Debashri Samanta
‘Hooked’ by Debashri Samanta- Tussar, silk and woolen jamdani came together for Debashri Samanta who enchanted the audience with her Vietnam-inspired collection called ‘Hooked’ at the fashion week.
Debashri Samanta
Eager to recreate the rustic, rich culture of the far eastern country with touches of contemporary appeal, Debashri celebrated the beauty of old and new with creative vigour. The traditional jamdani fish motifs and loose cotton was engineered to suit new age silhouettes. Bringing to centre stage the stylishly torn hand-knitted woolens, Debashri told a fashionable tale of craft, culture and hints of poverty from Vietnam’s exotic heritage. Fish and hook motifs were hand-woven on the woolen jamdani, as well as the shredded knit covers. The colour story was sombre with black, white, purple and grey being the base.
Debashri Samanta
Opening the show with a printed coat over an asymmetric, knotted- at-the-hemline midi, Debashri followed it with a black jumpsuit with long crushed cotton hoodie. Woolen knit choli under a choir boy cape, front tie-up pants, boxy printed coat, over-lapping waist cropped pants, loose square kurta and a draw string gathered pleated skirt, were some of the interesting construction techniques that emerged on stage. To end the show Debashri brought in the knitted one-shoulder cover, a printed poncho and a one-shoulder long sleeve creation.
Divya Sheth
‘Ajrakh Jo Galicho’ by Divya Sheth- Divya Sheth was inspired by tea tables with Ajrakh prints. For the fashion week, Divya once again worked with Ajrakh for a collection called ‘Ajrakh Jo Galicho’ (Carpet of Ajrakh). Highlighting health conscious festive wear for spiritual souls, Divya had natural dyed Ajrakh with experimental Kalamkari, which was hand printed/painted and turned these two crafts into couture offerings.
Divya Sheth
Indian hues lit up the ramp as haldi and kesari, and mehendi sindoor, were created with pure turmeric, henna, madder flower and indigo. Adding Uzbek ikat, large doses of gotta, quilling, raffia tassels and safety pins, the winter collection of carpet dresses, scarves and draped garments were a visual delight to behold.
Divya Sheth
Colours were muted shades of khaki, brown, chutney and teal. The military like dress with raffia tassels, the wrap jumpsuit with woven shrug and the column creation with long sleeve tasseled bolero fitted into the theme perfectly. The multi fabric draped maxi added a feminine touch to the line, while the trio of indigo satin gowns with intricate embroidery on the sleeves and bodice, offered a more formal option. Dhoti pants were visible under long kameez and jacket, while the final khaki lehenga and printed kurta-coat with pleated 3D fan appliqués was a perfect answer to semi formal wear.
Sayantan Sarkar
‘Live and Let Live’ by Sayantan Sarkar– The Kokeshi dolls of Northern Japan set Sayantan Sarkar on a fashionable journey for his collection aimed at men and women at the fashion week. Merging cultures with traditional techniques, Sayantan called the collection ‘Live and Let Live’ and revived the popular doll motifs with shibori dyeing and added it to jamdani weaves and Indian block prints. These he cleverly highlighted with zardosi embroidery adding an Indian touch to the cotton mul, linen and jamdani that gave form and structure to the garments.
Sayantan Sarkar
The layered silhouettes had a trendy appeal as wide pants, asymmetric tops, and long skirts with cropped jackets or gilets, fitted trousers, fluid tunics and dresses created a colourful mélange of garments on the ramp with a hint of Samurai inspiration. Intricate construction was the hallmark of the men and women’s creations with the doll print appearing regularly in varying sizes. Knee-length jacket over a printed dress had striking appliqués on the shoulders, while kurtas had the addition of prints and colour blocking.
Sayantan Sarkar
Pleated long skirt looked good when teamed with jacket and tiny shrug. The asymmetric skirt, blouse and crossover waistcoat, and a four piece layered entry of skirt/tunic/shirt/waistcoat offered a multiple wardrobe option. Men’s wear had fitted short jackets, a colourful paneled shirt and a boldly printed layered jacket, which kept the theme intact. Shades of indigo, charcoal grey, tangerine orange and ecru along with sunflower yellow gave a fresh angle to the ensembles.
The Lifestyle Potpourri 