Monthly Archives: March 2016

Anavila Misra at Amazon India Fashion Week AW16

by  Deesha Bondre

‘Folk – Once Upon A Time’, Anavilla’s Autumn Winter collection of 2016 is a tribute to her muse.. The designer believes that the practices carried on by the ‘folk’ are beautifully rare and hence must be revisited. Her muse is the creatively channelled woman who loves spending time with herself.

Her collection saw printed trousers, sarees, kaftans, jackets and loose fitted shirts, crop tops and scarves. This artistic collection was leaning a whole lot towards comfort. Keeping the comfort element in mind, the entire collection was made out of natural fabrics like linen, munga silk and pure merino wool. The silhouettes used were easy and comfortable with minimum construction. To add dimension, pleating was extensively used throughout the collection.

Embellished with floral 3D motifs, the colour palette consisted of muted and muddy hues ranging from woody browns to brick and wine, teals to olives and sap greens.

pics by Anwesha Paul

EKA by Rina Singh at Amazon India Fashion Week AW16

by Aanchal Pugalia

Humans are an evolving species we grow everyday but the biggest flaw in us is that we forget what our roots and where we come from. Reconnecting with the instinct is what Eka is all about this year. The designer expects to go back to the pedigrees and nurture out beliefs in this ever growing technological world.

The materials used are silk, wool, linen, cotton silk wool blends, merino boiled wool, chambray and merino wool stripes that are way and irregular. The surface designs were eternal and infinite in forms. Infinity came from the extensive usage of dots and circles which keeps them calm and simple. Soft silhouettes layered with out of size proportions. Lean and languid trousers, dresses with wait pleats in heavy wool, long outsized shirts and tunics paired with scarves with minimal handwork detailing and gold accents. The collection gives a mature and grown up vibe with big plaids in accent colours. The designs are experimented with leather clogs with handmade wood sole, merino wool chambray mits and wood and metal structure layered neck pieces. The palette is kept minimal with black and white, the new modern ombre is born with a neutral palette as stripes bleed into one another, accented by a subtle nuance of color.

Eka emphasizes on pulling out the diverging instincts and beliefs of the human evolution by keeping the designs soft, delicate and meaningful; the ways in which humans are supposed to be. This collection not only refract the changes we get into philosophically but also delivers a line which is revolutionary.

pics by Anwesha Paul

Ruchika Sachdeva at Amazon India Fashion Week AW16

by Aanchal Pugalia

Bodice explores the reinvention of classics through modern tailoring and the use of India’s indigenous textiles. Transitional wardrobe staples are developed through the pursuit of innovation, alongside a respect for the provenance of craft. These recognisable aesthetics explore ideas of modernity, which include an awareness of individual purpose and responsibility towards fair business practises. The Autumn/Winter 2016 line of bodice tells us about the bodice women who is far beyond perfection.

The Bodice women is a bit old-fashioned but highly sophisticated. She listens to the harmonium nostalgically and reminisces the past. Mashru once again makes a way in the event after virtues, knitted fabrics, wool and weightless cotton define the complex yet simple personality of the bodice women. Straight silhouettes and deep V necks play a big part in the show. We notice skirts, culottes, pants, cardigans and blazers in the most distinguish manner which romanticizes the way we look at women. The palette is kept as minimal as possible with the use of natural dyes like indigo, ivory and grey.

The bodice woman is carefree and introspective; she sees beyond prettiness and precision. She is smart, intelligent and independent. The show gives minimalism a new outlook and makes us think about the importance of being simple and subdued. Look forward to the outfits for giving your wardrobe the truthful effortlessness.

pics by Anwesha Paul

Niki Mahajan at Amazon India Fashion Week AW16

by Aanchal Pugalia

Life is equilibrium, and a man is supposed to maintain that through the course of life. Niki Mahajan introduces us to the fact that how we are rolling away from the truth and not giving back any of the happiness bestowed upon us by Mother Nature. She tangles her love for Nature and old Indian craft in the most ravishing way. The line “Noor” by Niki Mahajan reflects the carefree, simple and beautiful girls of India. Her main sources of inspiration were the unending lanes of interior Lucknow where she found treasures and collectibles from the gone era. The soulful track which was playing in the background hooked us to the show.

Her love for Indian craft is evident in this AIFWAW’16 line as we get too see outfits inspired by Rajasthan, Lucknow, Assam and Gujarat. Mirror work, dhoti kurta and heavy embroidery are back. The show is not like a single collection but a mace of different collections. Double-layered long skirts, body length ponchos, sequined sarees and kurtas worn with long skirts dominated her collection. Laces were used in a renewed way with cut worked cotton. We also saw redefined versios of sarees and innovative ways of draping the pallus. Her extra embellishments included maang tikas, ballerinas, flowers used as hair accessory and collared blouses.

The gleaming colours of Indian cultures were kept aside and modern colours which contradicted the theme were used in the most alluring way. The palette included tomato red, ivory, and pastel pink and white. The debut of the designer to couture was on point and made for the perfect bridal wardrobe.

pics by Anwesha Paul

Mandira Wirk at Amazon India Fashion Week AW16

by Aanchal Pugalia

Rebellion more not than often give birth to something that is eternal. The evolution of rococo is the same; it came out as the opposition to the grandeur, symmetry, and strict regulations of the Baroque. The rococo style progressed to be more coquettish, luminous, florid, jocular and graceful. Flirting right with the 18th century art movement, Mandira Wirk’s collection for AIFWAW’16 “Romancing Rococo” will leave you enthralled by the sheer brilliance which somewhere reverberates fancifulness, modishness, and opulence without being over dramatic. The show had live violin playing in the background which added a sense of royalty. The fine detailing of designs in the Rococo art and architecture as well as the elaborate curves and meticulous grid work serves as the prime source of this collection, says the designer.

Rococo is all about fluidity and flexibility; Wirk brings out the main focus of her theme by using the correct fabrics and design. She includes lightweight fabrics like net and shimmers precisely to give mutability to her silhouettes, cuts and layers which versatile and flattering. There is an antique merger of palazzos, gowns and shararas with sarees. Deep neck, round neck and off shoulder blouses were made out of embroidered net and the unconventionally pre-draped nine yard saree which heightened the feminine appeal of the show. The line also included midis, gowns, jackets, panelled palazzos and layered Anarkalis which stimulates the fashion romantics of today. Quixotic palette of colours also takes us deep into the feel of collection, some of which are ivory, black, beige and gold with hints of pink, maroon, blue and red.

The showstopper Malaika Arora Khan donned a black and golden gown which resonated the beauty of the collection. We easily witness the hardwork behind presenting this amazing and dreamy line as all the outfits are heavily ornamented by designs and embroidery but the collection is still sophisticated and subdued. The ensemble has a sensual undertone but at no point does it go beyond over dramatic territory.

pics by Anwesha Paul

Ashima Leena at Amazon India Fashion Week AW16

by Aanchal Pugalia

Persian is one of the most beautiful languages; it is sweet, fluid and makes you wonder about its melodiousness. This is exactly how the duo’s collection for AIFWAW’16 looked like. We saw immaculate use of the rich Persian heritage. Persia invaded India long back and gave us the most influential leaders of all times “Akbar”. The generosity and love with which the ruler bended his empire is exactly how Ashima and Leena present to us their AIFWAW’16 collection.

Innovative use of textiles and an out of the way approach to the usage of motifs shocked us. Materials like twill silk, crepe, felt, flat chiffon and organza dominated the collection. There were prints all over the fabrics, pleated skirts, dhoti pants, capes on dhotis, kaftaans and capes; all of which left us in awe. Motifs were picked from Persian architecture and Mughal costumes. A line and asymmetrical silhouettes were used for maxis and gowns. Squared sheered tops, cowl pants, capes and cardigans were designed in the most artistic style with hangings in the end. Saree pallus and capes were long enough to cover the ground and make the outfit look a lot more opulent. The palette used copper tones, olives, merlot wine and tarnished gold in abundance.

The designer duo left the audience in a fix and did complete justice to their inspiration and also introduced with the beauty of Persian culture.

pics by Anwesha Paul

Shruti Sancheti at Amazon India Fashion Week AW16

by Aanchal Pugalia

“Travelling is not something you are good at, it is something you do; it is like breathing”, breathe is what Shruti sancheti’s aifwaw’16 collection does, inspired by her travel to the mysterious and mythical city of Istanbul, the designer took an escape from the conventional Indian designs she has been making and tried giving us a collection that has managed to impress the audience with her global touch. The city of Istanbul is supposed to have the most esoteric history associated with it, and this past has gifted us some of the most ravishing art and architecture of all times.

The cosmopolitan collection entails in itself the conflicting crafts, culture and fabrics. Pinnacle is distinctively known for its celebration of textiles and so we see a performance of organic fibres like Chanderi, Karnataka silk, chambray and wool in congruence with modern picks which include felt and denim, thereby giving the ensemble an international approach. A perfect amalgamation of cultures; the collection gives the perfect ode to the old heritage by using block printing, screen printing and digital printing. We love the motifs incorporated in the outfits, they consist of paisley’s, Turkish medallion, prints from the heavenly architecture and tiles and the famous Turkish rugs. The realistic look is achieved with the use of surface ornamentation. The silhouettes are quite exceptional and global visually, enthused by the colliding philosophies of the city but are also modern as the outfits include long pleated skirts, culottes, maxis, capes, shirt dresses with asymmetrical hemlines and denim jackets in a rather unconventional way. The colour palette is completely in touch with the season and includes deep colours like oxblood, burnt orange, deep purple, teal and slate grey. Notable add-ons like scarves, shawls, gun metal brooches and earthy look of the models do complete justice to the tribute.

pics by Anwesha Paul

 

Chandrani Singh Fllora at Amazon India Fashion Week AW16

by Aanchal Pugalia

Shiva is the conqueror of death and he preaches us to be optimistic and patient in life. The inspiration of Chandrani Singh for her AIFWAW’16 strikes the right chords of the audience. As soon as the show commenced, positive vibes started rolling in all directions as the set up was so in synchronization with the theme promoting fearlessness, power, love and life.

The most enchanting feature of the collection was the merger of casual and sportswear with formal clothing. This dynamic thought reflects the hybrid society we live in. Detailed layering, thigh-high slits, tie and dye, and easy moving garments give a new dimension to this season’s spirit. The fabrics used are cotton and net which show the transparency and purity associated with the god. These fabrics were a notch higher with shiv inspired motifs and prints like Trishul, Ganesha, conch shell and cannabis leaf. The designer has used innovative styling by mixing dungarees with palazzos and zoot suit pants with cropped tops. We also see flared skirts with tight fitted tops and balloon sleeved upper half with body fitted lower half. Jackets on saree were a delight to look at.

The color palette for the collection was a homogenous mixture of snow white, Himalayan blue, corroded rust, ash grey and shades of yellow. All of which symbolize the Kailash Parbat.

Chandrani Singh’s style of creatively putting forward modern perspective to Indian culture and techniques makes us wish to look forward to her collection

pics by Anwesha Paul

Ujjawal Dubey at Amazon India Fashion Week AW16

by: Aanchal Pugalia

Antar-Agni signifies the fire within all of us. Designer Ujjawal Dubey gives men’s fashion wear a new sight. His collection titled “The red in us” brings out the hidden secrets in this enigmatic colour. The designs powerfully show the changing times in men’s wear fashion.

The usage of khadi, wool and cotton silk with zero prints bring out a sense of royalty and emphasizes on the interesting play of stitch line. The amusing way of putting these fabrics together in the form ponchos or palazzos take men’s fashion to another level. No usage of prints is seen anywhere in the show which implies that volume has replaced motifs this season for the designer. Ankle-length lower halves were dominating his collection and asymmetrical hemline for kurtas caught view. Harem pants and Nehru jacket and coats mixed with shawls revised fashion for men. Women’s wear was limited and dhoti pants were the only thing which caught attention. We see saturated tones of red throughout the show with hints of browns and whites. Valuable add-ons like scarves, shawls and capes gave a new dimension.

Red is a strong colour and the thought process behind the designer’s mind is to give a powerful look to the modern man of India. He uses the colour beautifully to escape out of the neutral state of human mind and dig deep into thoughts and actions rather than words.

pics by Anwesha Paul

Sanchita Ajjampur at Amazon India Fashion Week AW16

by Deesha Bondre

Sanchita’s Autumn Winter 2016 collection was glittering and a trippy trip to the galaxy. Inspired by the outer world and space, the collection saw an abundance sequins, shimmer and neon. Donning an ice blonde Sia wig and strutting at a fast pace in Chelsea boots, oxfords, pointy sneakers and loafers, the collection looked almost gothic in the first look.

The designer intended to show the mystic patterns created by stars and constellations. The easy to wear tees depicted star signs. The silhouettes seen were casual, relaxed and athletic. The collection aimed at creating, ‘athleisure’, by giving a whole lot of relaxed vibe to its athletic garments.
Consisting of drop waist skirts, bomber jackets, ankle length pants, asymmetrical skirts, jumpers and shirt dresses, they were embellished with sequins, military inspired crystals, stone bands and chain hand-embroidery.

The garments were made out of jacquard, cotton jersey, viscose, faux leather and satin. The colour palette ranged consisted of white, ivory, taupe, grey, olive, blue & black.

pics by Anwesha Paul