It’s Raining Fashion

umbrellas,bags and footwear,colourful and printed rainwear is dominating the cityscape.

In Vajifdar’s case,what works for her is the fact that her creations are beautiful,trendy and,at the same time,practical. Her bubble skirts/ raincoats,trench coats and balloon dresses don’t face much competition either. “Fashion designers usually don’t actively look at creating rainwear but that’s no indication of the lack of demand for it. While the transparent variety helps you show off your dress,the colourful raincoats — in hot pink,turquoise,orange and yellow — and the sequined and printed ones help beat the monsoon blues,” explains Vajifdar. Her bubble raincoats are especially convenient as the water sweeps off the bubble skirt and hits the ground without touching the wearer’s feet.

Umbrellas too have broken out of the monotony,with the likes of Bombay Store and India Circus offering a kitschy take. While the former has dedicated segments called ‘I Love India’s Madhubani’ and ‘Mughal-e-Awzome’,Krsna Mehta’s label has the animated Kathakali dancer,the ethnic paisley motif,and geometric designs on its range of attractive umbrellas. “We want to shift the paradigm of using typical black umbrellas to something people can flaunt,” says Bejan Bharucha,President,Operations,Bombay Store.

Today,making a style statement matters,be it through unique designs such as the Lola umbrella by Marc Cain or through fine craftsmanship like in the case of Italian hand-crafted umbrellas available at Anemos,a Mumbai-based lifestyle store. Nipoon Agrawal,director at Anemos,says that their umbrellas combine function with fashion. “They have high and low settings for ultimate protection from rain,sun and wind,and can even withstand winds up to 40 mph. They are handmade using sustainable and renewable bamboo and organic cotton. The handle is an ornate one,studded with sequins and Swarovski crystals,” he says.

Other accessories such as watches (Nautica has a line of colourful waterproof ones),bags and pouches are also gaining popularity. The Beach Company has colourful bags,and waterproof pouches for iPods. Lulu Australia has bags and pouches with laminated-finish that have stripes and floral prints. “We have hot neon colours clashing with soft pastel trims reminiscent of nature in its extremes,” says Bavita Dhillon Mulchandani,creative director for Lulu Australia – India.

Footwear also offers many options to pick from. So while Crocs has a line of boat shoes,flip-flops and what they call mini-wedges in multiple colours,Havaianas’ range boasts of flip-flops with skulls,animal prints and interesting graphics. Designer Aprajita Toor makes Kolhapuris in neon colours which can be worn in the rains.

Mehta says the trend of chic monsoonwear is catching on as a number of brands are jumping on the bandwagon of kitschy,quirky rainwear. “Our bright umbrellas bring a fresh air of excitement among our clients,particularly the 20-something professionals and Indophiles,” he points out.

The rise of clever styling has helped build this market. “Merely buying the transparent rainwear item isn’t enough; the trick is to layer your look well,” says Vajifdar,who has ventured into designing waterproof bags and laptop sleeves this year. She believes that plastic bangles make for smart monsoon accessories. “My perfect monsoon ensemble would be a neon raincoat with a shift dress underneath,a transparent waterproof bag,and a pair of knee-high wellies (gumboots),” she says.