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).

The Magic of Shibori

109°F Fusion Beats- Shibori Collection

With temperature soaring high, a simple yet classy outfit that keeps the heat at bay, is something that we are always on a hunt for! 109°F, the women retail apparel brand’s Shibori Collection from their Spring/Summer’15 line, is a perfect pick for this season.

109°F Fusion Beats- Shibori Collection

Fusion Beats’, Shibori Collection from their SS’15 line celebrates free spirited, bohemian women of today. It is not just fashion, but an expression of who you are. The collection also takes inspiration from the traditional Japanese Shibori blended with rhythmical baroque that presents a fresh take on this SS’15 Line. Rather than treating the fabric as a two-dimensional surface, it is given a three-dimensional form by folding, crumpling, stitching, plaiting, or plucking and twisting. The collection includes flowing sleeveless dresses with abstract prints, fun jumpsuits and kitsch tops. Bright indigos highlighted with hints of yellow form the colour palette which is perfect to bask on sunny beaches.

109°F Fusion Beats- Shibori Collection

A 109° F woman has multiple facets; she is sharp yet carefree, powerful yet fun and likes to experiment with the exquisite and special characteristic of soft or blurry-edged pattern imprinted in the Shibori Collection. The effect is quite different from the sharp-edged resist obtained with stencil, paste, and wax. With Shibori, the dye works in concert with the materials, not in an effort to overcome their limitations but to allow them to attain full expression; and an element of the unexpected is always present. The rich sensuous colours of blue and white and the pliability of the material respond well to the movement and flow of the body. Keeping in mind funky, ferocious and cosmopolitan women of today, this brand has adapted the Shibori technique in crisp shorts, casual pants and free-flowing tops. The collection is priced between INR 1200-1800 and is available across 109°F outlets and online shopping partners.

Dorothy Perkins presents Spring/Summer 2015

Dorothy Perkins

UK’s most famous high street brand Dorothy Perkins announces the launch of its Spring/Summer 2015 collection, available exclusively on India’s leading fashion destination, Jabong.com. The spring summer collection of Dorothy Perkins embraces the key trends for the coming season with a return to the seventies and Sports Luxe.

Dorothy Perkins

The collection will be available on Jabong.com for its discerning customers from March. Jabong.com believes in bringing the latest and best trends forward for the customers. The latest summer collection from Dorothy Perkins is inspired by the 1970’s.

Dorothy Perkins

The dresses are longer, the skirts are A-lined and the trousers are cropped. Materials are a mixture of textures with knits and crochet, leather and suede – the chocolate brown suede shorts and jacket are key drifts. These rich textures are combined with denim – one of the star fabrics for spring summer.

Dorothy Perkins

Colours are a combination of muted pastel shades with pops of coral and indigo. Soft ruffle detailing and feminine prints, which take inspiration from the orient, create a seventies romantic bohemian look. Oversized peasant blouses are teamed with button front denim skirts and bell bottom jeans, matched with high platforms and felt hats creating a classic seventies silhouette.

Dorothy Perkins

For SS15 culottes are in pink leather and trousers are loose and wide – creating a new elegant shape. A fresh and modern feel updates this season’s Sports Luxe trend. Clean, simple lines create the look for the utility nineties inspired collection. Minimal boxy, cropped jackets in a variety of fabrics and textures – from neoprene to sheer and mesh – mixed with the cigarette trouser creates a sleek look.

Dorothy Perkins

Asymmetric tops and tunics add to the new season silhouette. Colour for this collection is exciting with poster paint shades of blue and green. Colour blocking leads the way – whilst the all-over whites we’ve seen in past seasons have returned. Florals are big and bold and are on full looks – on dresses and across short suits.

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.

Rina Singh’s take on classic minimalism

EKA by Rina Singh for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Keeping in mind searing Indian summers, EKA by Rina Singh showcased an array of cotton ensembles in dull pastel hues at the Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015. The cheerful, windswept collection comprised of layered tunics, shirt dresses and shift dresses. The line of outfits showed almost no traces of prints—this was a classic example of minimal fashion.

EKA by Rina Singh for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

A light-hearted collection for women who wear their hearts on their sleeves, this collection portrayed a delicate mix of pastels and whites—a mélange of hand-woven textiles in contemporary day-wear avatar.

EKA by Rina Singh for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

The clothes exuded simple tones of femininity. The easy styling, free flowing and soft textured silhouettes made the collection almost poetic. The interplay of delicate layers added to the charm of the outfits.

EKA by Rina Singh for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Rina showcased tea dresses, dresses with handkerchief hems, A-line trapeze, boxy, midi, and long shirt dresses and tunics. Jackets were made of linens with patches of floral prints washed over them and then of course, the summer coats invited a lots of applauds! Trousers sported oversized hems, wide and small legs and pegged and relaxed boyish cuts that were paired with boxy shirts, knit tops and gathered, lightweight khadi embroidered tops.

EKA by Rina Singh for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Embellishments revolved around kantha stitches on washed horizontal linen ombre stripes; also, kantha textures mixed with floral appliqués, coupled with delicate thread embroidery work marked the collection.

EKA by Rina Singh for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Subtle prints here and there added the right dose of whimsicality to the range—painterly floral, ombre-dyed hand-painted flowers, ditsy pixilated dots and prints, and manipulated floral dot prints, played peek-a-boo in layers of linens and cottons tinted in pastel palettes of sky blue, blush pink, minty green and lavender mixed with lightest of grays and whites.

 

On a floral note-Aneeth Arora

Péro by Aneeth Arora for Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Delhi-based designer, Aneeth Arora flagged off the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015. Her label, Péro showcased a refreshing line of clothes that celebrated beauty of floral notes.

Péro by Aneeth Arora for Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Known for being an advocator of eco-friendly fashion, this National Institute of Design alumnus, unveiled a heart-melting collection that blended various genres of fashion—sporty, chic, comfy and super girlie. The cherry on top was the floral inculcations on clothes and as accessories.

Péro by Aneeth Arora for Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

The collection mainly comprised of cotton khadi shorts, dresses and shirts with hints of silk and chanderi. Other silhouettes were chanderi tunics, kaftans, silk slips, cotton and linen jackets, silk jumpsuits with laces and linen tops.

Péro by Aneeth Arora for Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

The hand-woven daisies and beaded embroidery on the dresses was the highlight of the collection. The collection projected a beautiful colour palette, comprising of whites, greens, blues, pinks and oranges.

Péro by Aneeth Arora for Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Aneeth accessorised the looks by giving each of the models a charming little floral headband.

Urban Androgyny at Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2014

Amrita Khanna & Gursi Singh

Amrita Khanna and Gursi Singh- Urban, dignified and unique were three words that best described the city slick collection under the label ‘Lovebirds’, inspired by urban issues from designer duo, Amrita Khanna and Gursi Singh at Jabong Stage during the fashion week.

Amrita Khanna & Gursi Singh

Trendy, straight cut silhouettes made their way onto the ramp in the form of skirts, tops, shirts, trousers, jackets, tunics and dresses in simple yet stylish fabrics like cottons, satins along with neoprene and mesh. Pastel tones in mint green, pure white, elegant black, denim blue and nude brown worked to give the range a fresh appeal.

Amrita Khanna & Gursi Singh

Although quirky, the outfits were spared of heavy embellishments or layers, to make way for an easy-to-wear style that was practical and stylish. Subtle structure and laser cut pieces made each outfit distinct and unique. Street smart and sophisticated ‘Lovebirds’ by designer duo Amrita Khanna and Gursi Singh, was an avant-garde take on functional fashion.

Prathoni Yengkhom & Jacky Laishram

Prathoni Yengkhom and Jacky Laishram- Designer duo Prathoni Yengkhom and Jacky Laishram under their label ‘Poco & Jacky’ created a vintage-meets-modern collection for their debut at Jabong Stage during the fashion week.

Prathoni Yengkhom & Jacky Laishram

The silhouettes aimed at men and women, ranged from contemporary to classic and comprised of skirts, trousers, jackets, blazers, dresses, coats, saris and gowns. To add an experimental, edgy undertone, the designers worked with faux leather and silk and stuck to a demure yet daring colour palette consisting of shades like moody moss, tantalising teal and ochre.

Prathoni Yengkhom & Jacky Laishram

To further reflect the flow between traditional and unconventional, embellishments complemented vintage techniques like beading and weaving onto New-Age textiles and almost-androgynous forms.

Anita Dongre for Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2014

Anita Dongre with Niladri Kumar

Inspired by the crafts and textiles of India, Anita Dongre’s ‘India Modern’ bridal collection presented by Taj Mahal Tea was a stunning offering at the fashion week.

Anita Dongre

Once again dedicating the collection to her mythical muse ‘Nayantara’ who is the ideal Jaipur bride, Anita drew ideas from the grand architecture of the Mughal era for her designs but aimed them at the 21st century bride.

Anita Dongre

To the pulsating beat of ace musician Niladri Kumar and his band, the ‘India Modern’ wedding collection started on a festive note with foot tapping melodies. A regal picture was painted by Anita as flowing bridal lehengas were given a modern twist. Subtle detailing and layering were merged cleverly with complex embellishments like gotta patti, dori and hand embroidery.

Anita Dongre

The rich fabrics brought to life the grand creations like lehengas, cropped tops, structured jackets with ornate pants and stylish couture gowns. The colour card was perfect for bridal wear as jewel tones of ruby red, peacock blue and raani pink gave the creations an opulent touch, while soft naturals like cream and flesh offered delicate options.

Anita Dongre

The first segment featuring jumpsuits, kurtas and tunics in black and white with gold work was a serene start to the show. Jumpsuits had gold edging, white or black shirt kurtas were teamed with embroidered pants. Cropped jacket had wrapped long tulip skirt, while a trio of gold, white and black embroidered kurtas made a dramatic entry.

Anita Dongre

Crinkle skirts or kurtas were striking on the ramp with just the right touch of embellishments. Long elegant front slit covers skimmed the floor with ornate trousers as the perfect complement. Lehengas were paneled and shown with simple gold cholis. Bandhani appeared for dupattas and long skirts. A sprinkling of gowns appeared in rust, beige and white with gorgeous gold work. Asymmetry appeared often for the kurtas that had cropped fronts that moved into elegant long backs.

Anita Dongre

Anita ended the show with a quartet of orange, blue, red and beige paneled lehengas with very ornate hemlines, cholis and dupattas. A trio of ecru jackets was teamed with raani pink, red and fuchsia glittering long skirts. Men’s wear had Anita’s controlled styling as a black sherwani or white one was textured cleverly.

Style Parade at Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2014

Teresa Laisom and Utsav Pradhan

Designer duo Teresa Laisom and Utsav Pradhan under their label ‘Munkee see Munkee doo’ showcased an uber chic collection titled ‘An Asian living in Europe’ at the fashion week. The imaginative range inspired by Japanese modern art and culture incorporated contemporary European aesthetics onto silhouettes, which ranged from skirts, dresses, coats, jackets, tops to trousers.

Teresa Laisom and Utsav Pradhan

Structured with a charming, natural flow, each piece was a beautiful fusion of oriental-meets-modern. Layers dominated the outfits in unique blends such as wool-felt, viscose twill and poly-satin, while embroideries with chords and shaded threads helped add a touch of bold sophistication.

Teresa Laisom and Utsav Pradhan

Mesh work along with zippers, pleats and an innovative use of suspenders to connect pieces infused a sporty-fun vibe, balancing out the range’s diverse appeal. The colour palette comprised of bold tones of white, red, grey, black, dusky cream and blue, while also offering paler, pastel tones for a more playful edge.

Chandni Mohan

‘Selvage’ an elegant and unique collection inspired by memories and their part in human life by designer Chandni Mohan was a raging success at the fashion week. Classic, quirky silhouettes of the late 1980’s, graced the ramp with emphasised cuts and forms and were balanced by seams with anchor and nylon threads, for a wearable yet stylish appeal.

Chandni Mohan

Separates and ensembles comprised of box fit jackets, shirt dresses, shorts, skirts, cape jackets and draped dresses in versatile shades of night black, bronze brown, mulberry wine, and ethereal white. Fabrics ranged from woolen fur, felt, heavy cotton twill to micro crepes matched to stretch wool, foil jersey and Napa leather.

Chandni Mohan

Combining aesthetics from Frank Gehry’s movement in architecture, the designer focused on extreme detailing and skillfully used zipper accents, metal studs and antique gold buttons for a simple yet sassy edge. Nifty, nostalgic and out of this world, ‘Selvage’ by Chandni Mohan will have any fashionista reminiscing and ready to take on the world- fashionably.

Pamela Easton and Lydia Pearson

Pamela Easton and Lydia Pearson made a debut with their label ‘Easton Pearson’ at the fashion week with an Indo-Australian fashion fantasy. No strangers to India, this 25-year-old label, which started in 1989 in Australia has become one of the top sellers in Sydney and Brisbane.

 

Pamela Easton and Lydia Pearson

Working with Indian artisans for the past 20 years, this label caused excitement on the fashion ramp with the ‘BeBop’ collection. Inspired by the 1940’s BeBop Jazz era, it was a line replete with colour and exciting patterns. A line up of models sporting white wigs edged in pink, green, blue or orange set the mood for the show.

Pamela Easton and Lydia Pearson

Opting for only natural fabrics like high quality silks and cottons, the pair used embellishments, which were varied with glass, raffia, cotton tape, beads, cut and mirror work as well as hand embroidery, which added to the beauty of the garments. Contrasts were rampant in hues as blue, orange, green, brown and white combined with modern shapes and extraordinary details. Beaded slip dresses had flirty raffia fringing, while there was wildly striped multi-coloured tussar silk with opulent embroidery executed by Shrujan in Kutch.

Swati Vijaivargie for Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2014

Swati Vijaivargie with Showstopper Neha Dhupia

Inspired by traditional clothing amongst Hmong women and Vietnamese culture, designer Swati  Vijaivargie charmed all with her artistic collection titled ‘Rangraez’ at Jabong Stage during the fashion week.

Swati Vijaivargie

The designer worked with traditional motifs and geometric prints on handmade silks to add a new age, bohemian appeal to her outfits, which comprised of jackets, trousers, tops, blouses, kurtis, coats and tunics. Colours like emerald green, smoke black, burnt tangerine, deep blue and fuchsia added a fun pop artsy tone and were complemented by buttons, hand-cut antique gold sequins and quilting for a sophisticated edge.

Swati Vijaivargie

A stand out feature within the collection was the delicate play of geometry with embroidery for a striking, individualistic style that was both traditional and modern. Showstopper Neha Dhupia dazzled in an orange coat paired with a cropped top, a skirt and cigarette pants, which beautifully displayed the designer’s flair for layers.

Swati Vijaivargie

Aesthetically intriguing and fashionably fantastic, ‘Rangraez’ by Swati Vijaivargie was one collection that will appeal to any woman who knows what she wants and more importantly, how to get it glamorously.