Standing on the verge to bid adieu to another year the flashback comes flowing in, and examining ensues. The year was fashionably as delectable as the gone by ones with designers innovating and experimenting to create awe-inspiring designs.So here we track down through the archives and ask our fashion peeps from Mumbai, Milan and New York to come up the trends that dictated the last year, and still modish enough to distill down to 2013.
Sportiness, Plastic & Metal
Though the futuristic designs moving from the simple story of warp and weft to another level originated way back in 70s with space age designs but recently we saw the surge of use of materials like plastic, metals and wood creating three dimensions. The year had lots of designers from New Delhi to New York creating wearable pieces from liquid metal, gold, silver and scrap in shades of scarlet, emerald and many more. From Burberry to Kanika Saluja and Rajesh Pratap Singh banking upon it the metal trend will only strengthen in coming times.
Besides metal the use of sporty elements on ramp was quite ubiquitous. The more-user friendly fabrics and functionality remained the focus offering comfort with style like never before. So kind of minimalism meeting hot sporty sex turned out to be the flavour of the year.
Ruffles, Peplums, Bare Midriffs and Off Shoulders
The different elements render different effect and 2012 had enough detailing of different types to create a potpourri of peculiar flavours. Peplums were there on every second catwalk, the subtle to loud use of midriffs and off shoulders kept churning erotica, and ruffles were gracefully spiraling from every other design on ramp.
Appearing in designs of Christian Dior to Gauri Nainika ruffles rooted for femininity; bare midriffs and thigh high slits of dresses, separates and saris by fashion houses like Givenchy, Burberry, Shivan & Naresh and Wendell Rodricks played with seduction; Zac Posen, Dior, Rahul Mishra and Payal Pratap added peplums to create another dimension.
Bright Colors and Riot of Prints
Though the classiness of black and white gracefully dominated the ramp but the splash of preppy colors stood out for their vivacity. It’s the use of bright hues like lemon, emerald green, fuchsia and yellow that brought life on the ramp. Besides the subtle use of neon hues in the form of accessories created pop-of-color effect.
The prints had a variety in the form of geometrical, floral, abstract, stripes and checks. All in all prints beautifully narrated the stories throughout the year and will keep reprise the act this coming year.
Craftsmanship and Heritage
In the current times when everything handmade is considered a piece of art the designers looking back to their archives, traditions and rural craftsmen to create something distinct is pretty obvious. The revival of much treasured crafts and weaves from Africa to India brought the traditional detailing and artisanal techniques on the ramp in contemporary context. Internationally, the fashion houses like Chanel, Dior and Burberry looked back in their archives whereas in India the designers like Aneeth Arora, Rahul Mishra, James Ferriera, Manish Malhotra and Abraham & Thakore played with traditional prints, hand painted and hand woven textiles aesthetically blending past with the present.
