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Fashion's luxury boy
It's the Indian summer. Or so it seems in New York's fashion firmament. As designer Anand Jon's success story unspools, one is quite certain that the tide has turned. To the exotic East.
With his corona of unruly curls, super chic denim and casual tee, Jon looks like one on those wannabes in popdom. But as the tete-a-tete progresses amidst phone calls and photo shoots, it is evident that this Kerala-born, Chennai-bred youngster is scalding hot in showville. His clothes adorn the cognoscenti - from Hearst heiress Ananda Hearst to crooner Alanis Morissette. Yet, here he is wearing his attitude right - exuberant, unassuming and positive.
Just back in time for the interview after a frenetic darshan in Tirupati, he shows no signs of fatigue. And is ready for the perky parlez-vous on his fashion passion...
It has been three years since Jon made his explosive entry into fashionbiz. And the boom is still on. Whoppers like Ascendente, Amazone, Arcane, Amphibiane, Avatare and Aoracle have made his track record read like a wish list. So what exactly brought him to India after a ten-year hiatus? ``Well... it's time to give back. Share the energy...'' he smiles. ``The fashion scene here is in its foetal stage. This pre-birth phase is amazing. Things are moving pretty fast. Designers with incredible talent have entered the fray and fabulous fabrics are flooding the market. It's the right time to explore..."
Jon, for whom style guru Giorgio Armani extented support to present his latest line Aoracle, at Armani Colleczioni (a show packed with New York's movers and shakers), plans a soft launch in January 2002, at happening metros including Chennai. The Miss India pageant and fashion shows are part of his Indian itinerary early next year.
``Functional luxury'' is how Jon describes his couture, borrowing a phrase used by Women's Wear Daily. Jon, who has won rave reviews in the U.S., has also gained retail exposure through big names like Henri Bendel in New York, Wilke's Bashford in San Francisco, Bleu in Los Angeles and Sak's Jandel in Chevy Chase, Maryland.
``I am a luxury boy. Ostentatious materials like Duchess silk, butterised leather, cashmere etc. are my favourites. As far as colours are concerned, it's season-driven. Sometimes even the lack of colour works.'' Nevertheless his line for India "will be localised. We are planning a big push. Remember Armani clicked on foreign shores only because he was savvy enough to translate tastes...''
And what precisely is his creative spur? ``I began as a painter. Art, life and women are my inspiration. An artist evolves as he begins to turn inward, and strikes a communion with his higher consciousness. At home here, I was spoilt by love and luxury. Meditation helped me tap my higher consciousness. My clothes too are a fusion of spirituality and practicality", says the 27-year old designer, who is now working on a book of portraits.
Dubbing his creations as hybrid, Jon explains how while reflecting his roots they also appeal to wider tastes. His is Eastern mystique captured in Western drapes. Embroidery and painstaking needlework have been his forte. ``The amazing sciences, concepts and crafts of India fascinate me. And being an artist (Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale), I am able to offer something original every time. Perhaps this is what keeps me going. Moreover, the timing of my entry on the New York fashion scene was good. So far luck has prevailed,'' he says touching the wooden rim of the glass-topped centre table in his room at Taj Coromandel.
``I often think of myself as an artist who is learning to be a designer,''says this International CARE spokesperson modestly. But pictures of his couture for Ananda Lewis, Nadja Swarovski, Lawrence Fishburn, Lynn Whitfield, Jaide Barrymore et al reflect perfect fusion of form and function.
In New York, Jon has swiftly made inroads into the high end luxury market, so much so, his clothes are instantly synonymous with ``youthful opulence."
Ever since Jon gave his creativity a commercial spin in 1999, he has taken Western fashion circles by a gentle ethnic storm. Be it Oscars or NYC fashion shows, his clothes are talked about. Navigating the eddies of an increasingly competitive fashion world confidently, Jon is all set to conjure up a pocket-friendly, easy-to-wear versions of his more challenging catwalk looks for his home turf. So at the moment, it's all work and no play for the young designer who is unwilling to rest on his laurels. An Indian's American dream comes true... hasn't it?
T. KRITHIKA REDDY
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