PCJ Delhi Couture Week 2012 begins today

PCJ Delhi Couture Week 2012 begins today

Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI)’s PCJ Delhi Couture Week 2012 kicks off this evening in New Delhi with Varun Bahl’s show.

FDCI PCJ Delhi Couture Week 2012

FDCI has unveiled a creative look for the event- one image for each day. Each of these five images highlights tools that help create couture garments- from the mannequin torso to the humble iron. These intricate designs remind me of Indian royalty, and are the result of several brain storming sessions with the FDCI creative committee (David Abraham, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Rohit Bal and Suneet Varma) and the graphic design company– Bombay Design House.

I think it’s a brilliant concept- my favourite images from the series are that of the sewing machine (Day 4 Green) and the clothes hanger (Day 2 Purple).

PCJ Delhi Couture Week Day 4 Green

PCJ Delhi Couture Week Day 2 Purple

Meanwhile, I’ve got a wishlist of the shows I’d like to watch:

  • J J Valaya
  • Varun Bahl
  • Anamika Khanna
  • Manish Arora
  • Shantanu & Nikhil
  • Manav Gangwani
  • Sabyasachi

Yup, fashion at PCJ Delhi Couture Week promises to be stunning!

PCJ Delhi Couture Week is a “By Invitation Only” event by Fashion Design Council of India, held in New Delhi from August 8 to 12, 2012.

Bollywood Fashion: Sonam Kapoor dons a range of looks in Mausam

Even if you haven’t watched Mausam, we bet you’ve seen Sonam Kapoor’s gorgeous red gown and her salwar kameezes in the movie’s promos, designed by Kolkata-based Anamika Khanna.

Sonam Kapoor in Mausam- red gown

Sonam Kapoor in Mausam

Being a romance film, Sonam’s colour palette is soft yet vivid (the red gown and black are the strongest colours), her silhouette feminine, and her outfits easily gel in with the rural Punjab setting. Also commendable is the job done by Lovleen Bains creating authentic costumes  for the Punjabi village folk.

Here’s a look at Sonam’s various looks in Mausam:

In the first season (set in winter of 1992), Sonam’s Aayat wears plain salwar kameezes with Kashmiri-embroidered shawls with (she plays a Kashmiri). She wears her hair straight or ties it up cutely when she heads to high school.

Sonam Kapoor in Mausam-- Kashmiri shawl

Over in Scotland seven years later, Sonam’s got a quirky vibe with long curly hair always decorated with a flower, even in ballet class. Her clothes are super-girly as she wears long skirts and dresses, layering them with light cover-ups. Her makeup is mostly nude; her flaming red gown and lips a stark contrast to Sonam’s looks of the season. Sonam carries off the “red”ness with elegance and poise, looking absolutely gorgeous and graceful. (It was my “Woah!” moment in the movie). We also loved the white dress Sonam wore on a trip to the countryside.

Sonam Kapoor in white dress

Sonam Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor in Mausam

Then the storyline takes a serious turn, and the mood is sombre, melancholic and  doleful. Sonam loses her lover, her love of colour and “happy” clothes. Her colours are now black, blue and grey, and she covers her head with a shawl (not sure why).

Sonam Kapoor in Mausam

In the final season, Sonam is based in Gujarat and it was a pleasant surprise to see her in saris—bandhini and a printed one (we think it’s made from organic fabric).

Our favourite outfit in Mausam is the green sari Sonam wears when Shahid is coming over to dinner. The sari’s blouse has a crochet/ lace border and the fine thread embroidery done by hand is wonderfully Indian, contemporary and dressy, without being OTT.

Verdict:
While the movie is not much home to write about, some fashion lovers may be tempted to watch the movie for Anamika Khanna’s creations. Given the limitations of the character and the plot, the designer has done a good job, and a handful of the outfits are inspirational. However, if you really want to see Sonam’s best clothes, we suggest you watch Aisha again.

Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2011 starts today with off-site Rohit Bal show

With my crazy work sched last week, I completely forgot that it’s almost time for another season of Lakme Fashion Week! And the day is finally here—ace Delhi designer Rohit Bal’s offsite show tonight will be the first collection of LFW Winter/Festive 2011.

Last season, Kolkata-based designer Anamika Khanna showcased her collection at LFW Summer/Resort 2011’s offsite show at Tote. A quick recap in pictures from the show:

Model for Anamika Khanna at LFW S/R 2011   Model for Anamika Khanna at LFW S/R 2011

Models for Anamika Khanna at LFW S/R 2011

Watch out for updates on Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2011 on Speaking Chic over the next few days.

Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2011 runs from Aug 16-21 in Mumbai.

Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2011 starts today with off-site Rohit Bal show

With my crazy work sched last week, I completely forgot that it’s almost time for another season of Lakme Fashion Week! And the day is finally here—ace Delhi designer Rohit Bal’s offsite show tonight will be the first collection of LFW Winter/Festive 2011.

Last season, Kolkata-based designer Anamika Khanna showcased her collection at LFW Summer/Resort 2011’s offsite show at Tote. A quick recap in pictures from the show:

Model for Anamika Khanna at LFW S/R 2011   Model for Anamika Khanna at LFW S/R 2011

Models for Anamika Khanna at LFW S/R 2011

Watch out for updates on Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2011 on Speaking Chic over the next few days.

Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2011 runs from Aug 16-21 in Mumbai.

LFW Summer/Resort 2011: Top 5 things we’re excited about

  1. A taste of Japan: Established Japanese designers will showcase their collections at Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2011. These are Somarta by Tamae Hirokawa, Motonari Ono and Araisara by Sara Arai.LFW S/R 2011
  2. Exciting designer line-up: Some of India’s leading designers (absent last season) will make an appearance. We’re excited about Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Shantanu-Nikhil, Anamika Khanna, Raakesh Agarvwal and Pria Kataria Puri.
  3. Accessories galore!: This season at LFW will see a whopping 15 accessory designers on the ramp. We’re looking forward to Suhani Pittie and Rina Shah of Rinaldi, and would love to get a dose of the other designers’ accessories. (Below: Picture from Suhani Pittie’s LFW Winter/Festive 2010 collection)Suhani Pittie LFW W/F 2010
  4. Watching LFW LIVE!: It’s not possible to go to every show. So in the middle of a working day, fashionistas can just log on to LFWTV.in and get the latest from fashion week!
  5. Great fashion, of course!: Fashion week is about fashion, and that’s what we’re looking forward to. Would love to see some fabulous trends for the summer!