalgic,” says Riddhima. Although she knew it was a fantastic opportunity, it meant a lot of work to do. In the span of 2-3 weeks, she managed to get her team together and create Samara, an exclusively designed collection named after her daughter.
Riddhima dedicates the collection to her lovely daughter, saying: “My child gives me a lot of inspiration. Samara, my child, my daughter is very dear to me. My collection is my debut collection at London Fashion Week, and I thought I’d leave it after Samara, because it is very dear to me.This collection is very close to my heart.”
Riddhima, who is all set to fly to London on her birthday (September 15), remembers her conversation with her mother Neetu Kapoor, who tried to convince her to leave the following day. “I’m leaving on my birthday morning (September 15). Yes it’s a work birthday as I have fittings etc Mom said you could have left at least on the 16eRiddhima laughs, adding that her mother will always be her inspiration. She says: “I get my inspiration from my mother. She is a role model and an icon.”
When asked how Neetu Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt reacted to the news, she said: “They were absolutely thrilled. My mom was like, ‘Oh my god, so wonderful. I’m so excited. Even the Kapoors will be the not attending the show, Riddhima says, “As a family, they are very excited about me and the show.”
London Fashion Week marks Riddhima’s debut as a jewelery designer, where she will showcase her line alongside Helen Anthony’s designs. Calling it a perfect blend of East and West, the collaboration will bring the best of both worlds to life on the catwalk. “The theme revolves around East meets West and the collaboration is a perfect fusion of styles from the East and the West together. Anthony is so wonderful, so talented and so easy to work with. My husband [Bharat Sahni], who loves clothes and understands clothes, as he flips through Anthony’s catalog and says one is better than the other. Each piece is unique and also tells a story. And I think that’s why he wanted to work with us, because he wanted to tell a story where East and West meet and both cultures merge.”
Working with Anthony was a great experience for Riddhima, when asked about the comparison she shares with the designer, she says: “It was very easy to work with him, we are on the same page. It is very important that two designers are on the same page when it comes to putting on a big show, he understood where I was coming from and I understood what he wanted.”
Speaking of the collection, Riddhima, who is looking forward to representing India with her designs at London Fashion Week, says: “The collection will showcase both contemporary and traditional pieces. There are also heirlooms we’ve put together for the show. We believe that time does not age our designs. So it can be worn generation after generation. We work with natural diamonds, precious and semi-precious stones, and some traditional bridal jewelry with diamond polki. It is a mix of everything that symbolizes India and its craftsmanship.”
The showcase also marks her international runway debut, where Riddhima will open the show. She also shares that she might even close the show as she picked out two looks for her. “I’m very excited. Not nervous, but anxious. This one [walking the ramp] is something I’ve done in India before. I’ve run for Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla in Delhi, but not internationally,” she adds.
Unlike India where showstoppers for designers during fashion weeks are a norm, it’s not a trend internationally. Riddhima recalls meeting Anthony and discussing Indian fashion shows: “We started talking when Bridal Fashion Week had just ended in New Delhi. I told him; in India we always have a showstopper. So, jokingly, I asked him , am I your showstopper? To which he said ‘we don’t have a showstopper culture here, but it’s different’.Yes, London Fashion Week is very different from what we have here in India.However, I am extremely proud of my shows in India.”
Jewelry at fashion weeks is mainly used to enhance the ensemble. Do you believe that jewelry can also be a showstopper? “I think absolutely. Design speaks for itself. Whether it’s Anthony’s creations or our jewelry. I hope both are showstoppers in their own right. I really hope the combination of both creates something impressive and beautiful in the driveway,” says Riddhima.
Riddhima Kapoor Sahni X Helen Anthony’s runway show will be held on September 19 at 8 p.m. (EST).
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