The highlights of Day 4 at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2012:
White and blue make for a fabulous summer combo
While white was all over the WLIFW S/S 2012 runway on Day 4, the non-colour found an unlikely colour complement in blue. Mynah’s Reynu Taandon used white and blue prints in her resort wear collection, while Rahul Singh used splashes of blue (literally!) on garments for a dreamy abstract look to his collection.
Below: Mynah’s Reynu Taandon, Rahul Singh
Material Mix
Mixing materials has not been as rampant as it has been in the past few months on Indian ramps. After Swapnil Shinde used acrylic and PVC at LFW W/F 2011, Alpana-Neeraj used transparent plastic with flowy chiffon and drapes to create an unlikely world dominated by body-hugging non-fabric shapes. Meanwhile, at James Ferreira I loved his use of khadi with fabrics like crepes and silk for a modern Indian look. And BTW, Anand Bhushan used feathers on his dresses!
Below: Alpana-Neeraj, James Ferreira, Anand Bhushan
East meets West… again!
In something as universal as fashion, east and west are mere labels. And like most trends, fusion is fun! So when Dev r Nil combines batik with pop art (think Indian-style rosettes as funky prints) and Anita Dongre uses Indian embroidery on western silhouettes, there’s reason to cheer. And how can we forget James Ferreira’s contribution to nationalism—khadi worn in contemporary styles?
Below: Dev r Nil, Anita Dongre, James Ferreira
Fabric detailing
Pin tucks and applique have been around for a while, but their use has now evolved into being the centrepiece of a garment, creating shapes or effects that showcase the designers’ skill. Since we now see entire collections based on detailing like pleats, ruffles, gathers, twists and rolls, we know designers have better command over fabrics than ever before. Atsu Sekhose highlighted the neck and waist, Rahul Mishra created soft rainbow bands all over with pin tucks, and at Saaj by Ankita made rope by twisting fabric.
Below: Atsu by Atsu Sekhose, Rahul Mishra, Saaj by Ankita
Trend of the day: Sheer
Below: Atsu by Atsu Sekhose, Niket & Jainee, Anita Dongre
Prints of the day
Sunglasses on pants at Dev r Nil, animal print at Mynah’s Reynu Taandon.
WTFashion Moment of the Day
Dress that outlines your twin assets, an oddly-placed oversized rose with a trail, tulle wrapped around a dress, mismatching colours… sigh!
Look of the day
Feminine, formal and flattering shape at Atsu.
Makeup of the day
Thick blue eyeliner at Mynah’s Reynu Taandon. Super like!
Accessory of the day
Gandhi cap at James Ferreira—a political statement, perhaps?
Celeb appearance of the day
Gauhar Khan for Rahul Mishra.
