Chinese WhispersTHE West has dried up; the East is now the Mecca of all muses. The Far East sets the mood of the moment with cheongsam-inspired dresses. JJ Valaya’s Tintin in Shangri-La captures the spirit of the traveller—long woollen coats that reverse into mesmerising Chinese prints. Tarun Tahiliani’s black embroidered dress, ivory backless and decolletage kurta are Indianised takes on the cheongsam. Manish Arora’s ode to the East had Chinese collars and obi belts and in case you missed the point, a geisha opening the show. White TownWHITE is elegant, no-nonsense and also the most demanding of all colours—it constantly wants newer fabric, textures and embellishments. Abu-Sandeep had an entire collection in white—quilted tunics, flared skirts, chikan and lots of sheers. Rohit Bal’s layered flared skirts, tunics, sari drapes and coats with silver flat sequins and studs were inspired by his home state, Kashmir—his collection was dedicated to the first snowfall. Ritu Kumar showed a white linen layered line too. Animal KingdomFAUX fur trimmings peer from Manish Arora’s orange short jacket, Tarun Tahiliani’s feather-lined hems, and Wendell Rodricks’ bags, shoes, even a sarong. Arora had running horses printed on his T-shirts, while Sabyasachi cleverly married leopard prints with dusty wallpaper florals. Summer HolidayRESORT wear is the buzzword in fashion circles, almost every international biggie has a line dedicated to the holidaying traveller. Closer home, Suneet Varma’s big bold prints and colours, and sheer kaftans with hot pants look best on a cruise ship. Krishna Mehta has wispy chiffon shirt dresses, and Wendell Rodricks’ lounge collection was inspired by the ocean. Raghuvendra Rathore’s clothes are safari-bound, with big pockets, knee-high boots, white-jewelled kaftans and jodhpurs. Even a traditional Mughal label like Kotwara (Meera & Muzaffar) came up with a bikini top beneath a sheer ikat kaftan. Need we say more? Quotable CoatsJACKETS are the strongest statement of the season, lest you forget it’s a fall/winter showing. Coats that sculpt the body are worn with chiffon skirts, palazzos and knee-length skirts. Manish Arora had some warrior jackets, Ashish and Smita Soni had them in tie-and-dye, Rina Dhaka with a drawstring. Bal’s were short, floor-length, angrakha-style—in quilting, tonal embroidery and flat sequins. Valaya’s had reversible prints and button-on shawls. Anamika Khanna made her women androgynous, with ingeniously tailored jackets and square-cut and noodle-stripe applique. Gypsy KingsGYPSY skirts are modern versions of a lehenga. Ranna Gill’s entire line was an ode to the fortune-telling, nomadic gypsy. Rococo embroidery (Gill), gota (Rocky S, Manish Arora), warm spicy colours and paisley motifs (Malini Ramani, Kavita Bhartia) and mirror work (Rocky, Ritu Kumar)—Indi-kitsch at its best.
