Sprayed with style

The first show was designer Raakesh Agarvwal’s. He showed his debut couture collection. While Agarvwal started designing in 2007,his collection showed a vision,moving in from the glimmering skin tones to the seductive wine shades. The collection,which included cocktail dresses,sarees and even lehengas,had unusual draping styles. The fabrics ranged from a blend of silks,tulle and jerseys with loud embroideries.

Agarvwal said,“I love the concept of draping. So that is quite evident in the collection. A little of Greek is involved but I have also tried to revive the techniques of chikankari and muqaish.” For him,opening the fashion week was a responsibility and he had full faith in his Pune buyers. “They have always welcomes new ideas,” he remarked.

But it was the next show perhaps which brought in a lot of experimentation. Surily Goel,who is known for her chic ensembles,presented a range of resort wear. Right from casual dresses,tunics,kaftans to A-line dresses in ruffled animal prints,the designer had it all set in terms of style. After the show,she said,“What I showcased here were chic,stylish and easy to wear resort outfits. I tried to feature the ‘less is more’ line.”

In the same line but markedly different in appeal was the collection put forth by designer Mandira Wirk. Her experience in this line goes back to more than a decade and her show reflected her thought and modernism. Loud colours,neon,textured jackets and indo-western dresses were the highlight. “Basically we keep the latest trends in mind,and right now it’s structured jackets and exaggerated shoulders. The theme was ‘femininity-versus-masculinity’. We also put up Indian attire,keeping the festive season in mind,” she shared,adding,”I have been coming to Pune for long and the fashion scene here is quite trendy and young and very often under-estimated. It is as good as Mumbai and Delhi. I am glad I did this show,for the city is now a seat of serious fashion.”

Satya Paul’s tarot collection added a touch of the surreal and dreamy to the evening. Inspired by the symbolism that the tarot deck beckons,the collection was high on mystic elements and magnificence. The wedding trousseau,with sarees,kurtis,dresses and lehengas,was sheer elegance.

On the whole,Day 1 definitely satisfied the city’s fashionistas who turned up in large numbers for the shows. And if the detailing and chic ensembles are anything to go by,everyone can rest assured that the PFW has only gotten bigger and better.