Haute Designers, Master Weavers
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TREND WATCH LFW Summer Resort ‘16 HAUTE DESIGNERS, MASTER WEAVERS Lakme Fashion Week has set a benchmark for Indian designers. MEHER CASTELINO reports on the highlights. ASIF SHAIKH GAURANG MAKU INDIGENE BANERJEE PAROMITA FIBRE2FASHION he fabulous Walking Hand in Hand – The Craft + Design + TSociety show was one of the highlights of the first day at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2016. The innovative presentation featured India’s five top designers who teamed up with the best craftspersons and expert weavers. They displayed creations that combined designer and craft skills. Day Two was devoted to Sustainable and Indian Textiles. Designers presented interesting collections, showcasing textiles and crafts and also upcycling and recycling fabrics. The message was clear: fashion can be sustainable. Chikankari came Giving kinkhab The glory of the alive on the ramp under his amazing touches, leheriya was brought the creative guidance Rajesh Pratap Singh centre stage by of Aneeth Arora. worked with master Anupama Bose’s skills Master craftsman weaver Haseem and Islammuddin Jakir Hussain Mondol Muhammad for a Neelgar’s expertise. worked his magic on striking collection of The gorgeous leheriya the pretty summer formal westernwear. designs in rainbow dresses, cool blouses, Using rich, golden hues were turned into layered minis, softly brocade with floral stunning ensembles. embroidered long- weaves, Singh A ravishing red kaftan, sleeved covers, presented culottes with a feminine green/ delicately embellished cropped tops, bias cut blue gown, an electric midis, skirts and gowns jackets, dhoti pants, anarkali, a variety of in shades of white and capris, coat dresses, sarees in leheriya and pale blue/grey. Just trouser suits, midi/maxi the lehenga, choli and perfect as the mercury skirts, ‘A’ line midis, bell dupatta were perfect rises. bottom pants and jacket offering of memorable combos. Add to that the ethnic formals. double-breasted coat, and the look is decisive. Showcasing the grandeur of Banaras brocades, Hemang Agarwal worked with master weaver Sharfuddin Ansari for his sensational line of Banarasi sarees teamed with jackets and blouses. The rich hues of Banaras brocades mesmerised as yellow, blue, grey, black, red, green, bronze and copper came together on stripes and floral weaves. FIBRE2FASHION TREND WATCH LFW Summer Resort ‘16 Shani Himanshu A novel B2C or The and Mia Morikawa direct-to-consumer #indiacollective of 11.11 CellDSGN concept featured show created presented their the grand Akaaro excitement on design story with collection by the ramp with five The Khadi Way. The Artisans’ Centre fashion brands. The silhouettes were for Art, Craft and Aish label by Nupur fluid and timeless. Design, Mumbai. Goenka showed The The 11.11/eleven For the first time Expedition collection eleven label framed in Fashion Weeks, with handmade and Giving the age- Debashri the ensembles in Gaurav Jai Gupta’s woven creations. old ajrakh technique Samanta’s Love Thy khadi fabrics using Akaaro label, known She used crafts a contemporary Nature collection had natural dyes in for innovative from Bengal, twist, Asif Shaikh different techniques. block and vegetable textiles, textures Pashmina and worked with master Engineered luxurious prints, ensuring and constructions, Khamir cotton from craftsman Jabbar handwoven textiles sustainability of presented over 300 Gujarat. The colour Khatri. The result? and statement cuts local strengths. pieces. Artisans’ card had perennial Gorgeous formal were an accolade The distinction Centre champions favourites, black sarees with stylish to Mother Earth. between daywear ethical fashion. The and white, with blouses. Long Weaving was integral and eveningwear collection, Think. small hints of bright skirts dazzled with to the collection. The dissolved, creating Make. had 14 pieces hues. The collection intricate ajrakh textile technique was a unique identity. created for Lakmé was replete with designs as did inspired by jamdani Serene silhouettes Fashion Week. craft techniques kurtas, anarkalis, but the look and were crafted in Highlights included like mirror work, palazzos, lehengas, feel were distinct in khadi denim, kala long shirts, cool batik and Jamdani blouses and fabric. Tussar silk (organic) cotton, dresses, tunics, weaves. Silhouettes dupattas, in a and hand-spun khadi khadi cotton and singular shirts and were flowing and myriad colours and cotton were used fine silks with their capes in a palette feminine, especially prints. Menswear generously. Motifs winter highlights from pastels to the drop waist featured kurtas like tiny bugs, flower of khadi merino bright pink, blue, pleated dress, the and shawls with vines, and intricate wool and ari wool. orange and white negative/positive wide salwars or roses were woven in. New explorations in cotton and silk. black/white mini, churidars. in mirror work Priced between kaftans with embroidery, `7,000 and 30,000, geometric prints bandhani and it showcased and a checked maxi patchwork styles outstanding weaves with a long-sleeve marked the from Banaras, mirror work coat. collection. Phulia and Panipat. FIBRE2FASHION Injiri by Chinar Farooqui revived rustic style from Santanu Das Amrit Kumar the Kutch. Farooqui and Chirag Gandhi and Mriga Kapadiya presented Rebari, of Maku believe of Nor Black Nor Gaurang Shah a collection of in slow fashion White, presented presented calico’s traditional elegance and sustainability. their colourful iconic weaves and revived for the They presented retro collection techniques. Calico contemporary a monochrome of menswear and emphasises the dresser. Inspired by collection in ecru women’s garments, rich and vibrant Amrich is unstitched skirts or and indigo. The 100% Pure Love. history of Indian inspired by the Pernu, and Pachedi eight hand-stitched Working with craftsmanship. intersection turbans, the colour garments had a three clamp dyed Each ensemble of traditions, scheme was white uniform silhouette of silks from Kutch, was crafted from techniques, styles and black with empire line smocks vibrant cotton exquisite hand- and habits. The simple textures and with loose, knotted- checks from Kerala woven textiles in collection featured weft cross borders, at-the-back shirts. and ikats from khadi, uppada and garments made reviving hand- The garments were Andhra Pradesh, kota, using iamdani using numerous woven and spun, created in different the pair created technique. The hand processes. organic, cotton from fabrics including a multi-coloured, patterns were woven It also had a good Bhujodi, Kutch. muslin, jamdani, fine cool range. The with a non-structural amount of variety, Draped garments cotton, linen and silk. Kutch section had weft. To that was from the specially had large accents. The look was fluid feminine flouncy added chikankari developed khadi and There were striped and cool. Inspired silhouettes, like embroidery. Working hand-woven cotton pants, bias yoke by air, water and embroidered with weavers across and silk textiles blouses, smocks, sky, the collection boleros. The ikats India, Shah’s to the time-tested palazzos, striped highlighted the textile were given the designs begin at the techniques like ikat, jackets, kedia style traditions and prints unisex look. The loom and emerge as shibori, resist hand- tops, midis with of Bengal. Maku has Kerala checks finely crafted outfits block printing and skirts, gathered experimented with the included the befitting royalty. natural dyes. summer dresses Tangail saree in the regal Kerala gold and a long-sleeved past. The designers handloom Mushru. black maxi pinafore try to ensure there On offer were with interesting is no wastage while long blousons, yoke detailing. creating the garments bermudas, loose to showcase a tunics, multi- striking, practical, coloured kaftans long-lasting collection. and floppy jackets. FIBRE2FASHION TREND WATCH LFW Summer Resort ‘16 Indigene by The Meraki Paromita Mrinalini Priyanka Ella Jaya Bhatt and Project by Sonali Banerjee’s Salt Gupta, known Lorena Lama’s Ruchi Tripathi Pamnani called the of Life flowed free for her practical collection, Maitake showed a refreshing collection, All Work and easy, delicate organic clothing, was a Zen-like collection, and No Play. Soaked and breezy. The presented an offering. Lama, Transience. The in a beautiful mix of collection was elegant and timeless whose label is called theme was inspired natural, hand-woven presented through collection, Banaras. P.E.L.L.A., worked by Wabi-Sabi, a textiles such as two distinct stories. Working with with an exotic Japanese rubric silk organza, pure Luxurious hand- gorgeous weaves milieu of fabrics. of rustic simplicity cotton and hand- woven fabrics like from Varanasi, She selected fragile, and understated woven cotton ikat, khadi, malkha, the collection light hand-woven elegance. The she used quirky linen and cotton was feminine, pure Eri, Ahimsa collection had a fabric manipulation were created fashionable yet silk, Cashmere and quiet, free-flowing techniques such as into voluminous minimal in rustic Pashmina. The osmosis of natural hand embroidered Mughal jamas, glamour. Silhouettes shade card was objects and texts. The effect Punjabi pyjamas, were comfortable. subdued with warm processes. They was an interesting shift dresses and Layered and cinched beige tones. Surface added to that, hand- texture on the draped stoles. The at the waist with texturing was with printed ajrakh, hand- surface of the print story featured belts, there were reclaimed pine wood spun and hand-