A Bright Forecast Raise a toast to fashion jewellery There was a time when a vintage pair of gold jhumkas handed over by the grandmother was the ultimate style statement. Well,that will never go out of fashion. But now that gold becomes more precious and dear than ever before,fashion jewellery is emerging as a trend to vouch for in 2012. Wood,steel,copper,brass,jute,silver,enamel and acrylic jewellery meant for the quirky,whimsical as well as the conformists will be big on the Indian ramp this season. Ask Suhani Pittie,the Hyderabad-based jewellery designer,and she says,With the growing demand of everyday jewellery,there is a major headway of alternative raw materials. People want to experiment; they want the jewellery to convey some dialogue. Precious metals are difficult to make part of everyday life but fashion jewellery is affordable. On the other hand,Mumbai based designer Shilpa Chavan of the popular fashion label,Little Shilpa,who has awards from different countries and has showed in London as well as Japan,believes that fashion jewellery was popular in 2011 and will only move ahead in popularity this year. I think funky head gear will be this seasons hot fashion jewellery trend, she says. Twenty Cheers for Valaya Couturier JJ Valaya completes 20 years in the business of luxury fashion in 2012,and preparations are already underway at the House of Valaya to celebrate the occasion throughout this new year. According to his office,events planned for 2012 will include launches of a very special,limited edition financial year calendar,a mega coffee table book and a grand show towards the end of the year. Besides,there are going to be several intimate events during the year,which will revolve around associations with royal families. In was in 1992 when the Jodhpur-born designer founded the House of Valaya in New Delhi,a luxury fashion and lifestyle house,along with his brother TJ Singh. The highlight of the 20th year would be the introduction of JJ Valaya Vintage,a label which will revisit the Valaya archives and recreate some of his iconic pieces. In Defence of the Traditional Drape IS it the rustle of Kanjeevaram silk,the intricate details of a Bengali Kantha or the flowing pallu of a Kashmiri crepe that makes a sari an irresistible garment? Actually,the answer lies not just in the fabric of seven yards,but also in the way it is draped. While textile conservationist Rta Kapur Chisti and French anthropologist and sari researcher,Chantal Boulanger,might categorise sari drapes according to seasons,the traditional drape never got lost in translations. Effortless and functional,the sari has worked well for Indian women,those tilling the fields as well as those running to catch the bus to the workplace. While Indian fashion has been inclusive of the sari and there have been numerous innovations in fabric,pallu,colours as well as the choli,modernising it beyond a point may foil its purpose and essential elegance. Most Spring Summer 2012 collections shown at fashion weeks seem to believe in its purist drape,whether it was Tarun Tahiliani's bridal couture,or Satya Pauls printed razzmataz. Wendell rodricks Booked Twice One of Indias seniormost fashion designers is coming out not with two collections,but with two books this year. Wendell Rodricks of Goan origin,a Goan mindset and a passionate commitment to fashion has two titles coming up this year. While his first book,Moda Goa,(Harper Collins),will be released at the Jaipur Literature Festival later this month,his autobiography,The Green Room,(Aleph Book Company) is slated for launch in mid-2012. As of now,Rodricks is only willing to talk about Moda Goa. For now,Moda Goa is the focus of my life, he says,adding,The book took two years to compile but the research was extensive. It is 11 years that finally went into it. Rodricks will trace the history and evolution of the Goan attire and gold jewellery in his book. With the entry of the Portuguese in India,Goa became the birth place of the first Indo-Western garments, says the designer,adding that all this fusion happened as early as the sixteenth century. The Jaipur release of Moda Goa will be followed by a Goa release. New Red Carpet Divas Nargis Fakhri She made one of the most anticipated debuts of the year onscreen. While Nargis Fakhris acting skills in Rockstar will continue to be debated upon,her sartorial choices need no second thoughts. Be it her in-character appearances where she wore short-kurtas teamed with Patiala salwars for promotional events or the figure-hugging Shivan-Narresh dress we spotted her in on the red carpet the New York-born and bred,half-Czech and half-Pakistani model has proved to be a headturner in many ways. Little surprise then,she was quickly signed up as a brand ambassador for Van Heusen. Fakhri chooses her ensembles well and the curiosity around what she wears on the red carpets this year will only become bigger. Kalki koechlin Theres something about That Girl In Yellow Boots. Kalki Koechlin shows wonderfully well how a little bit of quirkiness,not just in choice of film roles,but in fashion as well can result in applause. Through 2011,Koechlin surprised us with a zany style. At the launch of Tods Signature collection recently where the actor was invited as a special guest,Koechlin proved her ability to be serious and chic with high fashion. She teamed a Tods bag with an animal print French Connection dress,Tom Ford glasses and a winning smile. We hope to see more of that side in the coming year.
