Mixed Results

Designer duo Alpana-Neeraj took a more conceptual view of things with a collection showcasing Japan’s obsession with ‘Kawaii’, a word used to signify the country’s pop culture. Sticking to their signature style of giving outfits a three-dimensional feel, this collection boasted of bows and tie-ups on mermaid style gowns, full skirts and blouses.

The Japanese touch flowed into Day 2 with Virtues by Viral. Ashish and Vikrant used sashiko, a running stitch technique from Japan, in their collection. It was interestingly teamed up with Kutchi embroidery and mirror work.

TWINNING COMBINATION

That designer Tarun Tahiliani has clearly shifted gears in his head was visible at his Autumn-Winter Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) show in March, where he made a strong case for stylish separates. “I believe ready-to-wear is going to be in great demand in the future,” Tahiliani had said.

At a point when others of his ilk have chosen crystals strewn bridal lehengas and chandelier-lined couture runways over the rough-and-tumble of the ready-to-wear ramp, Tahiliani — who is also an integral part of the trousseau titan circle, with his very own annual wedding exposition to boot — has elected to give the pret market a definitive push. That he chose to keep the ‘separates’ story going for the Spring-Summer 2015 season too, was a reinforcement of the ready-to-wear tenet that the fashion trade event was initially conceptualised for by the Fashion Design Council of India.

This season the doyen of digital prints and dhoti drapes has found perfect partners for a collaboration. The Singh Twins, London-based artist siblings, famous for reviving the art of miniature painting and juxtaposing it with modern iconography, obviously appealed to Tahiliani’s own oeuvre of revisiting classic Indian shapes and giving them a contemporary spin.

The Singh Twins’ artwork adorned twist drape dresses, printed bodysuits, gilets, shirts, bralettes, shorts and everything in between.

Brights layered brights and prints combined with prints in a consummately ready-to-wear collection. Midway through the presentation, the show could’ve easily slipped into the kitsch clutter, with a surfeit of riotous colours, an overload of accessories and an over abundance of visual stimulation. But, magically, the composite canvas of the twin visions involved held us in thrall. It wasn’t only the clever placement of prints and artful use of colour that worked, but the effortless synergy of the two creative forces in question.

The menswear was equally impressive and stayed well within masculine bounds, yet toyed with Thai wrap trousers, hot pink quilted bundis, vibrantly printed shirts and bright colour-blocking.

Our biggest grouse, apart from the near state of colour coma, had to be the length of the show. With 68 garments taking to the ramp, Tahiliani’s line-up could’ve done with some nifty editing. But, all in all, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts and here the parts (read separates) stood equally strong by themselves.

To think of it, the off-site extravaganza was nearly blown off course by a dust storm and the show started a whole hour and 45 minutes late, while Tahiliani did some desperate damage control. Hopefully, there’s a painting in the making on that adventure somewhere.

COVERING UP

The summer jackets are set to become a style staple. Labels like Pero by Aneeth Arora and EKA by Rina Singh have helped the jacket shed its heavyweight avatar to emerge as light and breezy. While knee-length was the popular choice, designers chose fabrics like chanderi, cotton and linen to work with. The fits were slouchy and easy and we liked the fact that the colour palette was pale and embroideries delicate and frugal.

Designer Pallavi Mohan’s label Not So Serious also made space for the summer jacket in sheer, while designer duo Hemant and Nandita went for a dressy look in neoprene with ikat patterns administered in thread embroidery.

NATURAL CAUSES

A copy of Stephen Emmott’s 10 Billion sat on our front row seats and their fashion showcase was preceded by a powerful audio-visual presentation on global warming. For designer sisters Gauri and Nainika Karan, who’ve solidified their reputation as frontrunners in the red-carpet relay race, to turn their gaze from the French Riviera landscapes and vintage Hollywood inspirations of the past, and make a case for environmental issues raised many sceptical eyebrows. What followed was a beautiful line-up of blue and white pencil dresses with tearaway hemlines representing thawing ice patches and continents, melting glacier prints on A-line maxis and smoke emanating chimneys on dresses with bell sleeves — all ironically poetic and evocative. A line of white gowns and dresses with undulating pleats and unfurling textured flowers and leaves was especially noteworthy, lending a morbid beauty to the proceedings.

But the crowning glory, or irony, of this immaculately finished collection was the primary fabric used. Neoprene, popularly used to make scuba gear, was the fabric of choice, with nary an eco-friendly or organic yarn in sight. Irony died a thousand deaths that evening, or 23 very beautiful ones, to be precise.