Voiix – Redefining Indian Couture

Voiix by Saiba and Maneet

Voiix, a woman’s clothing label by Saiba and Maneet is bending genres and redefining the stereotypes of Indian dressing sensibilities. Their brand aesthetics lies in the fact that traditional Indian clothing has countless facets to it; the designer duo are thriving to create awareness in the society through their beautiful outfits that speak volumes about being bold and expressive through casting remarkable fashion statements. We speak to Saiba about her beloved label:

Voiix by Saiba and Maneet

What does Voiix mean?

Voiix means voice in French. We have been in the fashion industry for seven years now; earlier we were retailing under a different brand name. However, we have re-launched our label, wherein themed collection will be showcased on a regular basis interpreting the core mantra of Indian couture. Our clothes reflect tastes of contemporary, independent Indian women; be it the colour palette or the luxurious fabrics, cuts and silhouettes, or perhaps the almost delicious embroidery work and flowy drapes, our collection talks about feminism in the most au courant ways. Nonetheless, even feminism has a slight touches of masculinity to it; women today are no more delicate damsels, and neither do they like to dress up in such manner—panel dressing, sharp cuts and structured silhouettes are today’s go-to options.

Voiix by Saiba and Maneet

Tell us about one fashion trend that you absolutely love…

Monochrome is huge this season; it works with two extreme colours- black and white. However, we have tried being a little experimental here and worked on a collection that has reds and whites, instead of the regular colour shade. Monochrome trend depicts illuminati; it casts a very powerful fashion statement; we have just tried to give this trend a refreshing makeover.

Voiix by Saiba and Maneet

What colour will be ruling the fashion dais this summer?

It has to be white. White capes and summer jackets will be the ruling fashion element this summer. Also, white saris with subtle pops of colour, and white crop tops paired with high-waisted palazzos will be the trending look for the coming months. In short, white will be beautifully blended in Indo-fusion ensembles with touch of western influences. As far as fabrics are concerned, jersey, khadi, raw silk and other Indian handlooms will do the rounds.

Voiix by Saiba and Maneet

What are you working on next?

We are focusing on our winter collection wherein Indian weaves will be the pivotal factor. We have tied up with local weavers of Banaras for developing our very own weaves, brocades and more… The collection will flaunt gorgeous paisleys with baroque touch, lots of gold and red interplay on bridal canvasses and of course oxblood red and jade will be surfacing on many outfits.

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).

Karlito Limited Edition Capsule Collection

Karlito Capsule Collection

With his fun, coloured fur crest, Karlito lands now for the first time on FENDI ready-to-wear and accessories, after making his debut on Fall/Winter 2014-2015 fashion show catwalk of the Roman Maison. Now he’s back with an exclusive limited edition, eye-catching capsule collection which is both ironic and sophisticated, fusing fur with denim and sportswear in a playful yet luxurious way.

Karlito Capsule Collection

The range of products features black and white sweatshirts, cool jeans, a shawl, sneakers, a fur hat, a shopping bag, a studded backpack, a fun I-phone covers, and lastly, Karlito and mini Karlito. Each piece features an iconic flourish of fur across both the body and crest in vibrant colours ranging from fuchsia to turquoise.

Karlito Capsule Collection

Karlito is the popular Karl Lagerfeld fur FENDI charm, creating an upbeat homage from FENDI to its Ready-to-Wear and Fur Creative Director. The ultimate representation of FENDI’s creativity, Karlito and mini Karlito charms are dressed in Karl Lagerfeld’s iconic outfit with black mink sunglasses, a black tie in leather and white shirt, with silver fox body. The crest is a fun touch in kiddasia fur, with stunning variations of fuchsia, orange, turquoise and green, for every taste.

The Summer Edition by Ogaan.com

Ogaan.com

Ogaan went online just about a month ago. At the brink of the changing season, the website is now live with its Summer Edition, packed with easy pieces, saris and some gorgeous, drama-infused jewellery. Here’s what to look out for in the airy summer edition.

Ogaan.com

Raw Mango’s beautiful hand-woven chanderi saris in bright juicy colours— perfect for summer weddings. Sanjay Garg of Raw Mango says of the collection online with Ogaan, “This line has Raw Mango must-haves. You can dress up these saris with a brocade blouse for a wedding or you can wear them with a simple cotton blouse.”

Ogaan.com

There’s a wide range of jewellery on Ogaan.com with a collection from Dang inspired by nature, flowers and twigs made especially for Ogaan – the champa, bail, and nargis earrings being particularly dramatic and fun. Also, spunky haath-phools from Astha Jagwani and India Modern ear cuffs and maang-tikas from Divya Chugh are trending high!

Ogaan.com

Viange Vintage has picks from Vintage Dior, YSL, Sonia Rykiel and more and Ritika Sachdeva brings chunky, modern pieces that go with everything. Ogaan.com allows for gift notes with orders and has a special measurements panel that allows you to figure out your size quickly and easily. You enter your four key measurements and save them; then you can compare them with precise measurements for each size to figure out your own size painlessly.

Ogaan.com

Selections on the website will be changing continuously, reflecting Ogaan’s favourite pieces each season, and in the coming months, Ogaan expects to add more labels from among their extensive list of celebrated and upcoming designers.

Global Patterns on Ethnic Fabrics

Neha Agarwal

Known for her vibrant and gutsy designs, Neha Agarwal is back with another inspiring collection— ‘From Russia, with Love’ that narrates a tale of two cultures. Russian-inspired silhouettes and motifs fused with Indian fabrics and techniques are the crux of Neha’s work this year. Usage of intricate hand-embroidered appliqués on georgette, ahimsa, dupion, pure mal, tussar and pattu silk on Russian-inspired artwork makes this array of designs one-of-a-kind.

Neha Agarwal

The collection reminisce form-fitting fashion of early 1900s, Russia. Eye-catching dresses and bamboo denim jackets with cape collars, adorned with cross-stitch detailing and floral embroidery; circular dresses with hand block printed motifs and denim crop tops with printed Russian dolls and flared jumpsuits in pure silk with a denim bodice and embroidered scalloped sleeves, complete this resplendent collection.

Neha Agarwal

Overall, it is an innovative fusion of global patterns into ethnic fabrics and techniques that awaits to take the fashion orb by storm.

Marsala collection by Lalit Dalmia

Marsala collection by Lalit Dalmia

Lalit Dalmia, the face behind the brand of the same name is a self-taught talent from Hisar who has left the world awestruck with his powerful and unique design vision. He has shown the world how his elegant designs for women can take luxury to a whole new level. He doesn’t consider himself as a designer but a creator, who just doesn’t want to make pretty clothes; instead, through his creations he wants to make every woman feel like an urban goddess.

Marsala collection by Lalit Dalmia

His inspirations are endless and can be drawn from anything & everything. His label is synonymous with opulence, contemporary Indian and Indo-Western wear. His intention has been to create glamourous ensembles with traditional textures, embroideries, and craftsmanship juxtaposed with modern designs. He experiments around unusual fabrics and textures to create masterpieces, which takes us back to the Victorian and Mughal period.

Marsala collection by Lalit Dalmia

To sum it all in a nutshell, Lalit attributes his collections as ‘clothes with international styling and Indian soul’. If you are looking for enchanting and sophisticated fusion of distinctive traditional and modern designs with the stroke of muted classy and reserved attitude, you know where to go now! The designer uses a colour palette, which makes one feel nostalgic about our intricate and ancient eras in history.

An Early Frost by Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna

Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna

Seasons come and fade; and with each season come the greatness of beauty and joy. Yet, winter always presents a harsh beauty—cold and icy, yet spectacular in its own chosen ways. Sometimes, the frost tends to creep in our lives on early notes and existence seems to be fragile and cruel.

Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna

Even last winter, came in early and took away smiles and glee of the milder seasons but reminded us of the fragility of life. This collection titled ‘An Early Frost’ is the tangible reality of mixed emotions of the designers at this moment of their lives. Thus, the collection embodies the colours of a cold forest—ash grey, dark oak, and whitish mist.

Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna

Prints and textures have been inspired from fur textures and infused with signature linear patterns in monotones; the scaling and handcrafted appliqué has been inspired from the intriguing animal skins. Cold metallic aesthetics can be seen in the collection by the use of riveting techniques.

Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna

The silhouettes for the season have a lot of layering and exaggerated sleeves. The capes, high-waisted skirts, embossed neoprene dresses, laser-cut jackets are the key styles of this collection. This special collection together is a lament and celebration of a life.

How to Write a Fairy Tale by Anju Modi

Anju Modi

When you tread in reality everyday of your life; when the world is dull and filled with routine; when your spirit needs reviving and your soul is sick and screaming –let’s escape together to a world where anything is possible, let’s escape together and enter our Fairytale.

Anju Modi

As we unravel our imagination, the Cosmo goes wild, the woods turn dark, the wolves get greedy, and the moon is blue and as snow consumes everything, a woman in red stands tall. Her head held high against the elements, she is everything that is good.  She is love, she is hope, and she is beauty: the beauty of creation that makes every moment in our lives meaningful.

Anju Modi

It is from this meaning that Anju Modi presented her Autumn/Winter 2015 collection this year. Every fabric draped, every line sketched, and every muse revered is an ode to this fairytale that takes us away from the mundane and breathes life back in our souls.

Creatively, Sensually and Visually Satisfying

Rajesh Pratap Singh for Amazon India Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2015

Veteran fashion designer and my favourite, Rajesh Pratap Singh commenced the Amazon India Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2015 on a rather unpredictable yet jaw-dropping note. The ramp saw a whole bunch of creative mélange—hospital-like setup, wherein beds with crisp white sheets were lined up neatly, along with saline stands on each side. As the lights dimmed, the saline bottles sparkled with small bulbs and Indi-rock music with hints of grunge genre played aloud as models walked flaunting theatrical gestures in black and white outfits.

Rajesh Pratap Singh for Amazon India Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2015

Structured and clinical, Rajesh Pratap Singh’s Autumn/Winter 2015 collection celebrates life’s true stage and its characters.   In this space, life is black and white with some indigo thrown in. Life is graphic here and it has its own beauty.

Rajesh Pratap Singh for Amazon India Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2015

Dissected and reconstructed surfaces using the brand’s signature hand-seam detailing have been extensively used in the collection. Hand-sewn garments in leather and wool using suture seam and its derivatives are utilised for the first time in garmenting.

Rajesh Pratap Singh for Amazon India Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2015

Stark surface textures and colour blocking are coordinated with footwear, where architecture is not your Achilles heel. Fabric experimentation takes the form of structured wool weaves in natural indigo and not so natural black. The romance with Ikkat still continues. This collection can be perceived as a bitter sweet pill—as we all know, the best medicine is laughter.

Boho Caravan by Hemant & Nandita

Boho Caravan by Hemant & Nandita

How inspiring is Kashmir! Timeless architecture, undying techniques, delicate embroideries, scenic beauty and extravagant handicrafts and clothing that are all spotted under one big roof. The duo’s long visited expedition has yet again given them a chance to paint their next canvas with the flashing memories of this picturesque destination.

Boho Caravan by Hemant & Nandita

For Autumn/Winter 2015, Hemant & Nandita project their love for ethnicity through the art of storytelling. While folk and regional tapestry outlines this collection, Boho Caravan entwines ancestral tradition with bohemian glamour.

Boho Caravan by Hemant & Nandita

Clustering floral thread embroideries, swirling ethnic prints, rich earthy tones with an intricate texture treatments, this collection echoes sheer wilderness. Cozy blanket overcoats and capes are tied on to dainty maxi dresses and pants, assorted with detailing of swaying fringes and tassels.

Boho Caravan by Hemant & Nandita

This collection is deeply rooted into muted tones of dusky brown, smoke grey, olive green, mustard, and dull reds. With comfortable tweeds, plaids, velvet and felt highlights, Boho Caravan reflects true sense of a nomadic woman who is a free-spirited leader with effortless elegance.