Looking Ahead

“It’s been 15 years in the industry for me. Previously,I worked for a fashion magazine,” shares Stefina who,for the past couple of days,has been honing the skills of the fashion design faculty at the Inter National Institute of Fashion Design (INIFD) in the city. “It’s a pleasure to be here and interacting with both students and teachers,” spoke the Italian who finds Indians a ‘colourful’ lot. “It’s amazing to see the way people dress. Even the common man on the street effortlessly pairs up colours and styles,” she remarked. To a question on whether Indians score high on the international style radar,Stefania scowled a bit and answered in her clipped accent,”Why do they need to match up to Western style quotients. I think originality and individuality are two big scorers and I like Indian fashion for doing its own thing.” Equally “amazed” with various crafts and techniques,Gulina wants Indian designers to now move to the next level. “In Italy,not just big brands and designers but the whole fashion world is very competitive. It’s good for the business,” spoke the petite designer who is working on her new collection for the summer of 2010.

Interestingly,when the weather is all snug and cosy,Stefania’s job is to work out collections for summer and vice-versa. “As a trend forecaster one has to think ahead. You have to keep in mind the fabrics,colours,silhouettes and all that would be in vogue in the future,” explains Gulina. Luckily for her,she’s all set for not just the winter of 2009 but the summer of 2010 as well! “As far as trends go,the two genders will dress opposite,” lists out Gulina as we give her a puzzled expression. “That means,the men will flaunt feminine silhouettes and colours while the women will opt for a more androgynous look,” she elaborates further. Translated into clothes,it will spell broader collars,fitted albeit broad shouldered shirts,high-waisted and wide leg trousers for the ladies,while the men will have to slip into softer toned shirts and skinny trousers! Dishing out more forecasts,Gulina sees eco-friendly and natural fabrics rule the designer’s work table. “The surface textures will be not so smooth but fabrics like cotton,linen and wool will make a comeback,” she points out. Further,though winter is about grey-beige tones,this year it will be more colourful. “Expect floral notes and imitation of lace and tweed in textiles,” wraps up the designer. Don’t you wish winter was about to arrive? We do.