With mulmuls and crisp cotton,Anupama Dayals clothes felt right,but for summer. The fashion juggernaut has rolled out with Wills India Lifestyle Fashion Week (WIFW) Autumn-Winter 2013 organised by the Fashion Design Council of India. Day One saw back-to-back shows and one of the eagerly awaited ones included Delhi-based designer Anupama Dayals show. It did raise expectations because of her theme,Ishq-e-Dilli,and also because it was the first time she was approaching bridal wear in an unusual way. As the lights dimmed,we craned our necks to see what was to come. The opening ensemble was a long mul-mul kurta in black and white worn with slim chiffon drawstring trousers and a sports bra. The light and breezy rhythm to the collection continued with a printed sarini (the designers modern take on a sari worn over hot pants),an ecru sari in Bengal handloom and an aquamarine long dress in chanderi. Just as the tone was being set for a day at the beach,Dayal presented her Indian bridal line. To give her credit,she remained true to her inspiration Dilli seen through its heritage lens of Islamic art and Mughal traditions. The collection also embraced silk crepe but the lightness of it all made it look like a summer-friendly collection. Her colour palette of neon orange,aquamarine,teal,yellow,lime and mint was good start,though for bridal wear,it was a bit ambigous. Formal wear saw delicate gota,needlework and some gemstone embroidery. Just when she brought in elements of autumn-winter with velvet kotis,the collection ended abruptly. This mix of her signature bohemian styling,use of diaphanous fabrics,references to heritage but not all-out Delhi sent out mixed signals.
