Open Season

New designers thronged the DFW venue. There was the prodigious Amber Feroz,who left the backwater of Varanasi to saunter into the workshop of Armani Prive. Also making his presence felt was the House of Three by NIFT alumnus Sounak Sen Barat,who designs for corporate biggies like Pierre Cardin and Tommy Hilfiger when he is not looking after his own pret label. Norwegian designer Julie Skarland too came with what she calls her “in between spring and autumn collection”.

It was only fitting then that the opening show went to two youngsters who got a standing ovation at their debut in the same platform last year. Smita Singh Rathore and Himanshu Saini of CellDSGN 11.11,who had created immense buzz with their edgy,androgynous collection,took off from where they had left. With an interesting play on drapes,the collection collated the style forecasts of the season: minimal,utilitarian but chic.

However,at the first show at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week it was all about going back to basics. With all talk veering back to recession,even fashion has started mirroring reality. At least that’s what rookie designers Nitin Bal Chauhan and Samant Chauhan would have us believe at the opening show of the WLIFW. Both opted for digital presentations before their show,giving details of urban malaise like suicides and divorces,and the breakdown of the village economy.

“My collection,called ‘Conditions Apply II’,speaks of the negativity that comes from urban life,” Chauhan said. Even if that sounded slightly pretentious,the clothes more than made up for it. When the models came on stage,each with an assortment of headgear made from telephones,wires and parts of motherboards,it was the clear,unfussy collection that held center stage.

Samant Chauhan played up the theme of sustainable living with dresses and jackets on Bhagalpuri. The Anarkali theme found resonance in the silhouette of the jackets,both for men and women,while cigarette pants,crushed and ruched dresses formed the norm. His colour palette too bordered on the colour of the natural silk with only a hint of dye in some of the outfits.

Even if economic woes rule the mood,the move back to Intercontinental Eros,Nehru Place,seem a marked improvement from Pragati Maidan,the previous venue of the WLIFW. The opening show of the day saw only designers and a smattering of socialites in the audience,with two,or maybe three,buyers. For fashion’s sake,hopefully,day two will be better.