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.

The Season of Non-specifics – Shruti Sancheti

Shruti Sancheti’s collection

Tell us about en vogue summer trends…

This summer the focus is on non-season specifics, norm core, Bohemian-inspired, and retro looks. The look is minimalistic yet trendy, tribal yet au courant and 1970’s with a contemporary twist. Midis, jumpsuits, long skirts, spliced skirts, maxis, crop tops, throws and jackets in summer fabrics like linen, khadi, cotton, summer silk ,neoprene are popular. Detailing like zippers, pockets, fringes along with tribal embroidery, tie n dye, and ombre dyeing are extremely popular. Accessories like metallic sunglasses, interesting neckpieces, belts, and sneakers and brogues are trending this summer.

What fabrics, colour palette, prints and silhouettes in Indian couture will do the rounds this season?

Fabrics which allow you to breathe like linen, organic cotton, summer silkier silk and all natural fabrics will be popular to beat the sultry balmy weather. Colours from pretty pastels like blush, custard, peach, mint green, to warm hues like marsala, olive, indigo, and watermelon red all will be popular. Block print, tie n dye, screen print, and digital prints will be extremely popular too; lastly, silhouettes like wide-legged pants, spliced skirts, long flowy skirts, maxis, midis and jumpsuits will be trending high.

Shruti Sancheti’s collection

What went behind making of your latest collection?

My collection ‘Nomadistaan’ is about the global woman living out of suitcases but feels trapped in urban confines of the modern world. Her soul is nomadic but her outlook is totally global; she wants to flaunt a bit of her legacy and culture down her sleeves. The styling of the collection is contemporary but the look is Bohemian.

Tell us about a usual day in your life…

I start the day with going to the gym to undo the damages of the previous day. Then it is working till 2pm after which I have lunch and again at about 3.30 pm its work time till 6.30 pm. After that my evenings are devoted to my family and friends. However, I live out of suitcases so this stability is always a temporary phenomenon and when I travel, which is very often, routine takes a back seat.

Shruti Sancheti’s collection

What would Shruti Sancheti’s woman look like?

My woman is an old-school one trapped in this au courant world. She believes in the unsurpassed legacy of weaves, textiles and crafts and wears timeless clothes, which have understated luxury and restrained opulence. She is astute, ferociously proud of her heritage and yet expresses her femininity and elegance through her distinct yet restrained dressing.

What inspired you to make this collection?

My love for travel, love for rich crafts, love for colours and most of all love for Bohemian and tribal fashion…

Creatively, Sensually and Visually Satisfying

Rajesh Pratap Singh for Amazon India Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2015

Veteran fashion designer and my favourite, Rajesh Pratap Singh commenced the Amazon India Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2015 on a rather unpredictable yet jaw-dropping note. The ramp saw a whole bunch of creative mélange—hospital-like setup, wherein beds with crisp white sheets were lined up neatly, along with saline stands on each side. As the lights dimmed, the saline bottles sparkled with small bulbs and Indi-rock music with hints of grunge genre played aloud as models walked flaunting theatrical gestures in black and white outfits.

Rajesh Pratap Singh for Amazon India Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2015

Structured and clinical, Rajesh Pratap Singh’s Autumn/Winter 2015 collection celebrates life’s true stage and its characters.   In this space, life is black and white with some indigo thrown in. Life is graphic here and it has its own beauty.

Rajesh Pratap Singh for Amazon India Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2015

Dissected and reconstructed surfaces using the brand’s signature hand-seam detailing have been extensively used in the collection. Hand-sewn garments in leather and wool using suture seam and its derivatives are utilised for the first time in garmenting.

Rajesh Pratap Singh for Amazon India Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2015

Stark surface textures and colour blocking are coordinated with footwear, where architecture is not your Achilles heel. Fabric experimentation takes the form of structured wool weaves in natural indigo and not so natural black. The romance with Ikkat still continues. This collection can be perceived as a bitter sweet pill—as we all know, the best medicine is laughter.

Kavita Bhartia in retrospection @ 25

Kavita Bhartia’s Autumn/Winter 2015

Since the launch of her label in 1989, Kavita Bhartia retrospect’s 25 years of her journey in the Indian Fashion industry and her multi-designer store Ogaan, through her Autumn/Winter 2015 collection essentially inspired by the 18^th century Tapestries from the Victoria and Albert Museum. Encompassing her chic and minimalistic silhouettes, she retains her signature style for the globetrotting woman.

Kavita Bhartia’s Autumn/Winter 2015

The mood board comprises of tapestries and damasks from the Victoria and Albert Museum, and 18^th century inspired European floral patterns. Her silhouettes are sculpted—full circle voluminous pleated skirts with worked-on jackets, textured yarn crop tops, and draped skirts and dresses.

Kavita Bhartia’s Autumn/Winter 2015

The fabrics flaunt exclusively fashionable weaves propagating a novelty of untwisted threads of silk into sheer styles, exclusive prints bestowing an explicit look. And the textiles are all about sheer looks in silk, organza and tulle, with hints of printed scuba fabric, and silk crepe.

Kavita Bhartia’s Autumn/Winter 2015

The detailing bit celebrates indigenous Indian hand techniques blended in a contemporised styling in resham dori, florals, tapestry prints and paisleys using shaded tones. Lastly, the colour palette comprises of rouge pink, deep navy, ivory, pale blues and blacks, accented with mustard, pale green and electric blue.

Tales of Benarasi Weaves

Vinayak Couture

Designer duo Asha and Gautam Gupta recently launched their exquisite handloom collection with much poise at Cavalli Café, Emporio Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. The occasion weaved layers of triumphant rustic eccentricities from the roots of Benaras (Varanasi).

Vinayak Couture

Asha and Gautam’s label, Vinayak Couture brought forth a celebratory bridal collection, with a colour palette as delicious as it could ever get; mango oranges, peachy pinks, lusty reds, emerald greens, pistachio greens, powder blues, buttery yellow, the colour of Ganga and more.

Vinayak Couture

The collection showcased a perfect amalgamation of traditional and contemporary aesthetics—aptly defining the modern bride of today. The textures were luxurious and patterns worth lusting for.

Vinayak Couture

The designers casted a brand new approach to the good old art of handloom; mixing the golden art with the charm of beautiful colours and motifs, their latest collection is also an ode to local artisans of Banaras.

Vinayak Couture

The fabrics used are pure tussar, Benarasi silk and jute net embellished with unique parsi gara, zardozi and kalamkari. You can pick your outfit from M-8, Main Road, Greater Kailash- 1, New Delhi.

‘Bubbly Banarsi’ by Chhaya Mehrotra

Chhaya Mehrotra for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Designer Chhaya Mehrotra presented a bold and lively collection, ‘Bubbly Banarsi’ for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015.

Chhaya Mehrotra Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Bubbly is a little girl, who has grown up in Banaras; she weaves the spirit of the city with all its idiosyncrasies in her own set of experiences in this collection. Colours of sindoor, shiva, chandan and moksha—red, blue, yellow and white surfaced in this collection in different avatars.

Chhaya Mehrotra for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

The chosen fabrics, silk, cotton and noil were made into garments, inspired by the local dressing culture; for instance, think of how a school girl or a flower vendor dresses up!

Chhaya Mehrotra for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Handicraft techniques like, block-printing, weaving and wooden toy making met to bring forth a collection that’s truly Banarsi! Born in one of the oldest textile printing families of Banaras, Chhaya Mehrotra has always been fascinated with creativity.

‘Walk on the wild side’ by Pallavi Mohan

Pallavi Mohan

‘Not So Serious’ by designer Pallavi Mohan presents joyously seditious Spring/Summer 2015 collection. The collection weaves a story around sensuous sheer that flows off the body with a wide array of fabrics—chiffon, silk organza and Georgette. Fine quality and textured embroidered mesh, cottons, knitted and bonded fabrics add a different floating dimension to this line of outfits.

Pallavi Mohan

Interesting mix of pastels and light colours are used for guidance, evoking a calm appeal that is soothing and thriving. Taking its signature style to more edgy this time, ‘Not So Serious’ brings forth fresh, subtle colours—white, acid green, elusive peach, dusty pink, aqua and nude.

Pallavi Mohan

The design elements using patching and high-needle technique dictates delicacy, inflicts refinement, unfold volumes and gives rise to thrillingly juxtaposed silhouettes showing movements turning up the volume with structural shapes in a range of different forms and having a sporty yet romantic appeal to them.

Deck up your homes in antique carpets this festive season!

Sarita Handa

This festive season deck up your homes in hues of luxury as Sarita Handa brings to you brand new elements and designs for the season of lights. Homes during festivals, wait to be beautified and the brand took this as an inspiration to cull out  refreshing take on eclectic mix, which spells out warmth, colour, style, quality and value for money.

Sarita Handa

Patrons this season will continue to find surprises throughout the store. An exclusive exhibition of rare, antique Persian rugs is the highlight.  These rugs are centuries old, and they come from the lands of Tabriz, Bidjar, Beshir tribes of Iran, Turkmenistan and surrounding countries.  Well, as they say, antiques never go out of fashion.

Sarita Handa

“The excellent weaves and luxurious designs make this collection simply breathtaking; they’re the reason, we got inspired to introduce our first-ever antique carpet collection. It is thrilling to bring this diverse group of rare and antique carpets together and to make it available to our clients,” says, Rahul Puri, Director at Sarita Handa.

Sarita Handa

Store Address:

• Sarita Handa – 16 Khan Market 1st Floor, Middle Lane, New Delhi – 110003. Phone Numbers -011-43521824
• Sarita Handa – 356/357 2nd floor, Sultanpur, MG Road, New Delhi- 110030 (opposite to Sultanpur metro station). Phone: 011 – 32317278

The Alchemy of Handloom by ‘MOAVI’ : An ode to India’s heritage weaves

Maovi

Moavi draws its roots from old Indian textiles in an attempt to reinvigorate traditional weaves and give them their much-deserved limelight in today’s world of fashion.​ The brand is working towards re-introducing weaves that are on the verge of extinction—they are incorporating Muga silk, Pat silk, Eri-silk, Tusser silk, Linen, Mercerized-cotton and real Zari, creating pure magic beyond boundaries.

Maovi

To start with, Moavi has introduced clusters from, Assam, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and they plan to cover all states eventually to create designs, which will procure holistic aesthetics of our traditional and contemporary eccentricities.

Maovi

Having great passion for both fashion and sustainability, Kavita and Anmol ​Badsra, ​each with years of experience in design and consulting, lead Moavi. Moavi wants to be known as an organisation that uses design as a means to address the most important issues of our times by providing sustainability in life of our weavers​ and artisans.

Maovi

Textile industry, despite being the second largest employment generator segment in our country has not been able to provide sustainable livelihood to our highly skilled handloom weavers in almost all states. We believe, the industries of fashion, textile and design offers unique effective opportunities for designers, craftsmen and consumers alike to contribute to the alleviation of poverty by being ethical about one’s fashion choices without sacrificing style.

Maovi

About the Collection: Ekam—Ekam is literally Moavi’s first step towards envisioned future of Indian handloom sector. This collection draws inspiration from Indian mythology, ‘Ramayana’ depicting each khand/stage of the tale in every product through hand-weaving, hand-embroidery or intricate block printing techniques.

Maovi

The color palette brings forth bright Indian hues like, haldi yellow to sindoori red, deep indigo to metal tones of gold and silver, each shade narrating a different story. We have started with hand-woven saris and dupattas and are working towards expanding the collection further to constructed blouses, jackets and kurtas, wherein planned silhouettes are simple yet feminine and perfectly suitable for work-wear, as well as light occasion wear.

Gaurang Shah for Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2014

Gaurang Shah with Taapsee Pannu

Blending folklore and fables of 16th century temple art with 21st century forms, Gaurang Shah’s ‘Chitr-Sena’ collection was poetry in motion at the fashion week. The show opened to the melodious voice of Shubha Mudgal who sang the theme song of ‘Chitr-Sena’ as models gracefully glided down the ramp.

Gaurang Shah

For contemporary fashion lovers, Gaurang’s collection had irresistible heritage, and artistry. The kalidaars, kurtas, lehengas, dhotis and sherwanis were glamour personified, while the silhouettes revealed to the audience that the inspirations were from Afghani history but tailored with Indian fabrics.

Gaurang Shah

The wide range of motifs started with Garuda, Rudraksh, Hamsa, Shikarga, Sher, Bhagha, Haathi, Morni and Shikari to create a mélange of flora and fauna. Embellishments were restricted to zardosi and badla to add glitter to the garments.

Gaurang Shah

The rich weaves of the fabrics and saris projected tradition for the modern dresser. Bringing in a hint of variety, there were embroidered cigarette pants, slim kurtas with animal embroidery, a graceful purple maxi, tiered empire line angarkha and a pink asymmetric floor skimming creation.

Gaurang Shah

The four men’s wear entries were restrained to dhotis, kurta with embroidered sleeves, angarkha and sherwani—all draped with ornate dupattas. Taapsee Pannu was the showstopper for the designer; she looked beautiful in an orange/yellow sari with lush border.