The Uncensored Household
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.
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.
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
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.
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
WIFW Pankaj & Nidhi SS14
Intricate adornments from Pompeii all the way to Medieval church facades…Indian designer duo, Panjak & Nidhi seemed to thoroughly enjoy researching the inspiration behind their Spring/Summer 2014 collection. Hand cut fabrics appliqued to give a 3D effect and transparency were key looks.
WIFW: Samant Chauhan SS14
Young Indian fashion designer, Samant Chauhan designs beautiful clothing for both women and men. He exhibits internationally and is on an upward trajectory after many years of dedication to his art.
Samant was born in Rajasthan and is passionate about working with master weavers from his area. The NIFT graduate embarked upon fashion after first completing a physics degree at Bhagalpur University. Samant consistently selects neutral and softer tones to counter the colourful spectrum typically offered by other designers in India.
So Samant, please tell me about your latest collection.
This is the series of Rajputana and this is the fourth season we are doing the same concept.
What is Rajputana?
Rajputana is about reviving the Rajputana name. Rajasthan’s ancient name is Rajputana and I belong to that place which is one of the reasons I wanted to work on it.
WIFW: Samant Chauhan SS14
The first season we did a collection, the story was based on how the Britishers influenced the entire Rajputana region … so we were inspired by a lot of Victorian motifs and shapes and volume.
WIFW Designer: Nachiket Barve
WIFW Designer: Nachiket Barve
Old is the new New but not upcycled vintage … Indian designer Nachiket Barve was inspired by fossils and the balance between the preservation of fragile and strong forms. The soft colour palette included oat and dusty rose: all shades that suit most skin tones. Dyeing techniques were experimented with
WIFW Designer: Anupamaa
Internationally acclaimed fashion designer, Anupama Dayaal kicked off Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring/Summer14 with an explosion of colour and bold prints. Some collections could be viewed as transcending seasons, however, Anupamaa’s screamed SUNSHINE. Bright pinks, orange and yellow tones worn with tousled hair and beach foot accessories completed the looks.
The hottest ticket in town was the Manish Arora’s closing show for Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2013. “Squeeze up some more!” were the cries from the pretty PR organisers to the press pack as we shuffled this way and that to make room for late arrivals.
Manish Arora already presented his collection inspired by his trip to the Burning Man art festival in Nevada in Paris
Design by Payal Pratap
Payal Pratap and Rahul Mishara’s presentations were sponsored by Fiama Di Wills, the Indian beauty product giant. Under the theme ‘Be Young’ both collections pined for yesteryear.
Payal Pratap’s collection was subtitled ‘Opening my Grandmother’s Trunk’
Styled and visualised in the theme of a circus, the circus was not actually cited in the show notes. Pero by Aneeth Arora is the winner of Vogue India’s first Fashion Fund and this was her first presentation since winning the award, for which she received the cash prize after the show.
Indian Celebrity, Esha Gupta featured in Manish Malhotra’s show
There are few designers in the Indian fashion industry that can start a trend like Manish Malhotra. His influence in Indian cinema is so great and the trickling effect on to TV sets beamed around a billion homes is no small accomplishment. In this way,
Designer Rajdeep Ranawat’s collection was inspired by a hypothetical world with a hint of exotic Medieval. The collection featured intricate embroideries and lovely accessories. The Elton John embellished glasses were my favourite.
Over at Rajesh Pratap Singh’s show the catwalk had been transformed into an Autumnal woodland. Rajesh Pratap Singh is the current brand ambassador for Woolmark and the show was sponsored by them.
The ground lay strewn with rust coloured foliage and bleak trees glowed with pod lights. The effect was magical.
Kavita Bhartia is the owner of the Ogaan chain of boutiques with stores in Delhi and Mumbai. Kavita started her own label in 2001.
The collection she presented this season was entitled ‘Hypercraft’ to reflect her combining technology and craft for her designs.
One of my favourite collections so far at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2013 is Shantanu & Nikhil‘s ode to the luxury traveller with reference to The Thar, India’s largest desert.
Designer Tarun Tahiliani is a formidable force in the Indian fashion industry and this season he took inspiration from the Kumbh, a religious festival, and Sadhus – the saffron draped wandering spiritual men.
The tension in the lead up to fashion weeks is tangible in studios where designers will be fussing over the finishes to garments that have taken months to come to fruition. Paris fashion week is currently in full swing, however, I’m in Delhi and Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Autumn Winter 2013 is under two weeks away.
New York Fashion Week today kicked off the fashion feast that lies ahead and engulfs the world. Displaying next Autumn/Winter’s collections while it’s still freezing outside will only make you want to buy everything now, however, wait we will.
Red Valentino was by far the most striking collection on the first day. Aimed at a younger audience than the premium and couture Valentino collections
Once upon a time, if you were a Miss India contestant, Ritu Kumar is the designer you would probably turn up in for your final bimbo blurb. No one would pay attention to what you were saying as you would look simply dazzling and most probably take the crown.
Ritu Kumar is an established Indian designer who championed the Indian
Showcasing some real Indian fashion heavyweights, Day 2 was a true extravaganza for the fashion connoisseur and the return of designer, Rajesh Pratap Singh who did not show last season.
Rajesh Pratap Singh is a successful designer of royal descent and he takes his experimentation with textiles seriously, this time concentrating on man-made metallic fibres in particular. His dark collection was a little unusual for a Spring/Summer presentation but why not if
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