Day 2 of fashion week stayed true to the loom with a revivalist trend. Unnati Joshi and Ankita Jain report
It seems spring-summer 2017 is getting more fluid and flowing and the colour palette more subtle.While dresses and floor length gowns are almost a staple with designers, it is the innovation with the traditional sari that is making news. Be it in vibrant combinations or monotone greys, checks and frills, and worn with long-sleeved floppy blouses, the boardroom and lounges are sure to find a new dress code. If Tarun Tahiliani chose the stall route to introduce the season of fantasy and romance with Chashme Shahi, others stuck to the loom to recreate an earthy look and feel. For the first time, our designers seemed happy to be at home and comfort, doing what they have grown up with.
On the cusp
Rina Dhaka’s ensembles focussed on the meeting and the melting of tradition and modernity. The hues ranged from nudes to aquas, greens to blues. We saw a lot of floral work in reds and pinks. Bright flowers, motifs, colours in a snippy, modern style were the highlights. Be it a slip dress or an off shoulder dress, floor length dress or a layered tulle, the collection gave very spring vibes. Sparkling ruffled saris is something we didn’t like.
Smart saris
Defying trends and focussing on style, the Anavila Spring Summer 2017 collection had wardrobe classics. A monochromatic color palette starting with ivory, getting into beige, pale yellow and nudes got stronger into graphite and lead. Anavila presented very smart saris with pockets and flared blouses. “We have always as a brand worked in creating a comfortable sari-wearing experience. So we have worked a lot on the petticoats. If you see closely, petticoats have lot of patterns. We have used a technique called pojagi here, where you attach the fabric in a certain way that it makes a very beautiful dramatic patterns. We have used these details in the petticoat and then added a pocket,” Anavila told us.
Maheshwari reinvented
Mannequins in gothic make-up flocked from every side wearing Krishna Mehta’s Curious Alice collection, making for great visual drama. But then the excitement ended there as they sasahyed like regular models and ramp walks. The collection revolved around bold checks, kooky styling, over-the-top looks and exaggerated silhouettes. “Embellishments, printed patterns and sequins galore are all part of our extraordinary take on the looks of new season,” said Mehta. What we found interesting was how the designer played with Maheshwari silk. The colour palette speckled from green, pink, purple, blue and turquoise and we also noticed a strong tie-and-dye game. Models clad in tunics, large-lapel jackets, colourful trousers, narrow dhoti pants, asymmetric dresses, saris with full sleeve blouses, peplum blouse with deep necklines, asymmetric narrow skirts, khada pyjamas, regan-sleeved dresses and cape style blouses gave us some ideas about how to go ethnic with flair.
The Italian affair
Italian apparel, bags, umbrellas and shoes made a cut above statement on the first day. While the apparel ranged from red, blue tunics to yellow skirts to crop tops and dresses, the collections showcased here also had dapper menswear and accessories like shoes, umbrellas and bags. On the one hand, the colour palette for men’s shoes ranged from bottle green to light pastel purple and shining black. On the other, the women footwear played around with golden, matte pink and metallic silver. Overall, it was more of a bling. The handbags ranged from clutches, slings to travel bags. Bags with the frills and clearly defined lines stole the show.
The show ended with the models carrying umbrellas which had inverted designs, unlike what we find here in India. Rather than designing the tops, the insides had different designs with motifs like flowers and peacock feathers, adding drama to the attire of the models.
Over-sized accents
Gaurav Jai Gupta’s Pingala (Nadi) had separates for men and women. The line was made up of hand-woven fabrics in fine blends of silk, cotton, linen, zari and stainless steel. The colour palette went from the spectrum of green, brown, red and yellow to white, black, grey and more. The highlight of the show was the loud eye makeup and the hair. The collection had a lot of oversized jackets, asymmetric dresses and saris as well. For men, it had oversized shirts, kurtas and striped trousers.
Photos: Pankaj Kumar