By Suchita S.
Take a beautiful piece of fabric intertwined with our history and heritage. Add accents of vintage-inspired French aesthetics. And bring these together in a simple and classic cut, with a boho-resort design. In a nutshell, that’s Cécile D’Ascoli for you. The French born and brought up designer made her way to the Capital 3 years ago and started her own label. What began as a project for herself and her friends, today has found an audience in Delhi’s ladies, myself included.
{Cécile D’Ascoli}
When I saw her ‘Morticia’ maxi dress {that I wore for a LBBD event as well} on a mannequin, it really was love at first sight. And when I slipped on the empire waist, sea-green, breezy maxi, I had to buy it; do note that this is coming from someone who is not a compulsive shopper. But when I see something I like, I don’t hold myself back. And this purchase is one of those everlasting, go-to pieces, for when you want to be covered but still feel pretty, and when you want to show a little skin but look elegant. If casual-chic is what you’re drawn to, Cecile’s designs are a keeper.
In an ‘industry’ that throws out a new name everyday, where ‘designers’ are launching labels ever-so-often, where Indian and bridal wear still constitutes a majority of customer demands and fancies, and with the advent of multi-nationals bringing wardrobe essentials to Indian shores, finding a strength or a forte for oneself, to execute your vision and aesthetic becomes a challenge. It’s probably why we’re seeing a lot of designers going back to the roots of a garment- the textile/fabric used.
Cecile’s tryst with handwoven fabric, khadi, began with her husbands project- the Malkha project, where he collaborated with two other designers to create innovative and bespoke products with khadi. This acquaintance has led to a long lasting relationship, and Cecile’s love for khadi comes through in our conversations. “It’s such a feel good fabric! There’s so much history associated with it.. like it’s something from the past. And the beauty of the fabric is in how adaptable it is- the way it pleats and falls is magic. And though it’s very vintage and rustic in its feel, once you wear it, it’s luxurious!”
Though she launched her label only in 2011, Cecile has been exposed to the beautiful world of fabrics and textiles since she was younger. Her parents have a textile company that mainly deals in upholstery and home products, and a trip to Germany for a fair drew her closer to the source of some of these exotic textiles- India. She moved to New Delhi three years ago, took her time to find her niche and understand what she really wanted to do, and showcased her first collection at a private sale in April last year. “I think I learned that one shouldn’t rush just to be busy. Setting up your own label requires a lot, especially when you’re so exact and precise with what it is you want to achieve and the vision you have. It isn’t easy to find good ateliers.. Even sourcing finer khadi can be tedious; I source mine from Calcutta! But most important is to pay attention to the first step, the last step and everything in between, because the whole process of creating something exquisite requires your full attention all the way.” Taking it one step at time gave her the flexibility to do good work and focus on her customers and their individual needs.”It’s about finding a balance between you and your customers, you know. The garment falls on your body and should make you feel beautiful. And meeting my customers, taking their feedback is the best way for me as a designer to understand what I want to deliver to my audience and what they like as well.”
{Morticia Dress}
{Goddess Dress}
{Carla Top}
In a city like ours, where the sun shines too bright for a considerable part of the year, us ladies need clothes that are flowy, comfortable, yet très chic. Her Spring/Summer collection had khadi seeing bursts of pastel blues, greens, whites and hot pinks, stitched into gorgeous dresses, tops and pants. My personal favorites from her last collection were the Morticia dress and the Goddess dress. “The ‘Easy’ dress was a big success for me as well. It looks good on everybody! What I like doing is using a particular style as my foundation and adding interesting prints and accents to that.” More than anything, for Cecile it’s imperative to give her customers fashion that ‘is real’; that’s à gogo with quality, craft and care. Her favorite designers from around the world include Chloe {mine too!}, Voltaire, Joseph and Isabel Marant, and Aneeth Arora and Abraham & Thakore from home.
“Now that I’m living in India, I hope to seduce the Indian woman with my designs and creations!” A store in New Delhi anytime soon? Perhaps. Sharing her thoughts on Delhi, she says “With Delhi, you need to accept it for what it is. And I’m feeling so good being here. Instead of preoccupying yourself with details of the streets and the smaller things, if you look at the bigger picture, you’ll see what an interesting city it truly is. Everytime I go out, I meet such inspiring people- it’s really lovely!”
For more information, have a look at Cecile’s Facebook page here, and her designs are available at Moon River store {Defence Colony}
