The Lakmé Fashion Week, a leading business event for the fashion industry, is back again with the Summer / Resort 2010 collections. The much awaited event is being held at Grand Hyatt, Mumbai from 5th to 9th March, 2010. We at RVG Newsvision bring you daily coverage of the shows with detailed reviews specially written for us by fashion expert M.Mistry.
Jewel motifs on silk for kaftans, saris, dresses inspired by Rajasthan
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Crystallized™ Swarovski crystal collars and waist bands
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Stitched sari gowns in ombre colours
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Layering of five different garments
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The elasticized tube skirt and long Tee shirt tunic
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Organic fabrics made from banana, bamboo, flax, hemp and cruelty free silk
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Herbal dyes
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Sheer kaftans, skirts, dresses, tunics in leheriya, Shibori and hand prints
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Layered petal skirt dresses
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Sheer over solid prints
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Texturing and embellishments with cutwork, squiggles and 3D appliques.
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Boxy bolero and cutout apron tops
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Redefining the bundgala collars and style
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Eliminating the churidars, salwars and dupatta and replacing with leggings and drapes.
Nikasha Tawadey
The multifaceted Nikasha is a self-trained designer, a professionally trained psychoanalyst and an aesthete with interests in arts and crafts. She debuted in the Indian fashion industry in 2003 with her eponymous label ‘Nikasha’. She stood out as one of the promising designers, a sentiment echoed internationally with her designs gracing the racks at Selfridges in London and Macy's in San Francisco. Her creations have adorned most Indian celebrities in the film industry.
Her collection was like the delicate flower Siuli, which was the inspiration for a very feminine elegant line. Nikasha Tawadey once again scored with garments that had a firm signature mark. Her fabric choice was woven Benaras silks, chanderi mul, chiffon and georgette and the colours she worked with were Pitambari yellow, haldi, red and coral. Weaving a beautiful love story of fine fragile ensembles just like the Siuli flower which represents Parijataka the princess in love with the sun who deserted her, Nikasha compiled a line of sensuous blouses with saris, dolman sleeve tops, tunics with shaded lycra silk churidars, added on lots of asymmetric hemlines and net frills at the hem and completed the look with gota lace. Necklaces, anklets and organza doll trimmings with ghungroos added the rustic tones to the outfits. Working on a separates collection that could be put together to form a story, Nikasha started the show with a pleated dyed red hem Benarsi net aanchal splashed with Siuli flowers and gota border. This impressive entry was followed by dhoti pants, a cascade waistcoat with chikan work, chiffon kurta with zardozi embroidery, shirt style cholis, ombre skirts, wrap around kurtas, cowl front tops and ended the presentation with a stunning red chikankari lehenga with zardozi flowers worn with a shirt blouse and a Benaras net dupatta with gota flowers.
There was a perfect balance of the tradition with the modern and the east with the west throughout the collection and the resort identity of the creations was very apparent in each garment.
It was an interesting creative range of summer wear that came from the studios of Nikasha Tawadey which was almost dreamlike in quality and an example of stylish workmanship.
ISSUE 14, FEATURING RON ARAD, GREG LYNN, DAVID ADJAYE, DOSHI LEVIEN, GIORGIO ARMANI, VALENTINO, MATTHEW WILLIAMSON, ZAHA HADID
The Spring/Summer 2010 edition of CRYSTALLIZED™, the award-winning, biannual magazine produced by CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements and distributed worldwide, shines a spotlight on the rich and diverse creative universe associated with Swarovski’s luxury brands.
Issue 14 of the magazine embraces colour, light and joy to offer a privileged glimpse into the brilliant creative partnerships forged by CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements, Atelier Swarovski and Swarovski Crystal Palace.
Internationally-acclaimed designers and architects such as Ron Arad, Greg Lynn, David Adjaye and Doshi Levien grant CRYSTALLIZED™ exclusive access to their ateliers for a series of intimate and exclusive portraits. Also featured are glittering fashion and jewellery collaborations with big-name talents including Giorgio Armani, Valentino, Matthew Williamson and Zaha Hadid, as well as rising stars such as Holly Fulton, Mary Katrantzou and Alexis Mabille.
The fashion pages continue to attract contributions from the industry’s finest, with photography by Sarah Moon and Tierney Gearon, and styling by Sophia Neophitou, now the creative director of Harper’s Bazaar UK and the editor and publisher of 10.
Finally, the magazine includes stunning evocations of CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements’ trends and innovations for Spring/Summer 2011, with imagery that draws on light-filled skies and the glittering vibrancy of our most precious natural resource, water.
A masters degree in fashion design from the the Sophia Polytechnic, Mumbai in 1978, got Krishna Mehta involved into the family garment exports business. That she already had a commerce degree helped her establish herself firmly in the fashion industry. Her label ‘Krishna Mehta’ specializes in prêt and couture.
Krishna Mehta is known to pick the most unconventional of inspirations for her fashion week collections and this time she moved at a tangent from the sadhus of India at the Kumbh Mela and went to Paris for her theme which was of all things - Irma La Douce the feisty lady of Mont Mart.
The look and silhouettes very basic in fact at times too simple for a fashion week presentation when one wants to see some innovative constructions. In fact at times a garment was repeated in several prints and fabrics like the pin tucked minis and the two toned cross over cocktail dresses. But if there was a certain repetition in the show, it was balanced by the many different fabric patterns and designs which were a vibrant kaleidoscope of hues. Shades that were at times acidic were teamed with red, dark blue, green, and yellow with loads of plum, purple and of course black with bits of brown and ecru.
Abstract prints, detailed embellishments, pin tucks, pleating, mix of colours came together to form a line of simply cut jackets, and tunic shirts and tailored pants. Stylish cowls emerged from the side of mini smocks, while there was an impressive woven pleated bubble mini, and sheaths had luxurious folds in the front. Embroidered necklines added richness to the basic shapes and a multi panelled silk smock was a great summer offering. The sari drape minis and the one shoulder print and black panelled gowns were the final entry of the show.
Where Krishna could pay a little attention is the alignment of the hemlines which at times marred the simplicity of the garment. It was a collection that concentrated more on blouses and tops teamed with tights, though many of them were passed off as micro mini dresses.
Krishna Mehta is known for her very practical wearable clothes and this time she emphasized that theory of hers in a more emphatic manner
Pria Kataria Puri is a pioneering spirit and is said to be the original proponent of Indian ‘Nouvelle Couture’. Winner of Bharat Yuva Ratna award and the Bharat Vikas award, the designer has made a mark within India, US and Europe. Her styles are an amalgamation of oriental and western ideas. Here is one designer who believes in keeping India's ancient heritage of fine craftsmanship alive for posterity.
When a collection is inspired by Rajmata Gayatri Devi, it has to be as opulent as the muse and that is exactly what Pria Kataria Puri presented. The Royal Rajputana Collection was opulence personified. The prints reflected the motifs of the royal jewellery and they were the centre of attraction of every garment, at times detracting from the cut and silhouette. The colours were regal with white, yellow, smoky topaz, turquoise, coral, jade and emerald playing on fabrics like tulle, silk, georgette, cotton silk jersey and Egyptian cotton printed with imposing motifs of the Rajasthan state. The garments ranged from dramatic dazzling saris and glittering cholis to anarkalis, shararas, gowns, kaftans, tunics, jackets, dresses with shoulder and sleeve detailing. Crystalized™ Swarovski crystals glittered at the waist for half cummerbunds and at the neck for mandarin collars. Long fully encrusted with Swarovski crystal gowns, pearl edged hemlines and sleeve edges, saris with ornate borders, halter gowns with jewelled necklines, dolman sleeve two tone minis, the shaded intricately constructed sari gowns, were all a luxurious offering which was indeed fit for a maharani. It was formal resort wear of the haute couture variety from Pria Kataria Puri which was aimed at the bridal wear as well as the Middle East market and her buyers will be delighted with her creations since it will make any woman feel like a princess. Her collections have always been hot sellers for their grandeur and drama and the designer has probably got it right once again.
Sabyasachi Mukherji made waves in the fashion circles even before he graduated from NIFT Kolkata, where he won three top awards. He launched his label soon after graduating in 1999. As winner of the Femina British Council’s most outstanding young Designer of India award in 2001, he traveled to London and interned with Georgina Von Etzdorf based in Salisbury. His success stories run into many pages.
The inspiration was three fold. From Africa it was the countries of Sudan and Ghana both known for their colour and prints; from America it was the underground movement of the 1970s and from Paris it was the roaring 20s era. Bringing them together seamlessly in one collection, Sabyasachi Mukherjee moved away from his traditional sari, lehenga, choli image and went full throttle into western and fusion wear to show a line of separates which could be mixed and matched or just worn as the buyer wished.
There was the usual mix of fabrics which Sabyasachi is so good at, so chiffon, silk, cotton, georgette, net and khadi came together along with a mélange of prints that ranged from floral to checks and abstract as well as ethnic motifs for prints and texturing. The styling was very interesting with five different garments at times coming together to form a perfect story – trousers, skirt, blouse, waistcoat and jacket falling into place rather well.
While colour choice was muted with brown, rust, teal, indigo with hints of saffron and touches of pink; the embellishments glittered - at times covering the full skirt or tunic. The elasticized tube skirt and dress were lean in shape having a marked retro look but the flouncy Charleston dresses livened up the scene when worn with pants. Sheer skirts with lavish work were seen over tights while wrap jackets, asymmetric gilets and lace edged blouses had touches of the three themes. From casual mix and match to very formal options, Sabyasachi showed a more western fusion line staying away from his favourite saris. The accessories, very African in nature with bandana wrapped heads of the models, completed the look of the muse trio.
It was a slightly adventurous Sabyasachi Mukherjee that the audience saw but one that offered several styling and creative options to the wearer.
Digvijay Singh is a multi facetted designer whose inspiration lies in the cultural influences and the classical eras of our country. A graduate in fine arts, he has studied design from NID, Ahmedabad. According to him, each garment is an experience to cherish; each has an individualistic character. Therefore he experiments with materials and techniques to develop interesting textures and varied experiences in clothing. Environmental concerns are close to his heart and he uses organic fabrics for his lines.
Digvijay Singh for his label Bhu:sattva, has been promoting the use of organic fabrics for garments for many seasons and his use of fibres like banana, bamboo, flax, hemp, cruelty free silk dyed with colours that are herbal from flowers like heena, pomo, kesu, harda, madder, silikha, sewali and teal leaves gives an environmentally friendly direction to fashion.
This season his collection called “Anekantavad” followed the eco friendly theme once again. The men’s and women’s wear collections had some interesting touches, though at times there was a need to have a certain amount of restrain in the detailing and embellishments for both lines.
The opening black silk slashed kurta with an orange appliqué on one side for women’s wear was an impressive beginning, followed by a similar one in grey for the stronger sex. The balloon sleeves and cross over blouse too worked well. But the grey and orange embroidered layered on the side jacket could have some editing done. Detailing like side inset pleats was good and the two toned grey silk jacket was an elegant offering. The wrap around skinny pants has good buyer potential for the fashion conscious; but the Sherlock Holms style slashed sheer cover, the orange self designed checked shirt with a cape and the perma pleated sleeves for the slashed dress needed some rethinking. The layered peplum pleated blouse and the stand up collar textured jacket was innovative and so was the cream tunic jacket for men.
To take his eco friendly cause onto a higher level, Digvijay Singh now needs to add some very avant garde styling which looks less rural and more urban; if he wants to drive the program further.
The label is jointly owned by Didier Lecoanet and Hemand Sagar. Lecoanet is of Frenchman who pursued fine arts before opting to become a fashion designer and trained at the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture, Paris. Hemant Sagar is of mixed Indo-German lineage and grew up in Delhi and trained as a designer in Germany. The fashion house was born in 1984. In 1994 they won the Golden Thimble fashion award (le De d'Or).
The designing duo of Lecoanet Hemant preferred to show their monsoon 2010 collection called “Green” for men and women. There was a marked earthy feel about the clothes with organic cotton poplin, denim, khadi, wild and handloom silk in colours that ranged from red, rust, beige, taupe, moss green, black, white and crème with touches of silver. The outfits had the fine finish which the pair is known for. The styling was practical and easy on the eye and the figure but with subtle detailing and textures.
Men’s wear started, with a full red suit with the jacket in the Nehru Mao style and was worn with a white T-shirt. Leather came in for jackets and denim for trousers but the red hue stayed for poplin shirts too. From a two-button linen jacket with top stitch and low crotch trouser in mustard linen; the collection moved to a Mao hooded jacket in Faille paired with heavy linen rivet studded shorts in leather worn with a tee in taupe. Adding on a one button patch pocket jacket with a crinkled linen shirt, the designers also had interesting denim trousers with knee darts. From low to extended waistband trousers in black linen, the duo went back to another red suit. Colour was very apparent for the stronger sex with red ruling the roost.
Women’s wear was given more designing liberties with crackled tan leather panelled shorts with a red polyester duchesse asymmetric lapel top, a rust silk mesh shift with Morse code embroidery and frayed side seams, a beige matka silk dress with ghungroos and a moss green organic x-ray printed top with silk jersey capri-dars! Glamour came in the form of sequined cocktail dresses with beaded shoulder interest, a black chiffon plisse gown with high slit and net inset, very interesting asymmetric panelled leather dress, a leather cutout apron top and a stylish box bolero with silver sequined skinny pants.
The collection story was controlled with a creative thread running perfectly in the Lecoanet Hemant collection which had strong international directions ideal for buyers around the world.
Anupama Dayal acquired an MBA from IIM Kolkota before moving on into fashion designing. She launched her label ‘Anupama’ in 2004 and has participated in various fashion weeks. Her designs have won accolades globally. She regularly participated in the Paris Prêt-a-Porter shows and has participated in the Australia Fashion Week. The foundation of her work remains the revival of ancient hand printing and needle work techniques.
Anupamaa Dayal is good at resort wear which she has been creating for several seasons, so this time around she was in full creative form when she unleashed her Jaisalmar meets Ibiza inspired collection in a riot of colours and fluid styles. Taking the colour palette from the Thar Desert of Rajasthan and the philosophy of the movie “Avatar” (where was that visible?) Anupamaa worked with colours like spice green, dancing red, pink, blue and marbled colours with tie dyed leheriya and Shibori on chiffon, silk, chanderi and georgette. To match the resort comfort the silhouettes were fluid dresses, kaftans, wraps, tunics, skirts and one solitary sari.
Opening the show with a flame orange georgette shirt with gold discs with a rear silk panel in hand printed stripes and a bikini under it; Anupama moved to an interesting coral dress in crepe with tie dye and drapes that ended in giant knots at the waist and shoulder. Wrap dresses in leheriya, jade green dress in chiffon with sequined empire top, a short kaftan in marbled georgette with embroidered scarf, a triple layered long maxi and a bright orange summer dress in chanderi silk proved ideal for the summer.
Front wraps worked well for the dresses and chiffon tunics over cropped pleated trousers would be ideal for beach combers. For an evening by the seaside there was a blue draped dress in heavy crepe with antique sequin work in wave prints; while a lime green kaftan with tiered bell sleeves looked a cool option. The finale backless halter gown with antique sequins and hand printed in crepe was a perfect end to the show.
The solitary sari in fluorescent pink georgette with a racer back blouse could have been dropped as the rest of the garments were far more powerful in style and substance to hold the show. The jewellery introduced by Anupamaa was striking with imaginative necklaces in interesting crafted designs.
It was a satisfying collection into which a lot of thought had been put and Anupamaa Dayal can be rather proud of it.
Nachiket Barve got his Masters degree from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad and went on to win a scholarship awarded by the French government to study at the Ecole Nationale Superieur des Arts Décoratifs [ENSAD] in Paris. He has trained at CELINE, a part of the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy Luxury Conglomerate, working with Michael Kors in Paris designing garments and accessories. He is renowned for his innovative and modern use of Indian textiles and techniques for fashion. The focus of the label ‘Nachiket Barve’ is on “Demi-Couture”, using couture quality textiles for off-the-rack garments. The essence of the label lies in “Redefining Luxury” for a global audience.
His workmanship and creations are impeccable and his garments have a wonderful timeless appeal that women long for. Nachiket Barve’s collection called “Abstraction” had a rather lofty concept and explanation but one was interested only in the way the designer was going to interpret it. And he did it really well!
An expert at working with opposites, Nachiket had transparent with opaque colour, the soft with the stiff, the long with short and added on surface treatments that needed great finish and form. The organic embellishments were 3D appliqués, thread embroidery and graphic resist dyeing techniques, ombre and degrade effects. The colours came in full force with black and white as the base and red, silver, azure, purple, adding to the fabric story comprising chiffon, georgette, crepe, shot silk, organza, lurex resist dyed silk and Dupion silk.
There were layered dresses, tunics, separates, a play with lengths and lace effects in patchwork. Each garment was carefully crafted with the right amount of embellishment in the right places.
Staying partial to the petal skirt and the cross over layered effect for the dresses, Nachiket started with the squiggle appliqué strappy organza petal hem dress with white/red ombre silk lining. Shibori entered for a shift with the same appliqué followed by a gilet with patches made with cutwork in Lurex. An organza asymmetrical gilet with sequins, a wrap jacket in black and white with vanishing circles embroidery, a stunning black chiffon bias cut dress with yoke embroidered in bugle beads and a silk jacket with cutwork in multi colours were some of the highlights. The final gowns were elegant in crepe with petal hem overlap, another with an organza bolero with squiggle and bridge crimp appliqué in Lurex and silk and a draped layered belted one with front opening and side belt with bugle beads.
It was classic fashion at its best which Nachiket Barve always manages to deliver in his quiet understated manner and allows his collection to do all the talking.
