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.

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’ unveiled at Quli Khan’s Tomb

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’

The Wills Lifestyle Grand Finale by Rohit Bal concluded the Spring Summer 2015 edition of India’s premiere fashion & trade event – Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week. It was a magical evening at Quli Khan’s Tomb with Qutub Minar as its backdrop came alive with this magnificent show.

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’, inspired by the rich and lush Mughal Gardens of Kashmir, is a tribute to the God-gifted and unparalleled beauty of the valley. Mesmerising the audience, through a visual and musical spectacle, the event recreated the erstwhile court of the Mughals through flowers and live music. With guests entering to live Sufi music, the show began with the resounding voice of the internationally acclaimed doyen of Indian classical music – Shubha Mudgal. While she sang, the models walked the ramp, adorned with flowers.

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’

A delighted Rohit Bal said, “It is wonderful to be back and a great honour to be doing the grand finale at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week once again. It is a perfect platform for me to show uninhibited creativity and express myself through a collection that transcends all seasons and reflects my sense of aesthetics without any constraints.”

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’

The fabrics range from fine handlooms like chanderi, fine mulmul, matka silk and voile, while velvet lends a hint of luxury. Techniques like hand-block printing have been used with vegetable dyes and gold leaf embossing, with a generous use of quilting and tilla, and hand embroidery in resham. This subtle collection revels in an extravagant use of thread and metallic gold.

Arjun Rampal walks for Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’ collection

Ivory formed the basis of this canvas; embroidered and deep jewel tones enhanced the purity of the earthy textile. The use of rich brocade from Varanasi added the right amount of glamour and opulence to the otherwise understated and demure collection.This collection represents the craft and heritage of India. It is pure in its thought and follows a philosophy of timeless style. It is quite, calm and enveloped in a cloak of serenity!

Sahil Kochhar playing with the quintessence of light and shadow

Sahil Kochhar with Carol Gracias and fellow model at Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

At Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015, designer Sahil Kochhar celebrated dhoop and chaon (light and shadow) by bringing forth a lovely line of clothes.

Sahil Kochhar for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Kochhar impressed the crowd with convoluted detailing and beautiful garments. Heavy stitching on silk fabrics marked the essence of the collection.

Sahil Kochhar for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Through his work, Kochhar celebrated the Sholapith craft, native to West Bengal. The silhouettes ranged from flowy jackets to capes in lurid shades. And the colour palette was bright—orange, lime yellow, reds and white ruled the dais.

Masaba Gupta created fireworks on the runway

Masaba for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

With ‘pataka’ being her muse, queen of quirk, designer Masaba Gupta created rage at Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015. The collection brought forth the zest and zeal of a ‘pataka’ coupled with a grand set up.

Masaba for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Models flaunted delicate floral prints and donned garlands made of fire crackers on their tresses. The outfits were mostly linear silhouetted; straight cut dresses flaunted earthy motifs of zodiac signs and embellishments like, splinters of diamonds.

Masaba for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Masaba worked with colours like, white, black and gold for her Spring/Summer collection; and, silhouettes ranged from saris to suits, and short dresses to long gowns with high slits.

‘Kalahari’ by Nachiket Barve—Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Nachiket Barve for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

‘Kalahari’ by Nachiket Barve is inspired by the austere, enormous, uninviting yet absolutely beautiful Kalahari and Namib deserts of Africa. His Spring/Summer 2015 collection at Wills India Fashion Week showcased checked fabrics of the Maasai tribe and beaded corsets of Dinka men in colour palettes replicating hues of the sand, sky and desert sun.

Nachiket Barve for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

The line of clothes scrounged streaks of influences from Africa but not in a ‘typical’ tribal manner. In fact, the silver jewellery of the Tuareg people has been reinterpreted in frail beading; the beaded corsets of the Dinka men have been deciphered to wooden beaded embroidery on dresses and the neck pieces and checked fabrics of the Maasai also instilled stark influences on part of the collection.

Nachiket Barve for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

The fabrics incorporated were shiny satin, jute, heavy silk crêpe, kota, tulle, chiffon, georgette, organza, chanderi, washed dupion, raw silk and tussar silk. Neutral backdrop often gave way to tonal embroidery and unusual motif placements took charge of the runway.

Nachiket Barve for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

The silhouettes presented were front slit skirts, slashing, mid-calf length, palazzos, zippers, cutouts, safari shirts, transparency and draping.

An ode to Gulmarg Valley—by Payal Singhal

Aditi Rao Hydari walks for Payal Singhal at Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

‘Firdaus’ by Payal Singhal is an ode to the enchanting Gulmarg valley in Kashmir, where time seems to have stood still—where paradise is not a paradox. The designer charmed the audience at Wills India Fashion Week with her toned down, super elegant Spring/Summer 2015 collection.

Payal Singhal for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

The underlying inconsistency of freedom that the valley doesn’t really have, to the feeling of elation in being there is captivating and invigorating—exploring this juxtapose is the collection with its monochromatic colour palette of stone and black done in silk, chanderi, organza and tulle in modern interpretation of traditional Indian clothing.

Payal Singhal for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

The silhouettes brought forth were palazzos with kurtas, long pants with cholis in silk, crop tops, linear jackets, and saris sporting pine tree prints and small floral dots, and more. Bollywood diva, Aditi Rao Hydari walked as the showstopper for Payal’s show.