Celebration of Indian handlooms and textiles at Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2014

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.

Glam icon, Shibani Dandekar has been the talk of the town for her gorgeous sense of style and grace

Shibani Dandekar

What is your biggest fashion asset?

I’d have to say my huge assortment of accessories. I have a huge fetish for collecting accessories; wherever I travel, be it Australia, London, New York and so on, I make sure I pick up funky, vintage stuff.

What according to you are the five wardrobe essentials for women?

Honestly, there is no specific answer to this question; however, I feel, wardrobe essential is an individualistic approach – it defines one’s personality and style quotient. For me, my wardrobe should always house the classic black and gold combination, lot of accessories, prints, and boots and off late I am very much into carrying smaller hand bags. Also, you will always find chic vintage pieces in my wardrobe, which I continuously keep collecting. Wardrobe essentials keep changing with varying trends.

What kinds of makeup do you usually like to wear?

I usually like to use a very light base followed by bronzer, which brings out a tanned look. I really don’t like to look too fair and pale because Indian skin is usually on the duskier side and I love flaunting it. Mascara is a must for me and finally bold lip colours finish my look. I have a huge collection of bold-coloured lipsticks, from different hues of reds and oranges to fuchsia and pinks…

Tell us about your favourite Indian and International designers…

On the international front, I love Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney. Amongst Indian designers, I admire works of Sailex, Payal Singhal, Masaba Gupta, Rina Dhaka, Rocky S and Namrata Joshipura.

What is your most expensive buy?

I collect sunglasses and I think I own almost every existing brand. From Tom Ford to Gucci, Prada, Victoria Beckham – I have it all and collectively I spend the most for my shades.

What are your favourite shoe and bag brands?

I don’t necessarily work by brands; I mostly pick up stuff that looks good. However I am a big fan of Christian Louboutin and Jimmy Choo when it comes to shoes. As far as bags are concerned, my current favourite is a black leather bag from Chloe.

What is that one thing that completes your look every day?

I know it sounds clichéd but I have to say its personality that makes or breaks a look. You can go all edgy or classy, elegant or perhaps casual but unless you own that look you can’t pull it off. I dress according to my mood. On a lazy day you will find me in rip tees and baggy jeans; on days when I feel classy, you will find me in black and gold.

What do you do on a bad hair day?

I have figured out this new technique that always works wonders. A high, chic bun with one section of the hair braided around it is the best way to camouflage a bad hair day. Otherwise just put on a hat (smiles).

Who is your favourite fashion icon?

I love Sienna Miller because she dresses for nobody but herself. I find her extremely classy, trendy and fashionable. She doesn’t blindly succumb to trends and she looks effortlessly stylish.

Who is the most fashionable person in your family?

All three sisters are fashionable (laughs). Apeksha is a little bit casual; she likes quirky and grunge. On the other hand, Anusha is very boho chic all the time.

Who are the best dressed actors in Bollywood according to you?

When it comes to fashion scene in Bollywood, it has a long way to go. People here are too boxed into one-dimensional dressing and looks. Fashion has just started to get serious here. However, I like Sonam Kapoor and Rahul Khanna’s dressing sense. They do it fabulously!

Any fashion confessions?

Everything was trial and error. I have no regrets because you do what you feel at that moment. Fashion is a medium of self expression for me and it will always be an individual choice.

The wide-legged pants are this season’s closet staple!

Fashion’s most loved era, the 70s is back on the streets with wide-legged pants conquering wardrobes of every fashionista. From denims, to satin and khadi, this long, slender, flared up garment is here to stay and how! One could wear this with delicate sheers, crop tops, cropped jackets, etc; also, these pants work with everything from heels to oxfords. Wide-legged trousers can be gracefully paired with a button-up shirt or a short kurta. Pick a pant that sits well on the hips. The length of the pants is very important; let them just about skim the ground, with the front of your shoe showing.

Look and feel:

These days, flowy palazzo pants and well cut tunics are quite popular in the fashion circuit. Light-weight fabrics like sheer chiffons, georgettes, crepes go well for this style. Monochrome palazzos work best but sometimes playing around with small prints on satins also gives a nice edgy silhouette. The current fashion weeks saw various versions of the wide-legged pants making a comeback. Designers like Krishna Mehta and Manish Malhotra introduced sharara pants, ghagra pants and palazzos in ethnic printed silks. It did not take long for these to hit the regular market. There is a wide range to choose from. Pick between slightly fitted at the hips to flaring at the bottom.

P.S–depending on the occasion, select the fabrics. For formal occasions, stiff fabrics like suiting materials and woolen fabrics like tweed and hound’s-tooth should be adorned. If you are styling a more casual or informal look, flowy fabrics like georgette, cotton, cotton blends and lighter silks work best. Also, keeping in mind your body type, you must select the style of wide-legged pants. For pear shaped bodies, it’s best to stick to pants, which have more flair at the bottom, so that it creates an illusion of a slimmer waist. The flair can be achieved with a bias cut, or with box pleats (which have to be shaped at the hips). For very slim bodies, pants should be better shaped and the flair should be minimum.

The ‘top’ department:

For a casual chic look, a basic tank top tucked in with a waist belt over it, looks fabulous. These pants are very versatile, depending on your body type you could choose from fitted tops and ganjis, to wrap tops, which flatter all body types, or layer with cropped jackets. If you are blessed with a flat tummy, try a crop top. Avoid oversized tops, so you don’t look like you stepped out of bed! Nonetheless, fitted tops look best if the flair is wide. Razor backs and fitted three quarter sleeved tops suit the look. In case of slimmer pants, you can pair them with waistcoats and tank tops, which needn’t be too fitted.

Accentuate with accessories:

Depending on the occasion, zero down upon the accessories. It’s best to underplay the jewellery if it’s a formal setup. Wear a chunky ring or a pair of blobby earrings with a waistcoat to look sophisticated; also, try a flat gold choker with a kurta. For casual occasions, scarves are an amazing option. Also, thin silver bangles in a cluster would brighten up a casual look. but, I would suggest, this season go electric with chunky neck pieces and oversized bracelets. Contrast jewellery in pastels and gold will look very modern and classy. If you want the pants to be the statement, keep the accessories delicate and minimal. Pick between an oversized clutch for the evening or a sling/messenger bag for the day.

Jaypore

Of trending prints:

Prints are always fun to play with. Picking the right cuts and prints according to the body structure can make all the difference. Floral, geometric and small vintage prints are currently in vogue. Also, lay your hands on Aztec prints, animal prints and floral patterns! For the longest time, we have been seeing our traditional prints like kalamkari, block prints, etc in full-flared pants. Apart from this, even the hound’s-tooth print in woolen, silk, cotton and satin suits various looks. A quirky print like the moustache and camera on brighter bases works magically for someone who wants to make a statement. However, for someone looking to cover their extra pounds, geometric patterns works wonders! Apart from prints, even dip-dye pants look very appealing, but remember it should be a soft colour merge, to add some height; also, it can be a solid colour block for someone taller.