August 2015 - Page 3 of 19

Review

Inspired by the epic love story of Prithviraj Chauhan, King of Delhi and his wife Samyukta, Gaurang Shah revealed his collection “Samyukta” which took the audience on an exciting and mind blowing journey fashion.

The textile designer used handloom weaves to the fullest in his collection. The bold and beautiful was dominated by the traditional color, red but was occasionally contrasted by green and yellow. Rajasthani Kota, Banarasi silk, Patan Patola, Paithani in typical Maharashtra style, Khadi Jamdhani from Andhra, Ikat from Telangana and a variety of embroidery techniques were also incorporated into the rich collection.

Anarkalis, lehengas, kurtas, ghararas, farshis were shown on the runway that was perfect for the brides. Lehengas were draped with silk sarees like a dupatta. The outfits were bedecked with Zardosi, Chikankari, kutch work, kasuti and embellishments in vivid prints including the Sawari.

The collection also had menswear consisting of jamas, anghrakhis, chogas, sadris and achkans for the grooms.

Review

Anita Dongre presented a beautiful mélange of couture and prêt through her collection “Grassroot” that paid homage to the skillful hands of traditional craftsmen.

The collection made with collaboration with various NGOs across India revived and empowered the craft work. Beauty of weaves of Banaras, ikat, khadi and hand spun silk was enhanced with block printing, Warli and embroidery. Color pallet included earthy tones of brown, indigo, green, white, black and rust shades.

Models walked the ramp showcasing cropped tops with varying sleeves paired with black samurai pants, asymmetric striped/solid tunics, shirt waister dresses, cascading poncho tops, capris, slit sleeve capes, front buttoned tubes and cross-over multi-print flared dresses. There were cool summer frocks, striped shifts, loose tunics, and pleated skirts, drop shoulder lean maxi and sharply cut suits. Mirror works were seen on jackets, gowns, floor length front open maxi, printed peplum blouses and sparkling kurtas matched with orange cropped jackets.

The outfits were complemented with eco-conscious bags decorated with ancient motifs and natural line of jewelry made with semi-precious, silver, wood, jute and copper. The show ended on a high note with Anita, showstopper Dia Mirza and 26 master craftswomen from Gujarat walking the ramp.

Review

Ritu Kumar astonished the audience with her amazing “Varanasi Weaves” collection which honored Banarsi Weavers.

Eternal designs were created from silk and glittering gold and silver royal textiles, enhanced by beautiful motifs like Badami, Kyari, Shikargah and floral butis. Glory of Banaras weaves came in peacock hues, red, pink, saffron as well as pretty pastels.

Divided into four parts revealed, the show started with the white-on-white line with gold highlights in transparent or opaque weaves. There were layered asymmetric tunics, loose pants, corsets and tiered gowns belted quilted kurta- jacket and gold white checked saris teamed with corsets and leggings. Moving on the sari section was rich and lush in colour and form. Saris were teamed with halters, leggings, corset blouses, long sleeve velvet cholis.

The third section showed gorgeous fabrics transformed into elegant loose kurtas with wide palazzos, tunics paired with crinkled skirts, multi-weave “A” line kurtas, a mix of lean shapes over layered brocade skirts and the ruby red kurta with crushed silk skirt and churidars. The show closed with grand bridal collection featuring lavish lehengas, blouses, corset kurtas, Raja coats and panelled skirts.

Showstopper Aditi Rao Hyadri walked the ramp in a gulabi pink, brocade sari, choli and gold churidar.

Review

Divya Sheth showcased a culture-rich collection titled ‘Kalam Putli’ which was inspired from the age old tradition of puppets from the state of Rajasthan.

The lineup of clothing was elegantly rich as silhouettes of Indian Rajasthani puppets danced cheerfully on the garments. Hand spun, hand-woven Khadi and organic silk, olden Peshwaz and Angias were adorned with famous art form of Kalamkari. The hand-woven fabric was decorated with hand painting in natural dyes by skillful artisans that made them look like digital prints.

The color palette included hues like black, muted pinks and shades of blue. Cultural charm were added to the ensembles with real silver Gotta and Dabka embroidery that made the garments shine on the ramp.

Two outfits that caught the eyes of everyone were a two-tone flowing tunic in black and print along with a blue drop-waist flared maxi dress.

Review

Swati Vijaivargie’s collection ‘Mauj’ was all about making the best from the waste. The collection was inspired by the unique skill of flat weaving called Kilim and Dhurrie.

Other weaving techniques from Rajasthan, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh were also seen in the collection. Making the collection look more appealing were the creative placements of the detailing on the ensembles. Motifs were sewn on through appliqué, patchwork and Shibori on fabrics like pure hand woven silks, silk organza, Chanderi, khadi and Kota doriya.

The collection had everything from dhoti and turbans to draped skirt, kurtas, jacket, and cropped tops in shades of beige, ecru, burgundy, maroon , emerald green, Persian blue and black.

Showstopper, Lisa Haydon looked absolutely perfect in a nude coloured cropped top detailed with colourful embroidered motifs paired with a front open, artfully draped skirt with a long kurta jacket.

Review

Shruti Sancheti’s “Kaashi to Kyoto” was a mesmerizing amalgamation of color, craft and innovative fabrics. The designer added a Japanese touch to the ancient Banaras weaves.

Silhouettes had a great blend of the Indian and Japanese shapes with obes playing an important part. Motifs including maple leaves, mushrooms, flower buds, abstract birds and floral laces in silver, gold and rose gold to added a charm and beauty of nature to the outfits created from fabrics like brocades, gicha silk, sheer Bengal Dupion, cotton silk and Chanderi. A great combination of hues was created with colors like azure blue, crimson, sapota, ivory, gold, deep purple and wine.

The collection had long sheer maxi coats, layered asymmetric tops, flared palazzos, cap sleeved short tops and a kimono blouse with skirt had a great Indo-Japanese feel. Tranquil look came through midis, long skirt dresses, cropped tops, jackets, skirts; ghagras, wide pleated pants, culottes, kimono tops and capes with intricate dori embroidery and surface ornamentation.

Review

Rinku Sobti with her collection called “Tassels” presented intricate work of the weavers in the Bajardiya cluster of Varansi.

Fine silks which were hand-woven by master craftsmen were embellished with elaborate motifs to create stunning designs. A wide range of weaves and Bajardiya weaver’s specialty novel silk net construction was used to create checked patterns. Shades of white, black, turquoise blue, purple were creatively merged to give a touch of grace to the ensembles.

Models opened the show walking in checked dress with red macramé detail, followed by jumpsuits with tasselled detailing, blouses teamed with checked saris, asymmetric dresses and tail coat shirt. More variety came through an enthralling line of skirts, jackets, jumpsuits, kurtas, blouses and lehengas.

Eye-catching designs were an intricately embellished asymmetric tops and a purple lehenga with a long sleeved brocade choli with rich weaves.

Review

Kristy De Cunha’s “Be Aware of the Rabbit Hole” was a theatrical portrayal of a free woman left which everyone in awe.

The collection included silhouettes that were structured yet creative. The outfits were given bold and edgy look with hand crafted digital prints. Hues of midnight blue, amber, ivory, cherry, aqua, lime and crimson dominated the color pallet.

Dresses, skirts, shorts, blazers and capes were given a further enhanced look with unconventional cuts. The designer played with doll-like prints on structured and theatrical gowns and dresses.

Showstopper Anusha Dandekar glided down the ramp in a structured blue skirt with a cape blouse.