Monthly Archives: March 2017

Rina Dhaka at Amazon India Fashion Week AW/17

Always a charmer with her details, Rina Dhaka’s “Dark Romantics” fall winter collection dazzles everyone. With this season’s floral-vintage vibe, the collection is an extravaganza of nature in all its glory, along with the dark mysterious side of it.

The fabrics have been intensively embroidered and have textured surfaces. Appliqued with floral inspired outlining and detailed motifs, the collection plays into the nocturne trend, with soft supple silks, velvets and lace with offer day-to-night versatility.

Patterns range from retro geometric to floral motifs, enhanced with silk, velvet and lurex shine, offering a sense of nonchalant opulence. With faux fur chokers, boots with mesh detailing , the collection caters to contemporary lovers as well. Head-to-toe looks offer a modern take on carefree decadence.

Mesh dresses, plaid jackets, crochet nude mesh dresses with sequins, layered dresses, jumpsuits, cold shoulder detailing and velvet lapels and pocket detailing make for sensuous fabrics making a strong statement.

The showstopper, sported an embellished one shoulder long gown in black charcoal velvet. Confident, effortlessly charming and mysterious, Dark Romantics by Rina Dhaka presents individuals as prone to self-destruction as the natural world is decaying and mysterious; when it does reveal truth to man.

Contributed by – Jasleen Kaur
Pics by- Khushal Agarwal

Vineet Bahl at Amazon India Fashion Week AW/17

For autumn winter’17, Vineet Bahl proposes (a) CODE of everyday dressing, as the collection’s named. The concept was to create clothing for a woman with a certain frame of mind-she is assertive and knows what works for her.

The show starts with a voiceover of the designer himself, talking about his collection. “Everyone dresses to a certain code, a protocol. This collection is about how can we go back to our rules, have a fresh start and take some time to reflect upon ourselves”, says the designer.

CODE is designed in all organic fabrics such as tussar, jute and suede. Delicate detailing using studs and rivets on lace, leather and faux fur gives a very grunge feel to to collection. Layering is showcased very cleverly with boots, leather pants, blouses and faux fur jackets on top.

The silhouettes are slouchy with street edge with bow buns, fishnet stockings, knee high socks providing effortless glamour. The hues range from ivory and black with greys giving out a very sophisticated image of an urban woman.

Contributed by – Jasleen Kaur
Pics by- Khushal Agarwal

Samant Chauhan at Amazon India Fashion Week AW/17

Creating a blend of age-old royal fabric-Mugs Silk and creative streaks of designer Samant Chauhan, Golden Threads of Assam,is first of its kind off-site show, enlivened at The National Rail Museum, New Delhi.

The designer’s homage to Jamalpur, a small railway town he grew up in, said, everything in this collection can be traced to what i saw when i first began to travel. The window frame was my reference”, says the designer.

The entire collection is done in white and gold, with embroidered wheat stalks, maize and flowers on muga silk fabric is serene. The models sashay down the makeshift runway between two trains with slick hair and nude makeup. The accessories are a treat with vintage weekender bags, authentic leather suitcases and leather boots.

This Golden Threads of Assam, was to help the weavers and reared of mega silk as well as to “preserve, protect and promote” muga silk from getting extinct, which is endemic only to Assam.

Contributed by – Jasleen Kaur
Pics by- Khushal Agarwal

Aneeth Arora at AIFW AW/17

For most of us, travelling is a means to unwind; to detach oneself from the routine and rat race, and to plunge into an unhurried, alternate life, even if its just for a little while. For Aneeth Arora of Péro, travelling is what inspired her phenomenal Autumn/Winter 2017 collection for the Amazon India Fashion Week.

The show, held at National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum started with a troupe of tribal drummers and singers performing, to the beats of which the Péro models, with their elaborate Saadhu-inspired hairdos walked in swinging, and raising the audience’s spirits many notches higher!

The collection, inspired by the minority tribes of China and indigenous people of Peru, Mexico and Guatemala, saw a profusion of neon accents, pom-poms, tassels, fringes and beaded hangings. There were a multitude of checkered styles (gingham, tartan, Madras), interestingly layered looks (contrasting prints and textures), jackets and bags with elaborate floral embroideries, maxi dresses with free-flowing silhouettes, poncho-style tops and beyond. Though indigo, mustard, military green, ivory and beige dominated the colour palette for the collection, the colourful embroidery, tassels and pom-poms added a pop of vibrance to the garments.

The designer says that though her inspiration for the collection may have come from China and Latin America, the fabrics and trims used are that of Indian origin, sourced from the towns of Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal.

Contributed by – Karishma Sehgal
Pics by- Khushal Agarwal

Patine by Shon Randhawa at AIFW AW/17

Patine’s fall winter collection, “Eclectic Folklore” , takes us on a journey through the nomadic tribes of the Indian desert. Patine’s creations are inspired by rich artistry of India’s cultural heritage. From reviving old heritage crafts like chikankari, Parsi Ghana, zari and zardozi ,Patine selects the most talented embroiderers and weavers for its collections.

Their inspiration has come from the nomadic tribes of Kutch, and the embroideries are a coalescence of vintage oriental motifs to “Chinoisirie’. All this bound together with geometrics tribal borders and edgings inspired by tribes of Kutch, makes the collection come alive.

Donned in beautiful pastels, distressed denim, coral, teal and sage with techniques ranging from Parsighara and Zari Ari, velvet appliqués, lace inserts and trims, the models ooze oriental vibes. Blouses with sporty bottoms with embroidered details give an artisanal touch. easy flowing dresses and capes provide options for contemporary nomadic hearts.

Vintage inspired motifs on lush velvet, wool felts , silk and hand-loomed Ikat pay homage to an oriental theme with an eclectic vibe. Known for their separates, Patine showcases some greats sets as well, which include capes with pants and embroidered jackets over maxis.

Contributed by – Jasleen Kaur
Pics by- Khushal Agarwal

Pankaj and Nidhi at Amazon India Fashion Week AW/17

Bold, structural, monochromatic – designer duo Pankaj and Nidhi’s collection for AIFW AW17 is all of this and a lot, lot more!

The collection showcase, titled “Telefunk”, saw a great deal of geometric influence – be it in the patterns or the cuts. Restricted to black and white (and hints of Yves Klien blue) the showcase could have gotten monotonous and drab, but it didn’t get anywhere close because of the stunning variations in terms of fabrics (mesh, sheer, waffle weave), textures (embellishments, weaves, appliqués), and patterns (stripes, zig-zags, gingham). Cold shoulders and flared sleeves were also seen in the collection – surprisingly popular trends spotted across many collections this season.

There were boxy jackets, cape tops with hints of sheer, print-on-print co-ord sets, peplum tops with floral and geometric motifs, tessellating tops with fringed hems, cutwork capes and skirts, and backpacks, sling bags and clutches in complementing fabrics and patterns. The round framed glasses that the models sported with some of the looks gave off a slight yesteryear vibe that also came across in some of the graphics, which according to the designers, were inspired by the television test patterns from the cable-TV days.

Contributed by – Karishma Sehgal
Pics by- Khushal Agarwal

Huemn at Amazon India Fashion Week AW/17

Fashion is often criticised for being too detached from the world around it; too unaffected by the prevailing political and social environment. Like many powerful statements of femininity, inclusion and individualism made across the international runways recently, Huemn’s Autumn/Winter 2017 show for the Amazon India Fashion Week, also challenged this notion.

The show began with a video clip of regular people, from various walks of life, talking about what being human is, to them. The showcase of the season’s collection that followed, blended brilliantly with the theme and mood that had been set.

The collection by all means was truly diverse – ultra-feminine tulle floral dresses, power pantsuits with androgynous silhouettes (Alpha-female), quilted bomber jackets and shift dresses, ripped denims, velvet tracksuits, cropped bombers with faux-fur hoodies, chalk-striped shirts and tunics, statement raincoats, and a plethora of layered looks were all spotted at the runway during the show.

The diversity seen in the collection was as striking as was the diversity in the models that walked the ramp. The show’s most powerful moment was when a model, clad in an all-black raincoat, with a veil over her face, took centre stage and lifted the veil, which was to probably signify that one mustn’t be afraid to be themselves and should stop giving into pressures of societal constructs.

The showcase that presented Huemn’s first line of denim and raincoats marked a celebration of being and did so, in the most “Huemn” way possible!

Contributed by – Karishma Sehgal
Pics by- Khushal Agarwal

Hemant and Nandita at Amazon India Fashion Week AW/17

A harmony of the two supposed opposite traits of femininity and power is what Hemant and Nandita’s Autumn/Winter 2017 collection for the Amazon India Fashion Week aims to strike, and triumphs!

The collection, dominated by blush, mint, mustard, and muted metallic hues showcased a marriage of contrasting patterns (stripes teamed with floral motifs) and silhouettes (structured jackets teamed with voluminous dresses). Ruffled details added flair to the dresses, the boxy overcoats and jackets had embellishments and baroque embroidery, asymmetrical hemlines and elongated sleeves infused the element of drama into the garments, oversized Obi-esque belts added both, character and structure to the look and the frame.

The fabrics ranged from satin, brocade, organza, velvet to taffeta and the cuts, from A-line, pleated to asymmetric.

The dominance of metallic accents – be it in the extensive use of satin, in the use of shimmer jacquard or in the gold flat thread embroidery, throughout the collection gave it a very lush and luxurious feel.

While the concept of the Alpha female has been touched upon by some designers this season, with signature power shoulders and androgynous silhouettes, Hemant and Nandita’s collection exudes power, yet it maintains the aura of grace and muliebrity, offering us the best of both the worlds!

Contributed by – Karishma Sehgal
Pics by- Khushal Agarwal

Anupama Dayal at Amazon India Fashion Week AW/17

Gone are the days when florals were synonymous with Spring. In her Autumn/Winter 2017 showcase at the Amazon India Fashion Week, Anupama Dayal gave us a visual tour of the sacred forest of Mangar village that has myriad legends and stories that Dayal tried to unravel through her collection. The collection, much like the forest is evergreen, effervescent and all-blooming.

Dayal’s collection saw vibrant splashes of colours like fuchsia, burgundy, raisin, parrot green, pink, red, yellow, indigo, and purple. Silken kaftans with oversized floral prints, long sleeves, free-flowing maxi skirts and dresses, crinkled and pleated looks, embellished butterfly headbands, statement, oversized single earrings (made using gotas, crochet, beads and sequins) and fringe and tassel detailing were few of the show’s signature elements. In addition, there were cold shoulders, ruffles and bows, all exuding a very “spring-y” vibe – a breath of fresh air amidst most of the season’s signature muted and somber collections.

With her showcase, inspired by the valley forest, Dayal gives us refreshing style inspirations for the

up​coming season, further adding that her design ideology for the collection was inspired by the wandering nomad. Her collection features light and functional garments that make a statement and are durable enough to be passed on to generations to come.

Contributed by – Karishma Sehgal
Pics by- Khushal Agarwal

Handlooms and Textiles of India, at AIFW AW’17

New Delhi, March 15 2017 : Amazon India Fashion Week (AIFW) Autumn Winter 2017 kicked off its first day by showcasing a line done by the students at The Handloom School featuring ensembles from 13 illustrated designers.

Paying its tribute to Indian handloom and textile industry, Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) dedicated the first day of the fashion extravaganza to celebrate artisans who create these fabrics. The Handloom School – supported by Good Earth weaved magic on the runway with creations done by designers like Neeru Kumar, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Rohit Bal and Suket Dhir gave an amazing tribute to Indian handlooms.

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Playing with white and grey hues, the collection featured flowy ensembles like saris, tunics, wrap-around skirts , quilted jackets and jumpsuits. Multiple shades of indigo can be spotted throughout the collection. Even the accessories were woven jute hats and bags adding another dimension to the looks. Earthy tones of the ensembles amplified the aura that was set for the show.

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Grooving to the background music of weaver’s working, models sashayed down the grass laden ramp barefoot with ruffled hair and bare minimum makeup. The Union Textile Minister, Smriti Irani graced the opening show with her presence and witnessed acknowledgment of anonymous workers and artisans who create magic with thread.

Thirteen key designers and labels that participated include Akaaro, Antar-Agni, Eka, Good Earth, Neeru Kumar, Nicobar, Pero, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Raw Mango, Rohit Bal, Suket Dhir, Urvashi Kaur & and 11:11 Eleven Eleven.

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The show ended with the weavers joining the models and designers on the ramp and being acknowledged by the audience for their contributions as artists towards the fashion industry.

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Contributed By : Jasleen Kaur
Pics by- Khushal Agarwal