Accessorise

For the first time since the inception of Indian fashion, accessories, crucial elements in fashion will not be neglected. Ten accessory designers are showing for the first time at Delhi Fashion Week beginning on Tuesday. Bags, scarves, shawls, wrap dresses, jewellery stalls, even blankets dot the venue, Emporio Mall in Vasant Kunj. The look is defined by etching Kalidasa8217;s poetry on silver, weaving sequins in hand weaves of Bengal and using Moroccan designs on a Cashmere shawl. 8220;We received an overwhelming demand from buyers who attended the fashion week last time. Most of the designers showing here are currently exporters,8221; says Geetanjali Kashyap of Fashion Foundation of India. Bangalore-based jewellery designer Deepti Sudhindra who has been in the circuit for nine years has found her niche by etching Henry David Thoreau8217;s poetry on to silver, transforming a ubiquitous coconut shells into delicate beads, pendants and necklaces and contemporising the 200-year-old filigree craft of Karimnagar artists of Andhra Pradesh. 8220;I take a coconut shells and embellish it with silver,8221; explains Sudhindra, 32, who will be showcasing eight different collections. 8220;My look is contemporary but the design element is essentially Indian,8221; says Sudhindra who works on a commission basis.

Turning scarves, shawls and wraps into a heritage label is Kolkata based designer Bappaditya Biswas, 36, who founded Bai Lou in 2002. Closely working with weavers of Bengal, Biswas uses Jamdani and double cloth weaving techniques. 8220;We don8217;t believe in embellishments on top of the fabric. Everything is woven in and comes out as a finished product,8221; says Biswas who works with 350 weavers. His collection has stoles in malta silk with geometrical patterns, scarves in a blend of silk and wool in an oyster pink and aqua blue. 8220;Wearing scarves is a recent trend in India and the hand weaving craft of Bengal has got a boost,8221; says Biswas.

But it is Nepal based fashion designer Yasmine Rana who has given the jaded crafts industry in the neighbouring country a lift, by incorporating traditional Nepalese designs into luxurious loungewear. Rana, of French origin, has been in the field for 25 years. Her collection8212;lounge wear, chic jackets in shining blue and jade green, cashmere shawls and blankets have a bourgeoisie elegance. 8220;My designs are classy, multi-cultural and bold. I pick-up ideas from my travels, use local designs and natural material,8221; she emphasises.

Among others, Peachy Bawa of Basta will show a range of leather bags, Delhi-based Shilu Kumar of Pashma will exhibit a collection of scarves and Jyotika Jhalani of the label Janavi will show a trendy line of beach garments, hand bags and high end wraps in silk and chiffon.