Monthly Archives: February 2010

Sustainable Fashion

Sustainable fashion that propagates awareness towards the disturbed ecosystem strives to awaken the most laid back, non reactive fashion society. Sustainability is a relative term which can also be interpreted as to live and let live. Fashionfad.in sits together with the proactive Ahimsa Silk Designer Samant Chauhan and an anthropologist Phyllida Jay, working for a research project on sustainable fashion and more precisely organic cotton in India, to unravel the true essence of sustainability in fashion. 
 
The entire awakening for sustainability was instigated by Katherine Hamnett, a British designer when she discovered that the fashion industry was responsible for a living environmental nightmare and felt the moral imperative to do something and the only solution to the catastrophe was to go green in 2000. 
 
The Organic cotton by definition is cotton grown without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers. The standards at different levels exist, however, for cotton to be classed as organic it must be grown in soil that has been chemical-free for at least the last three years.
 
Conventional cotton represents 10% of world agriculture and uses 25% of the world’s pesticides. 
The clothing, shoe and textile industry is one of the largest industries in the world and is responsible for enormous pollution and environmental destruction. The industry uses more water than any other, apart from agriculture. It discharges massive quantities of toxic chemicals into the environment including huge amounts of dioxins, from bleach, lycra, PVC and heavy metals in dyes and leather tanning. It uses huge amounts of energy in the form of oil and electricity – in manufacturing and the production of synthetics, shipping, and air travel. Thus it is responsible for enormous CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions and is a significant contributor to climate change. And still we sit unmoved thinking it hardly affects us. But we have forgotten the chain of ecosystem where even if the lowest link is disturbed it disturbs the entire cycle and soon the fashion community will be the direct recipients of its adverse affect if we continue to be ignorant any longer. 
 
So the entire sustainable fashion conscious society is constantly working-out a methodology that is least harmful and provides the least disturbance to the supply chain network. Sustainably is a relative term and in its mission to accomplish balance it finds that the demand for organic cotton is the route to success. Phyllida on account of her research and her three months stay in India in cities like, Jaipur, Pune, Hyderabad, Mumbai and now Delhi has discovered pockets of awareness which are dispersed. Henceforth, where there is awareness for sustainable fashion, the products are not available and vice versa. 
 
The other side of the quest for sustainable fashion was put forward by Samant Chauhan as he takes care of the livelihoods of each and every stake holder involved in the production of his garments. He works directly with the silk weavers of Bhagalpur and ensures their sustainability in terms of food and proper share of money. The education is also taken care of which diminish the chances of them being cheated by the middle men. And another important aspect of sustainable fashion is to create recycle value of the product thus not increasing the wastage at an alarming rate. There are different routes to be followed to achieve the goal of minimum disturbance and a conscious effort towards ethical upsurge. 

 
The growing fashion fraternity also poses a question very aptly put forward by Samant Chauhan, “When we are working with international companies many a time we are questioned about the facilities for the work force at our studio, but little do they realize the amount of capital involved to go by their standards. And if we are not allowed business on this ground the entire small scale designer industry in India would suffer setback. So how do we maintain the balance?” he says, as he leaves for Ireland in June this year to deliver a lecture on Sustainable fashion at the GMIT, college of arts. 
 
In India the organic cotton farms are held by a few export houses like Pratibha in Indore and Arvind Mills certified by the Organic Exchange body that is a seal of guarantee for organic cotton. The Aditya Birla Group has come up with their latest discovery of Birla Cellulose which is a 100 per cent natural and biodegradable fibre.

Designer Watch List

With NY Fashion Week just around the corner, the fashion industry is positively ravenous for the latest scoops and most daring styles.  To help ease your own case of fashion anxiety, we offer you our F/W 2010 “Designer Watch List.”

Sophie Theallet-Winner of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award, this French-born American designer lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.  Combining a deeply personal approach with her French sensibility, Theallet benefits greatly from her days working with two of the world’s foremost couturiers, Jean Paul Gaultier and Azzedine Alaia. After wearing the designer’s black berriboned dress last April, Michelle Obama single-handedly put Theallet on the global fashion map.

Jeremy Scott- The LA based designer who usually shows in London, is making his triumphant return to New York this season to participate in MAC & Milk’s lineup.   Perhaps the most coveted ticket this season, his style has been embraced by red carpet eccentrics like Lady Gaga and Bjork. This season Scott brings his eclectic and quirky approach to fashion (his S/S 2010 collection featured numerous Flintstones-inspired pieces) which promises to be a collection full of surprises and jaw dropping moments. 

Jason Wu- No doubt exploded on the scene after designing Michelle Obama’s white, one-shouldered, silk chiffon and Swarovski crystal inauguration gown.  His Spring 2010 collection didn’t disappoint either, with its out of the box edgy concept while maintaining his ladylike signature. Last November, Wu signed on with luxe cashmere titan, TSE, to design a capsule collection including fifteen womenswear pieces that will be presented at Fashion Week.

Vena Cava- Design duo Sophie Buhai and Lisa Mayock, known for taking a fresh spin on classic looks, promise to take on a more edgier approach to their collection. The Southern California natives, who met right before their freshman year at Parsons, set up shop together in Brooklyn, and their eclectic designs gained a cult following. It will be interesting to see how they blend their signature eye-catching colors and prints for their upcoming Fall collection.

Prabal Gurung- After five years as design director at Bill Blass, Gurung set off on his own and created one of the most buzzed about debut collections ever for Fall 2009.  Equally dazzling was his Spring 2010 collection where his personal architectural vision gave new life to day and party dresses.   Actresses Demi Moore and Leighton Meester have been spotted on the red carpet wearing his designs.

Alexander Wang- Wang has the ability to mix fashion and retail with such precision, giving even the king of marketing, Marc Jacobs, a run for his money.   Persistently his collections have editors thinking “cover” and retailers thinking “store windows.”  His past Spring 2010 collection was both daring and intoxicating to fashion’s most elite critics.

Naeem Khan- The Indian-born American fashion designer will be returning to Bryant Park after having spent two seasons showing his collections at his studio. Khan, whose ornate, intricately detailed dresses made from handmade fabrics have become the red carpet favorite of both starlets and Michelle Obama.  In fact, the designer has much to boast about; not only did his collection for HSN sell out in a record 10 minutes, but as First Lady Michelle Obama emerged at the Administration’s first state dinner in Khan’s handmade gold strapless gown adorned with sterling silver-plated appliqués, he became the third most Googled person in American on November 25.

Cotton Council International

Cotton is back in fashion and it is here to stay. India has a long history of cotton with it also being the second largest producer in the world. But somewhere down the line blinded by the dazzling light of fashion and luxury cotton took a back seat. The mindset and awareness for cotton declined to become a mere comfortable fabric that can be worn only at home.
 
The entire buzz created now about cotton becoming a fashion fabric is credited to the efforts of Cotton Council International. And now the Seal of Cotton Trademark is available for licensing to brands and retailers in India. Agnieszka Fijol, Sr. Manager South Asia, Cotton Council International (CCI) introduced the Seal and its advantages to key fashion and retail industry members at the India Fashion Forum 2010. As one of the most powerful consumer influencers, the adoption of the Seal of Cotton trademark is aimed to increased sales with customer confidence and trust in the brands that carry the label.
 
Cotton Council International (CCI) is a non-profit organization which conducts generic marketing and promotional activities in India to increase consumer awareness and preference for cotton products. In India the campaign was launched at the trade level in October 2002 as “Cotton Gold Alliance” and at the consumer level in May 2003 under the “New Face of Cotton” campaign. In 2002 after various researches CCI had arrived at a conclusion that consumers outside the U.S. were increasing their use of synthetic fibers and cotton’s share worldwide had began to decline. To address this reality the CGA was designed to get Indian textile manufacturers to focus more on producing high-quality hundred percent cotton products for sale domestically.
 
The India operation of CCI are headed by Sachit Bhatia, Senior Manager, Representative – South Asia, CCI. In its endevour to value “Generic Cotton Promotion” in India by increasing consumer awareness about cotton and highlighting the benefits of cotton and thereby increase the demand of Cotton Council International have been proceeding in phased manner with their association and events like sponsorship of National Institute of Fashion Technology Spectrum 2006-8, they have college contact programmes with 100 colleges across the country and mall promotions across the metros. Their most recent tie up is with the Kolkata Lifestyle Fashion Week 2010 where they will a day dedicated to cotton and will have an exclusive showcasing by designers along with Let’s Design season 2 finalists.


 
The most influential and impactful event has been the Let’s Design which is a country wide design hunt where the participants have to sketch a female garment on the theme – Cool with Cotton. Fifteen finalist are taken to a reality house for the next level of competition and finally a designer is the winner. The entire event is translated into a reality show and aired on Zoom TV. Cotton Council has just got over with the shooting of Let’s Design Season 2.

Viraf Phiroz Patel

Gallery Images

Blanco

It is the uber chic chrome interiors that strike your eyes first. White and refreshing, Blanco is European looking and very trendy with its first ever sun-glass lounge, which is very obvious of the fact that the owner is famous Navneet kalra of Dayal Opticals. Set in the hub of upscale shopping the all day http://varunkaushik.com/userfiles/nightOut/http://varunkaushik.com/userfiles/nightOut/dining/dining/http://varunkaushik.com/userfiles/nightOut/dining/dining is well appreciated by famished shoppers, I was told.

They have these quaint wooden tables, a kind of ‘polished around the corners’ rough look, very dim fluorescent lighting and quite uncomfortable chairs. Have a smoking section and serve drinks. Talking about drinks, I had my favorite daiquiri on the rocks to quickly warm myself.

Coming on to the food, go for the complete “sensory experience”, which is what Blanco’s all about. The menu was very interesting, with a wide range of extremely tempting food. Curiously, it was hand written, which I guess is quite nice.

Here’s a sampling of the food available at the restaurant, we ordered for Thai mini spring rolls with plum sauce, and oriental chilli fish, which was absolutely delicious. Going to the mains we got Grilled mushrooms, zucchini with olives pizza, Singapore curry with rice was a passé, while my companion relished Goan Prawn Curry with steamed rice. I completed my meal with their exotic philadelphia cheese cake.

Overall – a great experience and a welcome find in plush Khan Market; I’m hoping to go back there often enough to sample their entire menu.

Jeroen Vantuyl A/W2010/11

The Jeroen Vantuyl a/w 2010/11collection is based on the art of construction and the advantages of new materials. Newfound fabrics; earthy, natural materials make the feel of this collection different from the preceding.
 
Stratification/layering is a recurring theme, which gives a new dimension to the collection.
 
The darts, constructed with a high level of craftsmanship, define the outline and shape of the garments. The image has softened altogether, but the fabrics have become rawer and rougher.
 
This collection is made for the cosmopolitan man who appreciates a good cut, who has an eye for detail and knows real craftsmanship. He likes the touch of the rougher material, but understands the softer silhouette of it all.
 
While talking about the inspiration Jeroen said, ‘Every collection needs a good base. But for the Autumn / Winter 2010 / 2011 collection, working from this base has been the biggest inspiration. The core of this collection has been to reinterpret archetypes combined with a nostalgic approach to details of the garments, formed the continuity in this collection.’
 
Shapes:
Rain coats, college coats, trench coats, summer paletot, blousons, single button jackets, two buttons jackets, tuxedo jacket, waistcoat, casual pants, chino pants, dress pants, longsleeve t-shirts, polo long sleeve, knitted cardigans, knitted pullovers, shawls, shirts longs sleeve.
 
Colours:
Off- white, white, black, dark grey, grey dark brown, beige, light brown, bordeaux,
 
Fabrics:
Wool cashmere blends, cotton cashmere blends, wool cotton blends, wool ramie blends, virgin wool, cotton and wax cotton, herringbone, pied de poule, canvas, coated wool, coated cotton, wool shirting, flannel shirting, piquet wool cotton blend, mother of pearl buttons.

Crocs

Crocs, in association with renowned fashion designers Rahul Jain and Gunjan Arora, presented a fashion showcasing of its unique collection for men, women and children with its theme ‘Feel Good Revolution’.
 
The collection inspired by vibrant colors and designs, represented style, fashion and comfort, was presented at an exclusive fashion showcasing by well known models, included ‘Lifestyle’, ‘Beach Glam’, ‘Resort’, ‘Club’, and ‘Casual’ wear. Crocs’ premier footwear collection for 2010 fuses comfort and style seamlessly. Based on the ergonomically superior CrosliteTM material in incredibly lightweight design, Crocs continues to offer its unparalleled comfort in unique styles for you to stride in gaiety.
 
Talking about the collection, Mr. Murli Desingh, MD Crocs India Pvt. Ltd., said, "The Crocs collection is very unique in design to match the lifestyle product standards. Being an iconic brand which is known for its vibrant, fashionable and above all, comfortable footwear, Crocs attracts all male and female lifestyle lovers." Crocs revolutionized the footwear industry with its original footwear products, and it continues to excel in developing and delivering innovative footwear and related products that provide exceptional value to consumers, he further added.

FDCI

Aspiring models converged in the Capital to be a part of this seasons “New Faces Going Places”, as the Fashion Design Council of India hosted their first round of national model auditions for Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) A/W 2010. The eminent jury consisted of Ashish Soni, Anjana Bhargav, Payal Jain, Vinod Nair, Niki Mahajan, Rahul Khanna, Asha Kochhar and Aparna Bahl.

As has been the case every year, the selection process was very promising and competitive. After multiple selection rounds, 10 models were shortlisted from Delhi, on the basis of various parameters including poise, confidence and attitude. “We are looking for fresh faces with good height, personality and the right attitude to carry western as well as Indian silhouettes,” said Ashish Soni, when asked about his preferences.

With the second round still to happen in Mumbai, before the finalists are announced, we tried to find out the winning formulae from the jury members who said models should have a fit body with right height and attitude to make an impression on the ramp. While Mr. Sunil Sethi, President, FDCI added, “WIFW is committed to recognizing and promoting India’s best talent in the fashion industry. We have scouted and nurtured some of India’s best known models and provided them with avenues for national and international exposure. And new talent is critical to the evolution of this event.”

Satya Paul @ CFW

It’s the Chandigarh Fashion Week this season that adds glamour to one of the biggest fashion consuming city Chandigarh in India. And beyond doubts Satya Paul with an exhaustive fan following showcased its latest collection of saris and lehengas and named it Maya. 
The collection that catwalked the ramp formed an organized symphony of luxury and a kaleidoscope of colours with an amalgamation of distinctive saris in digital prints, beautiful lehenga’s in muted shades, ornamented with understated embroidery work and embellishments. Maya the illusion derives inspiration from an illusory world portrayed by the use of colors on the fabric, as if refracted through a prism. The garment line was an eclectic mix of saris suited to all occasions with some exquisite lehengas in blue, gold and burnt orange.
The latest range is all about colours and designer Puneet Nanda’s way to court glamour and fantasy in the form of colorful patterns on saris and garments. The easy to wear pieces translate ornamental designs, layers, shadows and contrasting elements rendering a bold graphic look. The product line comprises of contemporary garments, fabrics, and of course, saris. 
Puneet Nanda, the designer for Satya Paul, on talking about his participation said “Satya Paul collections have always been loved by people of Chandigarh and all our collections have been much appreciated. We have stores in Ludhiana, Amritsar and Jalandhar and have been retailing Satya Paul through the Samsaara store in Chandigarh for the past few years. Keeping in mind the loyal fan base of Satya Paul in Chandigarh, it was an easy decision to participate in this fashion week and to showcase our latest offering to our fans.” 
The models draped in Satya Paul for the ramp twinkled with Jesse Randhawa opening the show swirling in her digital print lehenga. The reigning Miss India Earth’09 Shriya Kishore showcased a multi hued sari and was a perfect picture of grace. The collection also saw perfectly tailored blouses, with trendy cuts that added to the glam quotient. Towards the finale, Simran grabbed all eyeballs when she took on the ramp in the beautiful pink lehenga, a part of the bridal collection.