When thinking about his collection this season—aimed at paying homage to the women in his family—Bibhu Mohapatra started with the idea of a dot. A dot, or a “bindu” in Sanskrit, is where all things start, he said. Mohapatra recalled the experience of watching his mother, in Hindu tradition, put a red vermillion dot on her forehead every morning, which she told him was about more than just signalling marital status.
“She explained to me that’s where the most power concentrated, from a dot,” he said. “It could be the core of your whole system. Before energy permeates everywhere, it starts with a dot.”
In the collection, which was a tour of Mohapatra’s classic column, volume-forward A-line, and corseted shapes, that idea came through in a literal way, with dresses in bright red, point d’esprit, or with sparkly embellishments centered around particular points, which Mohapatra said were “the eye of the comment, or the eye of the storm.” But it was also represented figuratively. Horizontal embellishments that dissipated toward the bottom of one gown’s crinoline skirt was meant to suggest the wearer herself was the center of power, around which everything revolved. Through cuts, placement of embroidery, and puffed hip drapes, Mohapatra played with asymmetry.
The dot theme applies to Mohapatra’s life and business, overall, too. Since Covid, his brand has become more focused—businesswise around its Tribeca store and core clientele, and creatively around Mohapatra’s heritage. “In the collective grief and uncertainty, I decided I will talk about my heritage and my lineage. It’s important I tell the stories and the stories of my people,” he said.