Style Mezze

Atithi Gupta
Soft,flirty and feminine defined the mood of Atithi Gupta’s collection of cocktail wear. The solid chiffons and silks were cut to flatter the body,without succumbing to the trend of the bodycon silhouette. Fine detailing was provided by way of meticulous weaving and pleating — we particularly like the showstopping jumpsuit. It’s a look we would pick for a sophisticated evening out.

Vivek Kumar
The ‘circuit darzi’ showed how recycling can sometimes make good fashion sense. Discarded computer chips found their way onto footwear,while watch levers and other electronic parts replaced beads and sequins as embellishments. Kumar’s collection was definitely striking,and some of the clothes achieved a wonderful amalgamation of technology and fashion as draped chiffon confections sported shiny metal parts. Only the automatically-expanding showstopping dress seemed a tad too gimmicky.

Paromita Bannerjee
The diminutive Bannerjee has an uncanny genius for putting together colours,fabrics and patterns to create a wholly beautiful look. For her most recent collection,the designer created outfits by effortlessly mixing and matching handloom fabrics from different parts of the country,from Bengal’s tussar silk to Andhra Pradesh’s mangalgiri cotton. The result was a look that despite it’s rustic roots,was sophisticated,fluid and very modern.

Neeta Lulla
For someone who’s been in the fashion business for 25 years and can be considered a veteran,Lulla should have known better than to send her models down the runway dressed in hideous costumes,reminiscent of the ’80s. We know the designer has a loyal clientele in the entertainment industry,but we’re not sure how many takers there will be for the dual-toned saris,evening gowns and kurtas,all embellished with tulle rosettes. The whole collection was marked by excess — the final dress quite literally had showstopper Sridevi tripping down the runway,as she tried to keep some control over the gown’s excessively long train.