We Get the Lowdown on Abraham & Thakore's New Collection

We got to talking with David Abraham of Abraham & Thakore about their fabulous new AW '16/17 Collection, how to wear metallics just right, and the way to do embellishments...

Cosmo: So, what made you decide to go the 'Shimmer' route?

​David Abraham: We really wanted to work with the idea of 'shine', and the idea was to create gorgeous, evening clothes—essentially party wear. 

C: How unlike your last collection is it?

DA: Well, it it's fairly unlike us. I don't think we've done anything quite like it in the past–or atleast, for a long time. It was a new product area that we were very interested in exploring, from a business point of view. 

C: And from the creative point of view​?

​DA: From the creative point of view​...we really wanted to dabble in metallic fabrics and embellishments and foils. And we found, in our experimentation, that it lent itself to a technique that was quite different for us. Luckily, they happened sort of simultaneously.

​C: ​What silhouette are we most likely to see at the fore this collection?

​DA:​ We've gone very simple with our silhouettes, actually. There's a lot of anti-fit, but a lot of fitted sheaths as well. The idea is a simple little dress that can be worn with a jacket. 

C: ​You've used a lot of embellishments, which work fantastically. But, so often, embellishments can be borderline tacky. How does one avoid that?

DA:​ We've just really stayed true to our design language. The other thing is the way we've treated them. We like the idea of them being organic. Here, we looked at the sheen, or the 'bling', if you will and decided to take a sort of 'distressed' approach to it. So yes, there's shine—but there's also a lot of texture. Say, for instance if we create a piece in silk, we'll work in cotton malmal and wash it and fray—even our use of sequins is toned down. The idea ius not to be overpowering.

C: ​What would you say is the right way to wear metallics? 

DA:​ Accessorising is really important, because it's smarter to let the garment be the source of glimmer. Don't add shiny jewellery to the mix. The more dressed-up the garment is, the simpler your hair and make-up should also be. Keep it as minimal as possible. It's so much more gamorous that way.

C: ​One celebrity that you think works metallics well?

DA:​ I'm seeing quite a bit of it on the red carpet, and the young Bollywood actors are doing it very well—fresh face, minimal make-up. It works great on them. 

Check out some looks from the collection here...