This season designer Veda Raheja found herself gravitating towards geometry, architecture and organic textures. Walking through the Venice Biennale last year, she found herself ignoring all the artwork around her; instead she began photographing the cracks and stains in the stone walls, and the eroding marble floors of the ancient Venetian structures. Over to her...You have played with prints. What inspired you to use digital prints?Even though Renaissance art and architecture are rich in history I found myself shying away from its opulence. The quiet untold stories in the worn out stone surfaces seemed far more interesting to me. Time had left its mark on them by way of intricate and subtle details that had a sense of gentle simplicity and silent beauty. The randomness of the patterns formed almost perfect. This exploration eventually developed into the Summer Resort '15 collection -- The photographs then inspired a series of paintings that I executed using oil paint on paper, which were then realised into prints. The organic nature of the textures in stone juxtaposed with the clean lines form the design DNA for this collection.There are so many up and coming designers like you? What sets you apart?I tend to find inspiration in the most unexpected places and I believe that is my strength as I am able to translate this into my clothes.What are the signature elements of your label?The use of sharp lines, brave colours and geometric details. There is a special attention paid to construction and use Indian handwoven textiles alongside those sourced from mills both local and international.Who are the designers you admire and why?There are a number of designers that I admire for various reasons such as Elie Saab for his craftsmanship; Haider Ackerman for his ability to juxtapose structure and drape; and David Koma for his ability to use sharp lines in a clever manner. However, if I had to choose one, it would probably be Gareth Pugh. His creations of architectural forms out of fabric with minimal aesthetic are extremely dramatic. Amongst the Indian designers I love Rajesh Pratap's and Pankaj and Nidhi's aesthetic.

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