The warm balmy Spring days of Delhi shone quite bright this season with the flashlights,spotlights, Indian fashion favourite bling and not to mention the glowing layers of plastic (better if be layered) amongst many such kindsmarking the glory of the arrival of fashion republic in the city where high heeled go on a stroll with high headed, vanity is all fair and eccentricity is somehow de rigueur.
It’s this glitzy esoteric (though overcrowded with glamour smitten wannabes) world of fashionwhich the Hall No. 18 of Pragati Maidan opened its doors for lately. And what ensued was a captivating cinematic journey of folk tales and intriguing stories of old cities and their inhabitants, gypsies, monks, spiritual seekers and artists filled with romance, desires, ironies, agony and lust, all portrayed through elaborate backdrops with a maddening burst of multi-hued lights and
music seeing modern Monroes and Gagas on prowl. While off ramp the tales were galore either, subtly unfolding around lounges, featuring stoned and sloshed theatrics by folks dressed to the nines.
On display inside theblack canvassed dazzling den was everything from bridal to resort, apart from pret wearwhich Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week is actually meant for. But all in all, with 138designers showcasing their beautiful creations, the five fashion packed days witnessed theswarms of fashionistas in all sizes and kinds come screeching in their Louis Vuitton to Zara, to Janpath.
The Autumn Winter 2012 edition remained one versatile affair with fewnew additions, breaks ups and launches. The first ever Tokyo Fashion Week in Indiasaw three Japanese labels – Anrealage, Suzuki Takayuki and Mintdesigns presenting their dramatic take on contemporary fashion, along with a seminar from famed Japanese graphicdesigner Kenya Hara. In terms of Indian designers, a glamorous chic range by Meera Ali sans Muzzafar Ali of Kotwara and a solo show by Jenjum Gadi of Koga won the accolades. Also, the Bombay based designer Rocky S launched his bridal line, Vilasa during the pret week.
Apart from new entrants and splits, the season had FDCI playing its CSR partby launching an event ‘Fashion for Freedom’ to create awareness about the plight ofanimals, along with a campaign against human trafficking where all leadingdesigners like Manish Arora, JJ Valaya, Tarun Tahiliani and Rajesh Pratap Singh amongst othersshowcasing their outfits on the ramp. And, as expectedly, celebrities landed in droves to support the cause.
On one hand, where the presence of silver screen regulars, irregulars and failures like Kangana Ranaut,Sameera Reddy,DiyaMirza, Pooja Mishra,Bipasha Basu, NargisFakhri,Irfan Khan and Govinda as showstoppers and front row wallflowers provided fodder to the Bollywood obsessed tabloids, and Delhi a chance to hobnob, on the very other, live performances by model-singer Anushka Manchanda and percussionistTaufiqQuereshi belting out preppy solos for designers Raakesh Agarwal and Payal Jain respectively, came out as a sensual delight.
The usual India Fashion Week showcasing also got a new twist this time with designers Rohit Bal and Tarun Tahilianidoing exciting off site terrace shows with a select guest list, making models walk on two of the famousrestaurants in Delhi. Moreover, the main venue was not less either in terms of theatrics asportrayed through make up and dramatic backdrops. JJ Valaya’s grand finale had beautifully revivedthe markets of old Turkey through elaborate sets featuring folks weaving, praying anddoing daily chores. In terms of makeup, Payal Jain’s dramatic headgears, Gaurav Gupta’sicy blue makeup and Sanchita Ajjampur’s grey haired models took fashionistas to adifferent fantastical world.
On the final notes, it was an array of interesting designs by veterans and new talents like JJ Valaya, Anupama Dayal, Rahul Mishra, Aneeth Arora, Pankaj & Nidhi and Kanika Saluja Chaudhry which proved out to be cynosural but some seasonally and aesthetically challenged ones from the side of Abdul Halder, Rocky S and Tanvi Kedia came as a disappointment. All in all, the five fashion laden days gave a peep into the trends of the coming season whichwill be dictated by layering, use of sheer and abundant prints.
Posted by : Chaitanya Garg at 03:24 PM
