The Will Lifestyle India Fashion Week, a leading business event for the fashion industry, is back again with the Autumn Winter 2009 collections. The much awaited event is being held at Intercontinental Eros, New Delhi from March 18-23, 2009. We at RVG Newsvision bring you daily coverage of the shows with detailed reviews specially written for us by fashion expert M.Mistry and Ritu Jain (Design Department) of Pearl Fashion Institute.
Shades of brown in shaded or solid tones for knits and woolen fabrics.
2.
Laser cut abstract designs for dresses and skirts
3.
A mix of net and velvet floral cutwork for skirts and dresses
4.
Bronze and gold shimmer for dresses
5.
Lean slim shapes for trousers, dresses and skirts
6.
Side pleating and draping combined with pin tucks and smocking
7.
Black remains the color of the season and the mellow mood with tones of red, blue and deep purple
8.
Shades of grey compete strongly with black
9.
Gathered and voluminous silhouettes in very feminine look
10.
Drapy and clingy tops and dresses in soft knits are very popular
11.
Men’s styling is very experimental with soft drapes as well as asymmetric unusual cuts
12.
Stockings, tights and slacks in solids, mesh or stripes are a necessary fashion accessory
Varun sardana
Varun Sardan, NIFT graduate, is one designer to watch. In 2004 he won the prestigious ‘Bijenkorf Fashion Design Award 2004’ held in Amsterdam. His edginess and genius has already got him global recognition and his designs are carried in top glamour magazines like WWD (Japan), Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Marie –Claire and Elle. He debuted in the WIFW S/S-08 and has continued to charm and stun each season.
Edgy and mellow, silent and loud, structured and fluid, intense and still, creases and flow, organza and viscose, static and moving, crisp and flowing…
Silence - that is what pervaded the applause and the quiet walk away from the presentation. The audience was at one with the designer and he had managed to touch each one.
A quiet acceptance of the dark and grey as natural and beautiful, brought a coming together of dual qualities into creations of exquisite elegance and perfection embodied in every ensemble of Varun’s collection, one that called for a standing ovation. This is one designer poised to touch the sky as he walks gently on the ground.
The color palette for the collection was primarily blacks with hints of grey, red, blue and silver.
The collection took inspiration from modern architectural forms and classic menswear and sportswear to reinterpret them into feminine silhouettes. While strongly influenced by menswear, there was a shying away from the rigidity of classic forms and a lighthearted quality to them. Varun chose to explore many forms of surface texture like patchwork, appliqué and cording with sequin work in velvets, jerseys and silks. He created unusual fabrics and textures with paperclips, snap buttons and hooks.
In silhouettes flowing to the floor and held by origami, stripes or geometric details, there was much play of interesting garment features throughout the collection.
Show stopper was a red origami dress in folded organza flaps blowing and dancing to the walk of the model like waves in a lake. The designer managed to create poetry on the ramp.
ISSUE 12 FEATURING NICK KNIGHT, JURGEN BEY, GIAMBATTISTA VALLI, CHARLES JENCKS AND ROGER HIORNS
The latest edition of CRYSTALLIZED™ goes behind the scenes of contemporary culture, tapping into the profound intelligence that lies beneath the glamour and glitter of the fashion, art, design and architectural spheres.
Internationally-acclaimed creatives line up in issue 12 of the glossy, large-format magazine to reveal the motivations, inspirations, philosophies and methodologies at the heart of their most accomplished works – works that are about much more than spectacular surface sheen.
Brilliant thinkers, sparkling creatives
Dutch design duo Jurgen Bey and Rianne Makkink invite CRYSTALLIZED™ to Rotterdam for a privileged glimpse into their new studio, while world-renowned architectural theorist Charles Jencks shares his candid views on some of the world’s most iconic buildings. Roger Hiorns, a British artist, amazes with his large-scale installation that saw him fill an abandoned home with 80,000 litres of copper sulphate solution. An exclusive interview with Nick Knight, illustrated with a tightly edited selection from his impressive oeuvre, perfectly exemplifies the brilliant melding of surface shine with profundity of thought for which CRYSTALLIZED™ has become known
Bright lights in fashion
Fashion seizes the opportunity to dazzle on many levels. The magazine examines the key role played by lighting design in catwalk shows, and Giambattista Valli grants a private audience to talk radical chic. Star-spangled fashion shoots, showing crystal-embellished pieces by Lanvin, Chloé and Marios Schwab, amongst others, strike a filmic note. ‘Bright Lights, Big City’ showcases the extraordinary new model Karolin, styled by CRYSTALLIZED™ fashion editor Arabella Mills and shot against a sensational New York backdrop by Annelise Phillips; Mills also styled ‘Girl, Uninterrupted’, a dramatically lit story by Laura Sciacovelli. ‘A Woman Under The Influence’, styled by Francesca Burns and shot by Benjamin A Huseby, evokes the moody beauty of a young Gena Rowlands.
Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna are buddies who design for their label Cue. They have made their mark in prêt western wear for men and women. They specialize in contemporary designs with great emphasis on silhouettes and detailing. Their collection for Spring/Summer 2009 carries the theme, 'An Ode to Joy'.
Shades of brown, beige, rust, bronze, chocolate, grey and black with just a hint of shimmer came together to create an unbelievable knit collection with a touch of wool from the drawing boards of Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna for their label Cue.
The finish was impeccable, the styling classic yet timeless and the treatment of the knit and woven textures was very creative. Diagonal drapes emerged from tiny pin tucks for knit ponchos worn with slim trousers with turn ups. Boxy cropped double breast short sleeve jackets had perfectly crafted collars, laser cutwork on the hem and skirt of the dresses was exquisite. Corded stitched waves for sheaths, short swing coats, kimono sleeve knit belted ponchos, cable knit draped dresses in shaded brown knit, some feminine abstract grey printed silk long sleeve dresses, rouched layered minis, smart kangaroo pocket blousons with standup collar were some of the eye catchers.
In addition one cannot ignore the bronze pencil skirts with silk floral embroidery, bell sleeve cowl blouses, smocks in knit with lace collar, multi-ribbon gilets and a coat with back/front drape, one shoulder smocked jumpsuit, petal skirts, quilted jackets and a looped hem grey coat over a sequined dress were some more stunners in the women’s wear section.
For the stronger sex there was a triple button double breast jacket, shawl collar knit blouson, crossover belted jackets and one to three button jackets along with some casual wear like draped T shirts, shorts with turn ups and four patch pocket sports coats.
The collection was controlled, focused and completely coordinated for the season to give several options to the wearer.
Cue has been creating some amazing lines for several seasons, and this one will be a great addition for men and women who want some timeless pieces in their wardrobes.
Varun Bahl is a designer whose sense of style was well developed even when he was knee high. The degree from the National Institute of Fashion Technology in Delhi was a mere formality for this very talented designer. Varun Bahl is known for his expertise and flair for western clothes. But this has not come in the way of the designer successfully adapting his preferences for surface ornamentation, simple and clean silhouettes and a fusion of techniques into his Indian saris and lehengas. He also successfully uses block printing, appliqué and embroidery on an outfit that is crafted from fabrics with different textures.
Recession seems to bring out the best in designers as their collections give different interpretations of the word, but surprisingly very often the end result is far from austere or depressing.
In fact it is classic, luxurious, sober upbeat and shimmering like the Bitter Chocolate collection presented by Varun Bahl which he said was inspired by the lean times that the country and the world is going through.
A beautiful western wear line for both sexes, it had the tones of the bitter sweet confectionery as browns in all shades with touches of khaki, olive, jade, beige, rust, maroon, grey and black were let loose on the ramp in textures that ranged from sheer net to lush velvet, soft silk, sturdy tweed and wool.
The leit motif of Varun’s collection was the amazing use of velvet and net that was blended together to end in cutwork flowers at the hem or on the bodice. Sharply cut jackets, coats, trousers and waistcoats for men and women were either long or short. Tonal or contrast embroidery highlighted the hemlines, necks, skirts, dresses and coats. The silhouettes were slim and at times figure hugging with side pockets being a favourite with the designer for skirts and women’s trousers.
Winter coats were luxurious either belted or in comfortable silhouettes that flattered the body. Shifts and sheaths and softly gathered skirts were feminine in form; while men’s wear was sturdy and rugged as tweed sports jackets with wide lapels, double breast trench coats and sober three piece two button suits gave a formal slant. The wide stand up collars were a constant detailing for men’s and women’s jackets and coats.
The glamorous shimmering gold, bronze dresses in the finale gave the collection a fabulous touch while net ended up being a perfect base for the gorgeous embroidery that embellished the skirts and dresses.
Bitter Chocolate, it is said, has its advantages in its subtle taste which is considered good for health. So if the meltdown is compared to this tasty offering and can bring such stunning creations on the ramp; then may we hope that things don’t ever look up for the sake of such high voltage fashion.
