Blurring Fashion Borders

Meher and Riddhima

Meher and Riddhima, an evening-wear brand launched in 2002 caters to fashion that reflects delicately influenced rich heritage and tradition of a region. They produce gorgeous evening gowns, cocktail dresses, formal jumpsuits, accessories and children’s wear. Based out of Dubai, the label also has offices in New York and India. This venture is a creative alliance between Meher Mirchandani and Riddhima Whabi.

Meher and Riddhima

The designer duo’s design philosophy revolves around combining contemporary shapes with traditional influences. It is an evening wear brand with couture attention to detail. The brand has a balance of western sensibilities with eastern influences in the design. The inspiration for the collections is derived from art, architecture, music, travel, interiors and prominent women in history.

Meher and Riddhima

Define your label and forecast some upcoming trends…

Our label is made to make the wearer feel special, happy and beautiful. For the upcoming season, we would recommend fashionistas to look out for bright floral prints, crop tops, flowy skirts and pop-colored dresses.

Meher and Riddhima

Who has been your role model during your formative years and why?

I would say my mother as she is perfect in everything she does; she is a successful entrepreneur, loving mom and dedicated wife and great human being. She inspired me to express my fashion sensibilities through my designs and reach out to many…

Meher and Riddhima

How different is Indian fashion industry in comparison to its western counterparts?

Indian fashion industry focuses more on ethnic Indian wear, which again reflects a lot of Indian influences on fabrics, colors and embellishments; whereas, the western industry is all about minimalistic styling and contemporary, luxe fabrics.

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.

Western Influences on Indian Fabrics

Soltee AW15

What happens when the European art meets Indian vibrancy? Well, it creates something that is soothing to your eyes and worthy of everyone’s attention. The incredible vases inspire our latest collection. No matter what form they are, they are artful and each one has a story to tell. Inspired by the delicacy, art and class of vases, the House of Soltee by couturier Sulakshana Monga presents its new Autumn/Winter 2015 collection.

Soltee AW15

Abiding by our philosophy of ‘beauty is in details’, our brand new collection has pieces flaunting detailed embroidery and pattern. Expect breezy dresses to strong silhouettes, and backless gowns to drapes this season; AW15 collection is anything but narrow. The beautiful natural floral prints are blended with Indian sensibilities, casting an exotic look to the collection.

Soltee AW15

We have played around with International watercolors from genres of rose pink, champagne, beige, subtle peaches, olives and hues of oranges. Giving shape to the outfit are fluid fabrics like net, rayon crepes and cotton. The collection is perfect amalgamation of Indo-Western classic fusions intricately embroidered with unique classic methods of asymmetric detailing on gowns, lehengas and dresses.

Floral prints with a twist—Sneha Arora

Sneha Arora for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Designer, Sneha Arora showcased a beautiful line of clothes, perfect for a formal/semi-formal Spring/Summer work wardrobe. A modish and brazen alternative to a rather plain, black blazer/skirt or pant ensemble, this collection speaks volumes about her design sensibilities.

Sneha Arora for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Her collection brings forth a stunning portrayal of androgyny. But, in the true spirit of Spring/Summer, she infused elements of femininity perfectly. Silhouettes ranged from solid linen blazers to cotton printed dresses, and airy silk dresses in linen to organza shirts.

Sneha Arora for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

The colour palette flaunted dreary creams, dirty pinks, dull mints, mellow yellows and forest greens. And the tale of prints took the collection to a whole new level; think of coke bottle with a floral stick, bulb with plants and trees with falling petals.

Costume jewellery takes a refreshing turn

Tulsi Zaveri

Mumbai-based jewellery designer, Tulsi Zaveri brings forth a perfect mélange of traditional jewellery with undertones of quirk and modernity through her label, Ira. Her collection ranges from jewellery for everyday use to bridal adornments in refreshing designs.

Turquoise Kundan earrings by Ira

The colour palette she uses is speckled—from acid bright shades of tangerine and turquoise, to warm colours like powder blue and beiges, I love all her products. Her strength is kundan jewellery and she imparts modern twist to each of her pieces. The best part about her is that—she can customise the designs according to your whims and fancies. Excited? Well, I am.

Laxmi neck piece by Ira

Ira has jewellery for women from all paths of life; be it a college student or a housewife, a working corporate or a bride-to-be—you will find your piece here for sure. From necklaces in lilac shades to chandbalis in hues of reds and greens, payals in beaded textures to haathphools in jewel tones of emerald and sapphire—options are galore.

Neck piece by Ira

Love pearls? The above neck piece has many long strands of pearls that create a light-weight yet heavy look. The fresh colours of the natural stones and the meenakari beads give the necklace a new, hot feel! The neutral colours are perfect for any of your saris, lehenga cholis or anarkalis!

Purple natural stone necklace

Place your order at sales@irabytulsizaveri.com and find the products on Zaveri’s Facebook page- Ira by Tulsi Zaveri. You could also check out her products on her Instagram page- Irabytulsizaveri.

The Pink Bloom collection launched by Arttdinox

Pink Bloom tea set by Arttdinox

This collection is inspired from the subtle intricacies of nature. The beauty of flowers, leaves and buds are put together aesthetically as accentuating elements of the design. The range transports us to an era of regal living. The minimalistic design sensibilities juxtaposed with undertones of traditional eccentricities, makes the collection desirable.

Pink Bloom dinner set by Arttdinox

Floral artwork has been drafted and hand hammered, which gives delicate surface textures to the dinner range. The forms and shapes in the design are inspired from the traditional Indian belly shapes. The beautiful mélange of stainless steel and semi-precious stone enhances usability of the product.

Pink Bloom cup and saucer by Arttdinox

The colour pink of semi-precious stone, Rose quartz is highlighted in the form of a bud; it imparts a royal look to the collection with all focus steered towards the stone bud knob. Rose quartz, known as the ‘love stone’ invites love into one’s life; it is also known to lower stress.

Addressing social issues through Fashion—Gauri and Nainika

Gauri and Nainika for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

From dazzling wild flowers and leaves to the impersonations of earth and the continents, designer duo Gauri and Nainika brought forth an assortment of nature-inspired motifs in their outfits at the Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015.

Gauri and Nainika for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

The line of clothes comprised of dresses, flowy maxi gowns and mermaid gowns. Smart tailoring showed hints of European-styled clothing. Clean, romantic silhouettes, coupled with innovative, chic prints made the ensembles stand out. The empire-waist dresses, sheath gowns and peplum dresses are to be lusted for.

Gauri and Nainika for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

The played with a lot of colours, but white stood out well—they used this shade as a backdrop to many bright tones. Also,  radiant red and indigo blue flower motifs, placed intelligently on dresses, wooed me over completely.

Gauri and Nainika for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

The designer duo  sent out a very powerful message through their design sensibilities. In spite of being high on glamour, the clothes raised awareness about serious grass root level problems—melting glaciers, carbon-di-oxide gas emissions, car dumps, droughts and other catastrophic contributors of global warming.

With Kavita Bhartia’s return on the runway, Spring/Summer got a little more beautiful

Kavita Bhartia for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Kavita Bhartia is back on the runway at Wills India Fashion Week with her super classy Spring/Summer 2015 collection. Inspired by Chintz designs, her collection pays ode to the karigars and artisans who work meticulously, far away from the limelight to convert textiles into masterpiece outfits.

Kavita Bhartia for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Her clothes define home-grown craftsmanship, contouring layers of her design sensibilities. This collection took dying and printing techniques to a whole new level; pleats, origami folds on skirts, and architectural jhaalis embedded in sequins and zardozi work surfaced vividly.

Kavita Bhartia for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Kavita employed lots of khadi, cotton, and georgette and summer laces in her clothes. The choice of colours was equally soothing—ivory, white, and mint green and rose pink— perfect for summer months! Also, sudden explosion of bright colours interplayed with hints of black in some outfits.

Kavita Bhartia for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Crochet and thread patterns were incorporated in the collection to highlight voluminous skirts, body-contouring tops, flowing gowns and modern kurtas.