Fashion Fix: Indian Fashion Week Day 4

Gauri & Nainika, AIFW AW16

Opening Act: Amazon India Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2016

Varun Bahl Amazon India Fashion Week FW 2016

Varun Bahl is a wonderful Indian couturier who was invited to do the coveted opening show for Amazon India Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2016 which also hailed his return to ready-to-wear.

The collection was entitled ‘Nocturne’ hailing the usual suspects of said inspiration. I really liked the bomber jackets and the styling

Getting Even With The Odds: Pollution in Delhi

There have been so many puns and word play opportunities with the Delhi government’s Odd/Even car policy to reduce pollution that every possible combination must have been exhausted.

I was in Delhi for the whole of November and December 2015. I partly live in Delhi and I have never experienced the pollution to be as bad as it was. I started coughing even during the drive from the airport.

The Most Buzzing Saturday Night in Delhi!

I’m going to Delhi for a couple of months soon and one of the things I look forward to is a Saturday night drink and a bit of dancing at my favourite bar, Buzz!  Buzz is the craziest and most amazing place not due to the decor, which is the average typical bar style, but due to the crowd it pulls and the music.

Buzz is in MGF Mall behind Select City Walk Mall and it will only get busy around 11pm. I’m quite lazy and lucky (a convenient

Step This Way For Amazing Skin

Will I look like Samantha in that scene in Sex And The City? That was my only question when asked by the fantastic and patient clinician at the Sk:n Clinic during my consultation. No!

I don’t know quite what started my obsession reading about skin peels but the more I read the more I was convinced I needed one.

Invisible Threads

Former investment banker turned psychiatrist, Lucy Beresford will be at Asia House on 6th October (evening) discussing her book, Invisible Threads a fictional book drawing on the author’s experiences in India.

Although a fictional book, Lucy did a sabbatical at a clinic in Delhi and was introduced to women coming from desperate, violent

Uphaar Cinema Tragedy

It was just an ordinary evening one day in Delhi way back in 1997 when people went to their local cinema to catch the latest blockbuster. But ordinary soon turned into tragedy as a fire that started in the parking lot engulfed the cinema building itself.

Fire exits had been blocked and building safety norms were not followed by the owners of the cinema. As the fire struck, in the ensuing panic 59 men, women and children (some as young as 4 and 6 years old) lost their lives.

Eighteen years later and following an epic battle through the Indian legal system a verdict was passed by the Supreme Court that the

Rohit Bal’s Spectacular Grand Finale at WI Fashion Week

Rohit Bal @ WIFW SS15

Rohit Bal @ WIFW SS15

Wow!

So much beauty, luxury, indulgence, fashion and history all in the most stunning historic Mughal ruins in one of Delhi’s top tourist sites, Rohit Bal raised the bar to tremendous heights for Indian fashion. Even the moon and the weather obeyed the designer’s ode to beauty. The moon shone brightly to the right of one of the tombs at Qutab Minar and the outdoor temperature dropped from Sweaty to Serene.

Day 3: Blue Blood, Plumage & Fancy Shower Gels

Rajesh Pratap Singh @ WIFWSS15

Day 3 at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week featured a couple of unmissable designers, Rajesh Pratap Singh and Ashish N Soni. These brands consistently produce collections that would seamlessly fit in to a woman’s wardrobe anywhere in the world being both sophisticated, exceedingly wearable whilst maintaining traces of their Indian DNA.

Rajesh Pratap Singh @ WIFWSS15 

A Dream and an Ode to Master Artisans: Day 2 at WIFW

Samant Chauhan @ WIFW SS15

Continuing his Rajputana theme this season designer, Samant Chauhan was inspired by romance and illusion and thus ‘dream’.  Samant has a loyal band of followers and stockists sprawled across India and the Middle East and I’m sure they loved the intricate antique-look thread embroidery which is turning into a bit of a trend for next season.

Samant Chauhan @ WIFW SS15

Day 1 WIFW SS15: Tarun Tahiliani & The Singh Twins

Tarun Tahiliani @ WIFW SS15

Tarun Tahiliani @ WIFW SS15

One of India’s most coveted coutouriers, Tarun Tahiliani, collaborated with the Singh Twins for his ready to wear collection.  Tarun is known for his grand

Countryside Chic: Day 1 Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week SS15

Pero @ WIFW SS15

Aneeth Arora had the honour of the opening show for her still young fashion brand, pero, at WIFW SS15 igniting the buzz for the week ahead.

The catwalk was covered in faux grass and planted with real flowers that looked adorable. The gift for us in the media side included cute little herbs planted in teeny pots, I pinched a tulsi – thanks, Aneeth I’d been meaning to get one for ages!

Pero is a brand quite known for its cottons

A Tale of Two Indian Brides

Manish Malhotra IICW 2014

Manish Arora IICW 2014

A tale of two Indian brides and two very different Manish’s!

Indian designers, Manish Malhotra and Manish Arora have a cult global following for their distinctive designs, demonstrating the diversity of bridal fashion in India, a segment often overly saturated by lazy embellished designs.

Highborns Inspire High Couture

Monisha Jaising IICW 2014

Monisha Jaising IICW 2014

Mumbai based designer, Monisha Jaising unveiled her  most recent couture collection with some gorgeous designs that stood out from the week’s shows.  The inspiration behind the collection was a little too broad and the result was a confusing to watch but nevertheless there were some real gems.

A Ticket To Ride with Sabyasachi

Sabyasachi Mukherjee at India Couture Week 2014

Sabyasachi Mukherjee at India Couture Week 2014

Top Indian couturier and tastemaker, Sabyasachi Mukherjee had the honour of opening India Couture Week 2014 (sponsored by Shree Raj Mahal Jewellers).  If there was ever an award for Most Creative Set, it would almost certainly always go to Sabyasachi.  The meticulous attention to detail entirely immerses one into the inspirational journey that the designer references each season and this year was no exception.  All aboard the turn-of-the-century Sabyasachi Express!

The White Tiger

Tigers are synonymous with India to the point of boredom.  It is my irrational rejection of tiger references in literature that led me to ignore The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga for years.  Man Booker Prize winner? Meh, so what, I thought, it’s probably full of quaint stereotypes from cover to cover.

I’d forgotten about it entirely until a friend recently recommended it to me and then I happened to find a copy on my bookshelf (not by magic my sister must have bought it).  Well, quite simply: I loved it.  I loved the style of writing, the perspective it is written from, the observational humour is wicked and I loved reading about Delhi (currently my third home city). 

My New Seven Year Itch

Relationships…dontcha love ’em??  However, the relationship I’m about to ponder isn’t one with a guy…it’s with a country: India.  I first travelled to India at the end of 2006 and it’s been a rough and ready ride.  I travel there for my business and it just doesn’t seem to be getting easier or more pleasant even though I’ve had the most amazing time there.  How does that contradiction work? Well….

I’ve travelled and explored India and my interests have take me to wonderful cities and villages where I have met weavers and wonderful organisations helping creative artisans.  I base myself in Delhi and have an apartment there in  a lush, quiet, tropical paradise and have created a lovely bubble around myself and yet I am often incredibly lonely there while I get on with my incredibly stressful work.

I hate moaners and expats that arrive in Delhi wanting it to have the

Grand Finale WIFW: Namrata Joshipura

Namrata Joshipura Grand Finale WIFW AW 2014

Oh the pressure! The opening and closing shows for Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week are usually the most anticipated and highest profile.  This year, the grand finale honour was granted to designer Namrata Joshipura whose signature silhouettes include red carpet gowns as well as barely there bodysuits.

Namrata Joshipura Grand Finale WIFW AW 2014

WIFW Photo Diary AW 2014

Mandira Wirk WIFW AW 2014

Mandira Wirk WIFW AW 2014

Austria Is Trending

Pero by Aneeth Arora WIFW AW 2014

‘You’re in next season’ I told my friend. ‘Whaaattt?’ Was my confused friend’s reply as she’s never in or on trend or bothered.

My friend is an Austrian chef living in Delhi.  We were out looking for check fabric a couple of weeks ago for her company branding so I was pleasantly surprised to see checks were in two shows at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week AW14.  And that too in both the prints we selected, blue checks and red checks.

Pankaj & Nidhi Play Cards

Pankaj & Nidhi WIFW AW 2014

Pankaj & Nidhi’s show was sponsored by Fiama Di Wills so it was a rather slick production, albeit with a fashionably late start.  Pankaj & Nidhi’s signature looks is placement embroideries and graphics in bold combinations.

Pankaj & Nidhi WIFW AW 2014

The collection notes referenced the history of playing cards linking their origin from ancient China to their appearance in Spain and Portugal.  So far so good, especially in the graphics department.  Then the designers also took inspiration from matadors in a bullring.  I think this was too much for me. 

WIFW: Cool Kashmir

Zubair Kirmani WIFW AW 2014

Two designers were inspired by Kashmir for AW 2014/15: Zubair Kirmani and Mrilnalini. It was great to see how the same inspiration can produce such different results. Zubair’s collection was feminine indulgence and prettiness whereas Mrilnalini had a utilitarian approach.

Bohemian Travellers Spin The Fashion World Around

Anita Dongre WIFW AW 2014

A few designers at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week were inspired by the concept of a free spirited bohemian, vintage loving traveller.

Anita Dongre WIFW AW 2014

Anita Dongre’s Jaipur bride muse made Europe her playground for AW 2014.  Gorgeous tousled hair, peacock eyes and tassels were the continuing thread in an altogether beautiful collection.  The European reference didn’t come across as strong as the designer may have wanted as the prints and overall styling as very Indian ethnic.  Perhaps the Jaipur bride decided to park herself in Andalucia? 

In A New York State Of Mind

Hemant & Nandita WIFW AW 2014

Hemant & Nandita WIFW AW 2014

‘Plush decoded’ was the title of designers Hemant & Nandita’s show but it could also easily have been New York decoded.  Luxurious sportswear inspired separates ensued down the catwalk with mesh park fences as the backdrop.

Streets Are Cooler Than Runways

Josh Goraya WIFW AW 2014

Upcoming and talented designer, Josh Goraya showcased his latest collection in a segment called Hi5 where five new designers pick ten looks each for a joint fashion show.

Designing for both men and women, it is the menswear that I was more drawn to simply because the looks were so cosmopolitan and had interesting design elements without losing any masculinity. This is important for lots of men when looking for new designs.

Rajputana Traveller by Samant Chauhan

Samant Chauhan WIFW AW 2014

‘Some travels take you so far that even when you return you are gone forever…probably it’s then they call it a journey’…the Rajputana Traveller.

Samant Chauhan WIFW AW 2014

Designer, Samant Chauhan grows in confidence each season with new chapters from his Rajputana fashion series.  Continually drawing on inspiration from his native Indian state he keeps the collection looking bold and structured yet incredibly feminine.

Bibi, Lady of Leisure

 

Nikasha WIFW AW 2014

Regular Chatterboxes know I am a real sucker for Sufi poetry and I was delighted to find that designer, Nikasha had a Rumi poem in her show notes:

In your light I learn how to love…
In your beauty how to make poems
You dance inside my chest where no one else sees you,
but sometimes I do, and that sight becomes this art.

Wah wah, masha’allah! Ok, back to the collection.

Blue Blood on the Red Carpet

Charu Prashar WIFW AW 2014

Designer Charu Prashar’s collection was full of dramatic geometric patterns and body contouring silhouettes for confident women. Cobalt blue was the predominant shade paired with black for maximum drama.

For The Bond Girl In You

Amit GT WIFW AW 2014

Designer Amit GT showed a glamorous red carpet collection for slender leading ladies in their element in front of flashing lights.  Although not directly acknowledged the collection was heavily inspired by the last Bond movie, Skyfall.  Oriental baroque is the official inspiration, nevertheless, the instrumental of Adele’s theme tune kicked the show off.

Rahul Mishra: Woolmark Prize Winner 2014

 

Rahul Mishra WIFW AW 2014

The 2014 winner of the prize that launched 1,000 designers (okay well not quite) …the internationally coveted Woolmark prize was awarded this year to Indian designer, Rahul Mishra. The prize has been credited with turning previous winners such as Giorgio Armani into household names.

Rahul Mishra WIFW AW 2014

The Woolmark body and awarding panel said of Rahul’s collection that one of the reasons his stood out amongst the other entrants were his innovative approach to wool as a Summer fibre was refreshing. They also admired his use of merino wool as a yarn for exquisitely detailed embroideries.

The Silk Route’s Enduring Inspiration

Ashima-Leena WIFW AW 2014

Ashima-Leena’s collection inspiration is the tried and tested journey down the old silk route. I say this not to criticise but to emphasise that it remains fertile ground and has provided centuries of ideas to creatives.

Day 2 WIFW: Souk Souk, La Vie En Rose & Changing Perceptions

Myoho WIFW AW 2014

The latest Myoho by Kiran & Meghna collection entitled ‘Souk Souk’ is inspired by Morocco but with yogic aesthetics and a rustic colour palette of Persian blue, slate black and sindoor red (this is the red powder Hindu brides traditionlly wear in their hair parting).

Shantanu & Nikhil: The Shadows Within

Shantanu & Nikhil WIFW AW 2014

Shantanu & Nikhil are incredibly talented designers with impeccable attention to detail.  Their latest collection was inspired by timeless vintage travel.  The powder, blush and antique rose and apricot hues reminisced British colonial times.  Lace was the dominant detail and it was especially striking on the fingerless gloves worn by all the models.

Day 1 WIFW Photo Diary: Rock On, Structured Metallics & Selfies with Nokia

Raakesh Agarvwal showed a collection unlike any other (this was apparent even though it was still only day 1).  Leather,  audacious glamour and lots of skin meant this was a collection for younger women unaffected by silly things such as Winter.

Raakesh Agarvwal WIFW AW 2014

Day 1 WIFW: Loving Life And The Art of Seduction

Vineet Bahl WIFW AW 2014

My fellow blogging buddies and I had to keep reminding ourselves that we were seeing AW collections as both Anupamaa and Vineet Bahl showed collections that could easily overlap the current Spring/Summer trends.  Shame we have to wait for the collections to hit stores!

Vineet Bahl used to be one of my favourite Indian designers due to his Western silhouettes which were gorgeous.  Over the last couple of years he has started specialising in India ethnic wear which I guess has more commercial sense for him but he was truly a refreshingly different designer for Western design.

His new AW14 is inspired by the celebration of every moment of life without prejudice and judgement.  The collection began with muted earthy handloom silks occasionally peppered with neon embellishment detail and pastel shades slowly crept in and made way for a myriad of vintage inspired colours and delicious combinations such as Prussian blue with peach. Want!!

Tarun Tahiliani: Art & Ornament

Tarun Tahiliani WIFW AW 2014

‘…Ornament as the principal embellishment is the glue that binds this collection together’ Tarun Tahiliani.

Setting the standard for the rest of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week with a stellar opening show veteran Indian designer, Tarun Tahiliani, did not disappoint. His AW14/15 ready to wear collection was an indulgent voyage in worldly ornamentation and clever layering. Precious jewellery provided the colour palette and inspiration for embroideries.

Ruby, emerald, onyx, sapphire, gold, turquoise…an Aladdin’s cave of rich inspirational colour. Textiles included silk brocades, draped into structured salwar trousers and other fine silks used in flowing kaftan inspired silhouettes or as a base for amazing kaleidoscope prints. I was lucky enough to have a sneak preview of the collection at the fittings prior to the shows and the fabrics and styles are even more gorgeous close up.

Ghazal & Sufi with Sheeba Khan

On Sunday evening I had the pleasure of attending a light classical music concert of ghazals and Sufi music in Gurgaon (near Delhi).  The singer, Sheeba Khan is a classically trained disciple of Jawaad Ali Khan and Mazhar Ali Khan.

Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week AW 2014

Design by Taurn Tahiliani

5 days, 31 shows and 119 designers… later this month I will bring you extensive coverage from Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2014.  The dates for your diaries or mobile phone reminders are 26-30 March so be sure to check the blog for all the latest shows and reviews.

The week will be opened by celebrated designer, Tarun Tahiliani. 

All Creatures Great and Small

During my most recent trip to Delhi I had the pleasure of accompanying a friend, Anjali Gopalan, to her newly formed dog shelter which expanded to include other animals that she and her team ended up rescuing.  Anjali is looking for volunteers so please read and pass this blog post on to friends or family that might like to join the fun.

Tucked away in the ancient Aravali Hills, the farm and dog shelter was all peace and quiet…until the dogs spotted me on the roof to photograph them!

La Dolce Vita With Ashish N Soni

Ashish N Soni SS14 Collection at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Grand Finale

With a live jazz band and a gigantic and glamorous tiered red carpet stage set for the grand finale show, designer Ashish N Soni‘s collection oozed old glamour with all the entrails.

Inspired by ‘La Dolce Vita’ the collection was characterised by understated simplicity, flawless lines, immaculate cuts