Monthly Archives: March 2016

India Modern Finale at Amazon India Fashion Week AW16

by Deesha Bondre

With the likes of Rajesh Pratap Singh, Rahul Mishra, Aneeth Arora, Abraham & Thakore, Anju Modi, Samant Chauhan, Rohit Gandhi, Rahul Khanna, Amit Agarwal & Pankaj & Nidhi coming together for showcasing their collections for the finale, the much awaited finale of the AIFWAW 2016, ‘India Modern’ was worth the hype and so much more.

It started with Rajesh Pratap Sigh’s showcase of checkered gowns and shirt dresses. The dresses and the gowns were detailed with zipping. The colour palette used was mainly blue and gold. Pero by Aneeth Arora saw a lot of dresses, jackets, trousers, skirts in gingham and flower motifs. Blue hues were seen throughout the collection. Rahul Mishra’s collection of kimono wraps, skirts in bodycon and tulle silhouette were in blue and white. They were accentuated with flower motifs
Abraham & Thakore collection was minimalistic and saw a lot of earthy hues. With a minimal stitch and loose silhouettes, it focused a lot on comfort. The duo showcased shirts, blouses and hoodies. The collection also had metallic elements to it as well.

Samant Chauhan’s line up was pristine and all white. His gowns were embellished with tone on tone work and detailed with pleats, peplum and thigh slits in the middle. Anju Modi’s collection of Indian separates had a contemporary twist. In reds and greens, the collection consisted of mainly of flared ghagras and high-low kurtas.
Pankaj and Nidhi’s collection of red gowns and shirt dresses were high low too. A lot of geometric prints was seen throughout the showcase. Amit Agarwal’s collection of ruffled gowns and dresses was rather avant-garde. In pink and orange, the garments created a statement of their own. Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna’s collection saw looks men and women. A palatial print that looked a lot like the Hawa Mahal of Jaipur was seen throughout on all loosely fitted garments.

The India Modern finale was the coming together of the Indian values and the modern but rooted values India is known for today. The textiles used for the entire collection were ‘Made in India. The silhouttes and techniques were created for the modern Indian of today. Fulfilling the objective, the AIFWAW 2016 ended with a bang.

pics by Anwesha Paul

Enamel Revisited VIII

430Enameling is one of the ancient three Fired Arts besides glass and pottery.  It has unique features of being a covenant between the artist and craftsman. Thus in order to make the form popular, The Enamelling Society is organising an exhibition “Enamel Revisited VIII- Art of unity and diversity” from March 16-22 at Visual Art Gallery.

In India, Enamelling or Meenakari has been seen traditionally as a jeweller’s craft, enhancing the effect of the gems in their setting and embellishing the reverse of the piece. Beautiful Meenakari sword hilts, boxes, turban ornaments, sarpech, and a whole range of jewellery was made in North India on gold and silver, which is still a flourishing practice in Rajasthan.

 

 

 

15 participants– ADITI SHETH,ANINDITA KISHORE,AVANTI MEHTA,DIPALI MEHER,HETAL SHAH,JYOTI SINGH,KANA LOMROR,KAVITA LOMROR, PRADEEP MALHOTRA,RITU SANGAL,SARAH PERKINS,SEEMA L. UPPAL,SMRITI SANGAL,TRIVENI MAHAJAN, VEENU SHAH is exhibiting fired Enamels, from Art and sculpture to a section for jewellery and utilitarian art.

Bollywood to help India’s old folks

430As part of a unique CSR initiative, renowned Bollywood celebrities autographed on Tangerines bedroom makeover accessories. For every one celebrity signature, company will donate twenty five bed sheets to NGOs like Help Age India and Silver Inning Foundation.

Tangerine, the designer brand for home solutions, made this a reality with Sonam Kapoor, Siddharth Malhotra, Sushant Singh Rajput, Kalki, Malaika Arora Khan, Javed Akthar Govinda, Bhoomi Pednekar, Athiya Shetty, Kabir Bedi, Anu Malik, Karan Tacker, Urvashi Rautela, Karan Grover, Kanika Kapoor, Queenie Singh, Talat Aziz, Mouni Roy, Jennifer Winget, Aditya Thackrey, Sanjeeda, Ranveer Brar, Makarand Deshpande, Rahul Sharma, Sanjeev Kapoor and Neeraj Kabi came together and signed for a cause.

Gauri & Nainika Private Affaire at AIFW

Gauri Nainika offsite autumn winter 16 show was very private and floral affair!
Although PR agency made it public by circulating the pictures to the media… usual practice of not inviting but sending pics. thank you and no thank you PR. If it was in anticipation of a coverage, here we go….

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For forthcoming autumn winter the sister duo articulate their collection with American artist Travis Black who apparently is also a part of their bridal line. For select few it was a magnificence of flowers, with as usual tail gowns,  voluminous skirts touching the ankles in blues, reds, purples and tangerines, seldom do they deviate.

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H&M modern collection of sustainable materials 

bThe H&M design team has delved into the Fashion Forward – 300 years of Fashion atMusée des Arts Décoratifs collections of archival fashions in order to pick up key pieces from the last three centuries of haute couture. The 2016 Conscious Exclusive Collection effortlessly merges a sense of history with modernity..

“Working with innovative sustainable materials and ornate embellishment, the collection is a layering of references, shapes and textures topped off by intensely decorative accessories and deco-inspired bijoux,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, Creative Advisor at H&M.

The fluid and easy silhouette revolves around languid dresses, arty kaftans and sculpted skirts. Prints add a dash of surprise, turning dresses into trompe l’oeil paintings or sculptures. A long ball gown with a deep neckline features a marble draping print; a liquid dress is adorned with a slice of Botticelli’s Three Graces. Short dresses and painter blouses ooze nonchalant sophistication; creating an electric and eclectic short-circuit between present and past.

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Materials include organic silk, hemp, recycled linen and Tencel® blends as well as new innovative materials such as beads and rhinestones made from recycled glass and Denimite − a material made out of recycled worn-out denim.

A design Pro & her surface Pro

“Featured in Adobe’s list of 25 best visual artists and an Indian designer whose work translates internationally, Shaivalini is an on the go design prodigy.

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She’s a self-confessed ailurophile and typoholic. She features in Photoshop’s 25 under 25 – Adobe’s list of 25 of the best visual artists under the age of 25. She’s the face behind some of the quirky illustrations at Chumbak. She has a slew of design projects under her belt including Taxi Fabric – a forum for designers to showcase their ideas and talent, through fabric for taxi upholstery.

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Shaivalini Kumar – a young visual communication designer whose work with typography and illustration has taken her from being an India-centric graphic designer and illustrator to a visual communication designer of international acclaim.

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Currently working independently and based in New Delhi, Shaivalini enjoys starting her day with some morning inspiration. “I love reading design magazines, design blogs and generally keeping myself up-to-date with the on-goings in the world. For each project, I spend a good amount of time ideating and brainstorming. Stylistically, my art is vibrant and inviting, and attempts to find the magic in ordinary things. I like coming up with ideas while being outdoors, taking a walk or even in a cafe. It need not be physically around my workspace. While working, I also ensure that I get feedback from my peers, share my work on platforms such as Behance and Instagram, and build on my process. Finally, I aim at ending the day with some practice sketches. Skill building is something I always prioritize, along with personal projects. I recently spent time teaching myself Cinema 4D to create more dimensional typographic applications and structures.”

Abhishek Gupta at Amazon India Fashion Week AW16

Abhishek Gupta’s formal menswear collection in black with accents of white, comprises of geometric tone on tone velvet applique on silk geometric and amorphous tonal thread work on wool. The detailed work on the garments appear to be woven textures, but on close inspection the details come to fore and transform into luxurious embroidery and intricate detailing.
While his capsule collection for Men in fashion show consisted of sharp silhouettes with slim fit trousers and tailored jackets and knee length coats which are perfect for a man who has a lot of personal style and is not afraid to experiment.

Nitya Arora at Amazon India Fashion Week AW16

by Aanchal Pugalia

Your outfit maybe the best but nothing will work if you do not pair it up the right accessory. Valliyan by Nitya was as splendid as it could be. Themed as “Modern Mughals” the accessories were expected to be grand and opulent and so they were. Mughals were known for their royalty, elegance and the sense of design they had. This line brings out the authenticity of antique Mughal jewelleries in a very renewed way. The designer uses bright colours, stones and pearls to bring out the effervescence of the Islamic age.

We see a varied combination of resources presented in a very articulate manner. Intricate designs, jaali and tassels were a big part of the entire collection. The pieces excellently adduced the Mughal times and these pieces included rings, armlets, maang tika, kandola, haathphool, body suits, necklaces, chokers and ear rings. The most ravishing use was that of coloured pearls and tassels made out of it. This line of jewellery by Nitya definitely left the viewers in awe of her designs and we love them.

pics by Anwesha Paul

Vasundhara Mantri at Amazon India Fashion Week AW16

by Aanchal Pugalia

Nature has given us all we need to survive and man has always been ungrateful about it. Vasundhara’s line “Au Naturel” makes us realise the significance of nature with the extensive use of organic elements in her designs. All her accessories were dazzlingly offered to the audience and were undoubtedly the most distinctive designs of all.

Au Naturel shows the beauty of environment using different subjects. The motifs were filigree leaves, butterflies, bugs, grasses and insects. All the motifs were presented in such a way that influences viewers to appreciate the beauty of nature. The type of accessories she used were hair pins, foot accessories, leg chains, body suits, kandolas, chokers. Bodice, brooche, handcuffs, rings, head clips, anklets and seheras. The biggest attraction was the face mask which was inspired by spider webs; it also reminded us how translucently we see Mother Nature indirectly. Bodices made of gold wrapped around like a poncho and cape were also marvels. The show ended with a model carrying a tree carved out of gold which left the viewers awe-struck.

The way this line adorns the beauty of nature is nothing less than brilliance, also it inspires us to love and respect our nature which is fading out in new of living standards.

pics by Anwesha Paul

Divyam Mehta at Amazon India Fashion Week AW16

by Aanchal Pugalia

Divyam Mehta’s collection this season was an ode to the modern globetrotter, men who travel across the world and effortlessly adapts to different cultures. His ensemble echoed the strength power and intensity of his work. He unified cultures, fabrics and stories of the world. From Indian embroidery to Italian tailoring and Japanese art, his collection had it all. Experimentation is all about the young designer this year at AIFWAW’16.

The season’s line draws inspiration from the backwoods and textures of tree barks and the outfit set up a very deep, dense and intense mood. 3d work, shibori patters, wood block prints, hand printing and kantha work merged with fine Italian tailoring and Japanese technology stood out amongst the other shows. The outfits were made from a combination of Japanese fabrics, silks, merino wools, linen knits and khadi denims. The exotic mix of silhouettes and fabrics reflect the essence of a collection that binds multiple elements to craft a cohesive and comprehensive whole which encapsulates the diversity of a man’s behaviour. The collection involves samurai trousers, carrot trousers, gilets (Nehru Jackets), trench bandhgalas, desert boots and sneakers. The palette has mud red, moss green, burnt sienna, rock black, umber and deep indigo in it.

Divyam Mehta’s collection is a mixture of traditions not only from India but from across the globe. There is a refined sensibility exquisite fabrics, accurate construction, fine detailing and surface ornamentation in all his ensembles. The beauty of diversity is celebrated in this season’s line impeccably.

pics by Anwesha Paul