Fitting Form

The first few creations at designer Sanchita Ajjampur’s show —embroidered bikinis in flashy blues,saffrons and turmerics played out to the 18-24 demographic. From there,the designer,whose shows have morphed into hot-ticket events,cranked out a muted,free-flowing collection for the more mature woman. The show saw some delightful combinations—blue silk tops with pencil skirts,a satin top in turmeric with tight leather leggings,cropped pajama-style pants,silk dresses,chiffon gowns,brown muslin and digital printed silk dresses,among others.

Twice is nice

Designer Ashish Soni who is known largely for his impeccable menswear,sent out the girls with bright red pouts,sporting oversized earrings and dressed in black and white. After the initial white-on-white line,which had baggy shirt dresses ,flared skirts,fantastic single-button summer jackets and pleated cotton trousers,it was a vision in black as the models strutted out in black satin tunics,fitted cocktail dresses,pleated skirts and beautiful bubble hemmed dresses. Though there was no-meet-and-greet moment between the paparazzi and the stiletto set,Soni’s show saw flamboyant designer Rohit Bal,along with fellow designers Rohit Gandhi and Varun Bahl in attendance.

Uninspired,no less

Style mavens will appreciate this little tidbit. The intrepid designer Tanvi Kedia proclaimed unabashedly that her line,comprising 12 looks,was not inspired by anything. Instead,it borrows from her travels over the past six months. Little wonder then,that her luxury resort line—belted kaftans,breezy tunics and maxis,found the Beams buyer cooing over the lovely geometric patterns. Besides,the Delhi-based designer drummed up a footwear line too — fabricated blocks,embroidered with kantha. “The emphasis was to create something that is comfortable,yet chic,” she said,playing down the overwhelming response to her line. She’s in talks with Philadelphia-based boutique Anthropologie and Sauce from Dubai.

Rock and Roll

The vibe at Dozakh’s show was almost that of a pre-Raphealite decadence. The young designer duo of Nitin Karthikeya and Isha Dhingra paid a tribute to legends like Jim Morrison,Marilyn Monroe and British designer Alexander McQueen in their show. On the runway were prim frocks in quixotic off whites,pale pinks and deep reds. Young and frothy.

Front Row Fun

The front rows at international fashion weeks usually have stiff-lipped,perfectly coiffeured fashionistas and grim fashion editors determining the careers of the men and women on the runway. At WIFW though,the absence of socialites have seen a bevy of salwar-kameez clad ladies take over. And not all of them are keen on sticking to the protocol. At designer Anupama Dayal’s show,for instance,these ladies broke out in an unexpected Mexican wave to show their approval of the collection. If that wasn’t enough,they followed it up with air-kisses when Dayal came to take her bow.

Buy,Buy,Baby

Samina Zani,a self-confessed “fashion addict” and a Delhi-based buyer,marvelled at how fashion weeks in India are coming of age. “Previously the attention used to be lavished on the showstoppers,the bars were given prime importance,and the after-parties were the highlight of the evenings. This year it’s been about targetting the buyers. We are the new front row,and we are the right people,” she nodded in approval. True to her words,the lower ground floor of the hall at Pragati Maidan has been dedicated to buyers — 150 stalls dot the vast area and range from the very well-known designers to the downright obscure. The designers too have taken care to lure in the buyers. Take Nitin Vijay’s stall as an example: the jeweller is now foraying into clothes and his “proudest” creation is a bustier made of gold,displayed prominently at the stall. “I’ve got the touch of Midas. Stuff like these sell well in Dubai,” says Vijay.