When Nature becomes the Muse

Anavila Misra

Designer Anavila Misra showcased her spring summer collection, ‘A Summer Stroll’ at the Lakme Fashion Week at Mumbai recently. Humanity has traded in a real jungle for a concrete, mechanical one. Devoid of green space to claim, we have resigned ourselves to the nostalgia of winding summer strolls in the evening. The rustling trees and wafting breeze have now been replaced by relentless drilling machines & swirling smog.

Anavila Misra

It is this feeling of being bereft of verdant vegetation that inspired the idea behind ‘A Summer Stroll’ collection. Derived from a strong love for nature, this fashion line merges geometric designs with botanical motifs, irregular shapes and marks to juxtapose the urban and natural environs. It’s an expression of the balance we are seeking in our modern lives.

Anavila Misra

So embrace the bracing sensation of wearing nature in its natural and fabricated glory as you stake to reclaim the last of metropolis’ foliage cover. After all, it was Khalil Gibran who said—“Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long.”

Anavila Misra

In sync with the changing landscape, the colour palette of the collection integrates elements like greenery, cement, stone, wood, and earth. Being an ardent enthusiast of organic textiles and rustic art, the elegant and very stylish Dia Mirza was the showstopper for the designer.

The varying colours of Indian and Tibetan arts & crafts

Dastkari Haat Samiti 2015

Jaya Jaitly, President of Dastkari Haat Samiti brings the best of Indian and Tibetan art at the 29th edition of Dastkari Haat Craft Bazaar at Dilli Haat, INA.

Dastkari Haat Samiti 2015

The Dastkari Haat Samiti is once again gearing up for its annual display of the finest handicrafts from all corners of India. The hugely popular craft bazaar has an added attraction this year—the intricate and beautiful handicrafts from Tibet, ancient craft handed down through generations of painstaking work and dedication.

Dastkari Haat Samiti 2015

The Dastkari Haat Samiti, now in its 29th year, is the brain child of Ms Jaya Jaitly, a renowned social activist who has dedicated four decades of her life and career to crafts and innovating newer ways to sustain craft and its people. She has also been a founding member of Dilli Haat, a single platform for craftsmen from the remotest areas the country to display and sell their finest wares.

Dastkari Haat Samiti 2015

Hundreds of items, the best of products of Indian and Tibetan artisans have been specially selected for the bazaar. This is also a great opportunity for the artisans to exchange their views at the Tibetan-Indian crafts and skill exchange workshop. The special feature every year is a workshop for International artisans. This time Tibetan crafts persons will engage in work with Indian counterparts from Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Dastkari Haat Samiti 2015

Visitors will also get to enjoy traditional music and dance performances. Traditional Ramdev folk singers from Kutch, Chhau dancers from Jharkhand and Tibetan traditional dancers will enrich the atmosphere throughout the day.

Dastkari Haat Samiti 2015

What- Dastkari Haat Samiti’s 29th Annual – Dastkari Haat Craft Bazaar

When- 1st to 15th January 2015

Where- Dilli Haat, INA New Delhi

Time- 11.00am -09.00pm daily

Entry- Rs 20

Miniature-styled paintings translated on clothes—Tarun Tahiliani

Tarun Tahiliani at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Master couturier Tarun Tahiliani showcased his latest collection at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015. For the first time ever, his show didn’t have a show stopper; nonetheless, the pomp and glory of the sets and his outfits left the audience spellbound.

Tarun Tahiliani at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

The collection was unveiled at DLF Emporio Mall, instead of the customary Pragati Maidan venue. The set was bright, colourful and magnificent with the London-based Singh Twins’ paintings, neatly hung around to create a magical ambience. In fact, Tahiliani’s collection was inspired by the Twin’s paintings.

Tarun Tahiliani at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

“I went into a trance when I first saw their work. In a way, I suppose I responded in entirety to their Past Modern work—a series of vivacious, detailed paintings with Asian and Western influence and global iconography using traditional techniques from Indian miniature paintings. It was a breathtaking, fresh, and scholarly take on patterns and layering; with such wit and flair, I could not wait to put together a ready-to-wear collection,” avers Tahiliani.

Tarun Tahiliani at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

The collection portrayed Tahiliani’s signature drapes and cuts—easy, flowy and very chic. Silhouettes like tunics, shirts, saris and draped lehengas were reinterpreted in a sudden outburst of colours that ranged from peaches to bright limes and indigo blues to orange ocher.