HAUTE KITSCH

As five designers experiment with items of daily use, steel, LCD screens and wine corks get a chic makeover

As five designers experiment with items of daily use, steel, LCD screens and wine corks get a chic makeover
Designers Hemant Sagar and business partner Didier Lecoanet have never been the ones to toe the line. They have worked with pineapple and banana fibres, Chinese porcelain and even chocolates. One of their mostnbsp;endurable collections launched in India anbsp;few seasons back used recycled plastic collected from the streets of Delhi for chic jackets, dresses and trousers. For this season, the two are going a step forward. They are working on a men8217;s collection whichnbsp;comes withnbsp;plastic accoutrements like trims,nbsp;collars, cuffs and pockets.nbsp;The non-PVC frosted plastic is being imported from Italy and are thick enough to lend it to stylisation. 8220;I like my collections to have continuity, which is why we chose plastic again and decided to do it a little differently. The entire effect is very chic, which is what,nbsp;in the end, fashion needs to be,8221; he says.

When fashion students Varun Jaisingh and Vijay Pawar were sent to the avant-garde section of the World of Wearable Art contest in New Zealand this year, they came up with an abbreviated bikini top and a patent leather skirt, teamed with knee-length leather boots. What8217;s surprising? The skirt came fitted with a CCTV camera at the back while the top had a LCD screen which showed whatever was going on behind the model8217;s back. 8220;We wanted to play on the concept of optical illusion, on how the body was transparent ,8221; says 23-year-old Jaisingh. The circuit behind the screen was removed, an acrylic shade added to ensure that the outfit didn8217;t get too hot, the UPS and wires went into the handbag. The two are awaiting the results of the contest, due this month.

Stainless steel has never had it so good. First, it got a fancy makeover for home accessories and utensils and now it8217;s set to enter your wardrobe. Designers Rahul Jain and Gunjan Arora of Sirali have come up with a range of evening wear that combines steel threads with soft fabrics like satin or silk. 8220;We have used very thin strands of steel and blended them in a way that8217;s not coarse to touch,8221; says Rahul. The duo have created saris, jackets and dresses from the synthesis. To hit Putumayo stores across Europe next week, wait till December to get your hands on this unique apparel.

If we are talking kitsch, who cannot forget the maverick designer who sparked off the trend? Even as Manish Arora gets set to unveil his spring-summer collection 8216;09 at the Paris Fashion Week, his fall collection 8216;08 has hit the stores. The rich pastiche of warrior influences8212;from samurais to gladiators to knights8212;has come alive through his use of elements like mail coats, armours, masks, even shoulder and knee pads. Arora has effortlessly married Swarovski crystals to mesh and metal, and Micky Mouse and other Walt Disney influences to full breastplates of steel etched with copper carvings.

Reams of wispy gossamer threads might just be the stuff that your dream outfit is made of, but ever fancied wine corks as embellishments? If not, designers Shantanu and Nikhil Mehra promise to change your mind with their upcoming collection. 8220;We have used organza as a base fabric and are working on it with wine corks cut into strips of varying length. The whole outfit will have a three-dimensional effect, almost like the texture of an undulating rock,8221; says Nikhil. The colours bridge the spectrum between light and dark shades of grey, with just a hint of blue. The silhouette will be voluminous for greater comfort.nbsp;

Paromita Chakrabarti

Paromita Chakrabarti is Senior Associate Editor at the The Indian Express. She is a key member of the National Editorial and Opinion desk and writes on books and literature, gender discourse, workplace policies and contemporary socio-cultural trends. Professional Profile With a career spanning over 20 years, her work is characterized by a "deep culture" approach—examining how literature, gender, and social policy intersect with contemporary life. Specialization: Books and publishing, gender discourse (specifically workplace dynamics), and modern socio-cultural trends. Editorial Role: She curates the literary coverage for the paper, overseeing reviews, author profiles, and long-form features on global literary awards. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent writing highlights a blend of literary expertise and sharp social commentary: 1. Literary Coverage & Nobel/Booker Awards "2025 Nobel Prize in Literature | Hungarian master of apocalypse" (Oct 10, 2025): An in-depth analysis of László Krasznahorkai’s win, exploring his themes of despair and grace. "Everything you need to know about the Booker Prize 2025" (Nov 10, 2025): A comprehensive guide to the history and top contenders of the year. "Katie Kitamura's Audition turns life into a stage" (Nov 8, 2025): A review of the novel’s exploration of self-recognition and performance. 2. Gender & Workplace Policy "Karnataka’s menstrual leave policy: The problem isn’t periods. It’s that workplaces are built for men" (Oct 13, 2025): A viral opinion piece arguing that modern workplace patterns are calibrated to male biology, making women's rights feel like "concessions." "Best of Both Sides: For women’s cricket, it’s 1978, not 1983" (Nov 7, 2025): A piece on how the yardstick of men's cricket cannot accurately measure the revolution in the women's game. 3. Social Trends & Childhood Crisis "The kids are not alright: An unprecedented crisis is brewing in schools and homes" (Nov 23, 2025): Writing as the Opinions Editor, she analyzed how rising competition and digital overload are overwhelming children. 4. Author Interviews & Profiles "Fame is another kind of loneliness: Kiran Desai on her Booker-shortlisted novel" (Sept 23, 2025): An interview regarding The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny. "Once you’ve had a rocky and unsafe childhood, you can’t trust safety: Arundhati Roy" (Aug 30, 2025): A profile on Roy’s recent reflections on personal and political violence. Signature Beats Gender Lens: She frequently critiques the "borrowed terms" on which women navigate pregnancy, menstruation, and caregiving in the corporate world. Book Reviews: Her reviews often draw parallels between literature and other media, such as comparing Richard Osman’s The Impossible Fortune to the series Only Murders in the Building (Oct 25, 2025). ... Read More