A special fair which will showcase the latest, the hippest, the fashionable & the new by some of the leading designers in the fashion industry held its preview in New Delhi recently. Destination London Market is setting out to firmly establish as one of the important markets from jewelry to prêt to couture.

Organized by Nikkhil Chugh and Upasana Suruchi Chugh, the first preview saw the designers Raakesh Agarwal, Hemant & Nandita, Urvashi Kaur, Swati Modo, Kanika Jain, Sonal Mangla, Shweta Kohli, Muskaan, Mani showcasing their collection over wine and cheese.

Raakesh Agarwal collection saw the rigid asymmetry of the barcode informs the design in total, producing a bandage-like effect that can be seen on the new cocktail dresses, smoking jackets, and tunics. The color palette, to balance the Western cut of the collection, moves from his classic ivory+ uberwhite combination into nudes, and progresses into champagne tones.

 Urvashi Kaur had sharp geometry of checks and stripes mellowed with soothing drapes, twists and folds. The punctuated use of polka dots adds to the dynamism. Combinations of varied textures & patterns in contrasting colors are discreetly set together in structured panels. Sheer & suave silhouettes are layered intelligently to resolutely define an exceptional look. While customized shoe designer Swati Modo takes you boho, so come to see the flowers, prints in her collection.

Involved in salvaging dying Indian weaves and textiles since long, designer Anuradha Ramam is now all set to elicit the appeal of Indian weaves to the global audience.

The designer who is known for her contemporary Ikat and Kantha saris will be showcasing her collection of rare Ikat weaves to the enthusiasts of Indian handlooms in San Francisco on April 14th over a fashion show.  

The collection offering tradition with a contemporary touch has been specially designed by Anuradha keeping in mind the Western sensibilities. A range of hand woven sarees, kantha saris embedded with mirror work, hand blocked stoles, woven and embroidered tunics will see the fusion of Ikat weaves and Kantha embroidery with everything hand woven. The collection as a whole comes as a riot of colors capturing the rustic appeal with lots of mirror work.

Talking about her show of Indian weaves in San Francisco, Anuradha says, ““I am very contented to see that Indian handloom, weaves and textiles are becoming so popular in the west. This large scale show is my attempt to reach out to a wider audience here and educate them about our rich history of textiles and weaves like Ikat, kantha, telia roomal amongst others. While India is going through luxury and hi-street boom, west is looking at India and absorbing our sensibilities in every aspect. I am excited with the fabulous response I am getting before the show on my collection”

A Social initiative by Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre for the cause of Save and Empower the Girl Child will see designer Manish Malhotra lending his support through a fashion show as a part of the cultural program to be held at Grand Sangam Ballroom, JW Marriott, Juhu, Mumbai on April 11, 2012.

The collection Manish will display will be a representation of modern day men and women who are proud of their culture and tradition and wear their Indian ensembles in their own contemporary style. The collection as seen before features Indian evening wear in hues of ivories, pinks, off whites, creams, rust, brick red and burnt oranges, focusing on the traditional Indian crafts like chikankari and Kashmiri embroidery.

As a part of the cultural program the fashion show by Manish to support the campaign will witness the eminent celebrities from all walks of life walking the ramp including, Sushmita Sen with her daughters, Mandira Bedia, Kajol, Neha Dhupia, Poonam Mahajan, Shaina NC, Alka Yagnik, Sarika, Zarine and Faarah Khan.       

The latest Autumn Winter 2012 collection by Romanian Designer Venera Arapu comes as homage to a multi-dimensional woman of today.

Moving between fantasy and reason, heart and head, and ostentation and austerity, the collection spells out femininity with relaxed silhouettes and touch of pop art. Demonstrative of many dimensions of a woman, it goes from fluid to fitting with juxtaposition of textures and play of fabrics.

The collection predominantly features printed dresses with contrasting fluffed sleeves, long jackets in sheer and jersey, furred capes, skirts and woolen trousers accessorized with leather gloves and boots.    

Denim Story, a multi-brand luxury denim boutique by Mala Hemnani and Suchita Vaswani, has revolutionised the denim market in India.

So this April, the season changes to spring at Denim Story. In the denim world, as you have seen with the coloured jeans, denim designers are just not interested in subtleties this Spring. There are endless offerings and everything is coming up as roses, lilies and daisies even on your jeans.Instead of your usual blues and blacks, floral prints are blossoming this season.