The third edition of the Van Heusen Men’s India Week started off with a roar and a huge dollop of glamour as all the designers who were participating in this three day fashion event, arrived on the red carpet on Harley Davidson motor bikes, stretch limos, vintage Jaguars and even bicycles (like designer Troy Costa who wanted to be “Environmentally friendly”).
Bike lover Arjun Khanna – who has a collection of vintage bikes – wasted no time in choosing a mean-looking Harley Davidson to arrive on the red carpet. Nikhil Mehra of Shantanu & Nikhil also chose to ride a sparkly silver bike which probably weighed a ton.
And in keeping with the spirit, Sunil Sethi of the FDCI also wore a jacket with a motorbike print on it.
The first day had only two shows – the first by Arjun Khanna and the second by Tarun Tahiliani.
Arjun Khanna paid tribute to Men Of Action and that’s probably why we found a huge military influence in his clothes. We also found Khanna paying homage to Sherlock Holmes, Jules Verne’s time-travellers, pirates and the mafia through his styling, cuts, embellishments and colours.
In particular, we liked Arjun’s take on the Patiala Shalwar and I personally fell in love with this one which he did in flaming red.
As for Tarun Tahiliani, his collection in hues of sand, black, white, taupe, ecru and beige, was called the New Democrazy and focused on the “World traveler with an Indian twist!”
Using fabrics like tussar, silk-wool, stretch fabrics, cotton-linen and voile, Tarun explored his trademark draping techniques with shawls over structured jackets, waistcoats, tunics and even pleated baggy trousers which taper from the calves.
In particular, we loved the BIG bags his models carried on the ramp. Too big and beautiful to not have in your collection!
It must be noted that Tahiliani also had qawalli singers performing live on stage and they infused a lot of energy into the show with their lively performance.