The crowd was a tad restless as the first show of the Kerala Fashion League season 4 had started late but as the strains of the super hit song Ennile ellinal padacha penne from the film Ennu Ninte Moideen filled the hall, they immediately turned down. Soon walked in child actor Meenakshi followed by an array of models like Elizabeth Thaddikkaran, Shanu and stars Priyamani, Ineya, Ragini Nandwani, Priya Lal, Sanjana Galrani, Rahul Eashwar with his very pregnant wife Deepa and Prasanna Master sashaying down the ramp in some exquisite designs for the Kismath Collection of designer Aanu Nobby. The collection was a tribute to the concept of love especially the one between Moideen and Kanchanamala. In fact, Kanchanamala was supposed to have attended the show but could not because of ill-health. The collection is also a dedication to the B.P. Moideen Charity Trust.
The clue about the designer would be evident in the presence of Priyamani and her fiancé Mustafa, a very rare appearance together as well as the avatar of Prasanna Master as a model. Turns out that designer Aanu was designing for the team of D4 Dance which explains Priyamani and Prasanna Master as models for her collection. If you thought Aanu is a professional who cut her teeth in some designing institute, then nothing could be further from the truth. Till two years ago, Aanu was working as a finance professional at Technopark in Thiruvanan thapuram. She continues, “As the days passed by, working in the confines of a cubicle, I realised that this was not what I wanted to do. I felt there was something more that I had to do and since fashion was always my passion, I decided to quit. But even before quitting, I had launched my designer wear for corporate because I felt for a Keralite woman, it was often difficult to come for meetings wearing professional attire. So I started my designing corporate wear for Indian women; I did a lot of designs but found that managing my designing and corporate job was difficult which is when I quit!” Aanu started a brand called ‘Aande’ launching bridal, kids and party wear.
About her presence at the KFL, Aanu thanks the founder of KFL Abhil Dev. She says,”He is a young entrepreneur who has done a lot to propagate the concept of fashion as something for everyone. There is this mindset that fashion is for the elite but KFL proves that fashion can be enmeshed with a cause.”
The preparations for Kismath started months back and Kismath means love and Aanu and Abhil thought that Kanchanamala was the perfect person to grace the show. Priyamani added, “It is the first time I am walking for KFL and that too with my own Moideen —Mustafa. When I asked if he could walk the ramp, he readily agreed and in fact, I was nervous but he was confident on stage.”
Aanu’s future plans include opening a boutique in Kochi soon.
