Amrit Kaur’s Fascination with Retro

Amrit Kaur’s Collection

Speaking of retro trends of the season…

This season is all about return of the retro in modern style. Swooping bellbottoms, tightly-fit tops, and psychedelic prints—everywhere we look, the 1970s style is back in heavy rotation with touches of contemporary style. For instance, flared pants are given a modern look by teaming it up with crisp white shirts or a crop tops; also, take note of oversized sunglasses, polka-dotted hair accessories, bright floral prints and more.

Tale of fabrics, color palette, prints and silhouettes…

For this summer, I have played with cotton silk, chiffon, chanderi and blend of cotton and raw silk. The fabrics portray a palette of bright colours and prints. With vibrant pop colours such as yellow, orange, green, purple, blue and red taking the center stage, I have played very strategically with bold prints and floral prints to make my garments look more fun and lively. I used floral-roses to cast hints of feminineness, and tropical prints, wild flowers along with long leafs with subtle colors and geometric prints to recall disco elements in crop tops, blouses, sheer capes, mid-cuff skirts, pencil-cut skirts, short dress and pantsuits for woman.

Amrit Kaur’s Collection

What went behind making of your latest collection?

Love of retro and love of summer went behind conceptualizing this collection. Movies like American hustle and TV shows like the 70’s show got me really inspired.

Tell us about your fascination with the good-old 70s fashion…

70’s fashion is a statement to be bold, fun and joy. Pop colors, bold prints, high-waisted flared trousers, symmetry and hints of disco gold on jumpsuits, capes, and dresses often bring out the hippie in you. I am in love with this unpretentious and fearless style statement. Rugged hairdos, statement headgears, Bohemian scarfs, oversized hats and big sunnies always arrest my attention.

Amrit Kaur’s Collection

The muse…

The whole look and energy of 70’s era inspired me; the era reminds me of times that were hassle-free, fun, optimistic and unpretentious in terms of fashion. The pop culture, disco trends and hippies really stood out amidst two oil crisis movements, the end of the Vietnam War and suffering economy. The 70’s were a time of beauty and freedom, when femininity was pushed forward. Bold prints and vibrant colors has always been my favorite but 70’s also give us bold flashy gold look—think of big loops, jewelry and belts.

Future plans?

Right now I am working on my new collection for autumn/winter 2015-16 in which I am taking further my retro theme in winter style making more of coats, jackets and sheer dresses. Rest all is a surprise (she smiles).

Urban Androgyny at Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2014

Amrita Khanna & Gursi Singh

Amrita Khanna and Gursi Singh- Urban, dignified and unique were three words that best described the city slick collection under the label ‘Lovebirds’, inspired by urban issues from designer duo, Amrita Khanna and Gursi Singh at Jabong Stage during the fashion week.

Amrita Khanna & Gursi Singh

Trendy, straight cut silhouettes made their way onto the ramp in the form of skirts, tops, shirts, trousers, jackets, tunics and dresses in simple yet stylish fabrics like cottons, satins along with neoprene and mesh. Pastel tones in mint green, pure white, elegant black, denim blue and nude brown worked to give the range a fresh appeal.

Amrita Khanna & Gursi Singh

Although quirky, the outfits were spared of heavy embellishments or layers, to make way for an easy-to-wear style that was practical and stylish. Subtle structure and laser cut pieces made each outfit distinct and unique. Street smart and sophisticated ‘Lovebirds’ by designer duo Amrita Khanna and Gursi Singh, was an avant-garde take on functional fashion.

Prathoni Yengkhom & Jacky Laishram

Prathoni Yengkhom and Jacky Laishram- Designer duo Prathoni Yengkhom and Jacky Laishram under their label ‘Poco & Jacky’ created a vintage-meets-modern collection for their debut at Jabong Stage during the fashion week.

Prathoni Yengkhom & Jacky Laishram

The silhouettes aimed at men and women, ranged from contemporary to classic and comprised of skirts, trousers, jackets, blazers, dresses, coats, saris and gowns. To add an experimental, edgy undertone, the designers worked with faux leather and silk and stuck to a demure yet daring colour palette consisting of shades like moody moss, tantalising teal and ochre.

Prathoni Yengkhom & Jacky Laishram

To further reflect the flow between traditional and unconventional, embellishments complemented vintage techniques like beading and weaving onto New-Age textiles and almost-androgynous forms.

Power to Women at Lakmé fashion week winter/festive 2014

Druv Kapur

Druv Kapur’s label ‘DRVV’ showcased stunning garments that depicted after-effects of a battleground, wherein the fighting woman emerged stronger and bolder. The garments were primal and eclectic, which depicted resurrected soldier. Untamed and unstructured in construction with textures handcrafted from silk, it was minimal.

Druv Kapur

The colours that so rightly gave essence to the collection were wolf grays and bloody reds. These hues were hinted at in the linings or on the garment as a whole, along with fur and button detailing. The bloodthirsty compilation consisted of modest yet fierce silhouettes like plain collared shirts with dramatic back floor touching drapes paired with pants that were lined with zip detailing. Another focal point of the designs was the fur like dress, stitched on blood red cape that further went on and draped around the arms.

Pranav Mishra & Shyma Shetty

‘HUEMN’ by Pranav Mishra and Shyma Shetty made another powerful statement through their clothing line at the fashion week. The fascinating duo enticed the crowd and created a line that threw light on the battles of a fearless woman. They based it on the delicacy and softness of ideal woman that subtly yearned for masculine separates. The constant change was depicted in the form of androgynous styling. This transformed into a dubious contrast with the character of the fabric, the craftsmanship and the colour that balanced it out. Importance was given to both the trouser and skirt that rendered it equivocal. Restructured evergreen silhouettes were fused with futuristic materials and embellishment detailing that gave it the perfect urbanised demeanour.

Pranav Mishra & Shyma Shetty

Fabrics like vinyl, cotton, silk, hosiery and classic suiting fabrics took centre stage as the chaos was merged to form serene silhouettes like the pants in suit fabrics that were designed to look sporty. A mehendi green pencil skirt with a white stripe and an oversized black jumper was another ensemble that stood out. Men’s wear had plain white shirt with a leafy appliqué in the shape of an ‘O’. Also seen was a classic grey suit sporting white striped patches and ankle grazed pants. This made the collection wearable for both the sexes.

Monica Shah and Karishma Swali

Proud owners of ‘JADE’, Monica Shah and Karishma Swali once again showcased a collection that one could be proud of. India’s heritage and culture were revealed in their new collection, ‘In The Temples Of Hoysala’ at the fashion week. The show opened with internationally renowned contemporary dancer Astaad Deboo who also closed the presentation with his graceful dance movements. The effort put into the collection by the pair was to draw attention to work of the artisans who, at that time had no idea how magnificently it would be admired.

Monica Shah and Karishma Swali

This dynamic duo rendered the beautiful painstaking hand carvings from around the temples of Hoysala in Karnataka, South India onto fabric to give the collection the grace and beauty that the temples emit. The exquisite ensembles were further enhanced in elegance with the moulded motifs that were discovered around the temples. The duo infused colours drawn from Kathakali dancers, which were subtle muted shades like beige and gold that matched with contrasting colours like pinks, oxblood and antique gold to highlight the contours of the temples. The silhouettes were clean cut and gave prominence to the colossal grace.

Nupur Kanoi

Nupur Kanoi celebrated bridal wear in an unconventional style at the fashion week. Marrying traditional with contemporary touches, the line offered loose distressed knits with cable knit patterns, slipped rows in hand knits, along with wool, herringbone and argyle patterns. ‘Close Knit’ is the unconventional title given to the collection, which was divided into three distinct colours – bronze, silver and gold, along with heavy metal revealed marked fusions touch and were ideal for the bridal season.

Nupur Kanoi

This interesting avant-garde blend of winter wear with bridal embellishments was used creatively for sweaters, coats, blazers, kimonos, ponchos and parkas, which were merged with lehengas, gherdaars, sherwanis, kurtas and angarkhas to form a new-age offering in silks and crushed tissues. The silver segment worked around cable knit/slipped row embroidery for the crushed tissue cropped jackets, angarkhas, trousers and the bundhgala suits. An innovative silver poncho T-shirt maxi and long poncho waistcoat gave a new look to western wear.

Style Parade at Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2014

Teresa Laisom and Utsav Pradhan

Designer duo Teresa Laisom and Utsav Pradhan under their label ‘Munkee see Munkee doo’ showcased an uber chic collection titled ‘An Asian living in Europe’ at the fashion week. The imaginative range inspired by Japanese modern art and culture incorporated contemporary European aesthetics onto silhouettes, which ranged from skirts, dresses, coats, jackets, tops to trousers.

Teresa Laisom and Utsav Pradhan

Structured with a charming, natural flow, each piece was a beautiful fusion of oriental-meets-modern. Layers dominated the outfits in unique blends such as wool-felt, viscose twill and poly-satin, while embroideries with chords and shaded threads helped add a touch of bold sophistication.

Teresa Laisom and Utsav Pradhan

Mesh work along with zippers, pleats and an innovative use of suspenders to connect pieces infused a sporty-fun vibe, balancing out the range’s diverse appeal. The colour palette comprised of bold tones of white, red, grey, black, dusky cream and blue, while also offering paler, pastel tones for a more playful edge.

Chandni Mohan

‘Selvage’ an elegant and unique collection inspired by memories and their part in human life by designer Chandni Mohan was a raging success at the fashion week. Classic, quirky silhouettes of the late 1980’s, graced the ramp with emphasised cuts and forms and were balanced by seams with anchor and nylon threads, for a wearable yet stylish appeal.

Chandni Mohan

Separates and ensembles comprised of box fit jackets, shirt dresses, shorts, skirts, cape jackets and draped dresses in versatile shades of night black, bronze brown, mulberry wine, and ethereal white. Fabrics ranged from woolen fur, felt, heavy cotton twill to micro crepes matched to stretch wool, foil jersey and Napa leather.

Chandni Mohan

Combining aesthetics from Frank Gehry’s movement in architecture, the designer focused on extreme detailing and skillfully used zipper accents, metal studs and antique gold buttons for a simple yet sassy edge. Nifty, nostalgic and out of this world, ‘Selvage’ by Chandni Mohan will have any fashionista reminiscing and ready to take on the world- fashionably.

Pamela Easton and Lydia Pearson

Pamela Easton and Lydia Pearson made a debut with their label ‘Easton Pearson’ at the fashion week with an Indo-Australian fashion fantasy. No strangers to India, this 25-year-old label, which started in 1989 in Australia has become one of the top sellers in Sydney and Brisbane.

 

Pamela Easton and Lydia Pearson

Working with Indian artisans for the past 20 years, this label caused excitement on the fashion ramp with the ‘BeBop’ collection. Inspired by the 1940’s BeBop Jazz era, it was a line replete with colour and exciting patterns. A line up of models sporting white wigs edged in pink, green, blue or orange set the mood for the show.

Pamela Easton and Lydia Pearson

Opting for only natural fabrics like high quality silks and cottons, the pair used embellishments, which were varied with glass, raffia, cotton tape, beads, cut and mirror work as well as hand embroidery, which added to the beauty of the garments. Contrasts were rampant in hues as blue, orange, green, brown and white combined with modern shapes and extraordinary details. Beaded slip dresses had flirty raffia fringing, while there was wildly striped multi-coloured tussar silk with opulent embroidery executed by Shrujan in Kutch.

Swati Vijaivargie for Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2014

Swati Vijaivargie with Showstopper Neha Dhupia

Inspired by traditional clothing amongst Hmong women and Vietnamese culture, designer Swati  Vijaivargie charmed all with her artistic collection titled ‘Rangraez’ at Jabong Stage during the fashion week.

Swati Vijaivargie

The designer worked with traditional motifs and geometric prints on handmade silks to add a new age, bohemian appeal to her outfits, which comprised of jackets, trousers, tops, blouses, kurtis, coats and tunics. Colours like emerald green, smoke black, burnt tangerine, deep blue and fuchsia added a fun pop artsy tone and were complemented by buttons, hand-cut antique gold sequins and quilting for a sophisticated edge.

Swati Vijaivargie

A stand out feature within the collection was the delicate play of geometry with embroidery for a striking, individualistic style that was both traditional and modern. Showstopper Neha Dhupia dazzled in an orange coat paired with a cropped top, a skirt and cigarette pants, which beautifully displayed the designer’s flair for layers.

Swati Vijaivargie

Aesthetically intriguing and fashionably fantastic, ‘Rangraez’ by Swati Vijaivargie was one collection that will appeal to any woman who knows what she wants and more importantly, how to get it glamorously.

Designers Nitin Chawla, Asa Kazingmei and Ujjawal Dubey presented diverse collections at Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2014

Theorem by Nitin Chawla

‘Richard’s Diary’ by Nitin Chawla – A visually stunning and highly imaginative story of a man who worked at a railroad union in Pennsylvania in the 1800’s came to life with Nitin Chawla’s collection ‘Richard’s Diary’ at the Jabong Stage during the fashion week. The collection for his label ‘Theorem’ comprised of silhouettes for both men and women, focusing on the style and cuts from that era along with practicality and personal style of the 21st century.

Theorem by Nitin Chawla

Dresses, coats, trousers, jackets, blazers, jumpsuits, shirts and separates took to the ramp in elegant, durable and heavy fabrics like tweed and leather. To add a hint of modern edge, the designer used digitally printed and brushed fabrics with stud detailing along with checks and pockets for a balanced appeal. Patchwork and layers further worked their magic on each piece in shades of dark blue, chocolate and red.

Asa Kazingmei

‘Changvei’ by Asa Kazingmei– Known for his raw and edgy take on fashion, Asa revealed a new collection inspired by the shield used by Naga warriors when at war. The silhouettes were almost armour-like, form fitting at the top so as to ‘protect’ one’s body. Exaggerated necklines and shoulders structured to mirror ‘self-expression through restriction’, was a concept derived from the boundaries and strife witnessed by the Naga warriors.

Asa Kazingmei

To balance out the range, feminine, free-flowing skirts, corsets and gowns, reflected the beauty and elegance even in tragedy while the outfits tailored for men included jackets, pants and shirts with controlled forms. The designer used embellishments and layers along with pleats, metallic studs, chains, rivets, leather piping and zippers to further strengthen the outfits for an ‘appliqués for weapons’ train of thought.

Antar-Agni by Ujjawal Dubey

‘The Otherside’ by Ujjawal Dubey’s – His collection ‘The Otherside’ from his label ‘Antar-Agni’ showcased a wide spectrum of emotions – raw and unaltered by using silhouettes for a canvas. Using fabrics such as linens, heavy and hand-woven cottons, cotton jacquards and chambrays, the designer made sure his ‘body art’ was deliciously decadent and functionally fashionable.

Antar-Agni by Ujjawal Dubey

Kurtas, dresses, trousers, coats, crop tops, tunics, jackets, blazers and kaftans made their way onto the runway in easy-to-wear shades of smoky grey, tin, brown, burnt beige, night blue and charcoal black. An outfit which stood out within the collection was an elegant cloud grey suit with double pockets paired with dhoti pants that gave an Indo-chic vibe. The collection, which was aimed at both men and women incorporated leather, piping, gathers and textured detailing that added to the allure of the collection, giving it an edgy and intriguing Indo-traditional appeal.