Day 2 at Wills India Fashion week started on a rather quiet note but was actually full of some surprising fashion moments. Prints were everywhere, be it digital, block or foil and it was refreshing to see that embellishment in many cases had taken a back seat. It looks like FW 2013 is going to be less bling!
Here are my five picks of the day:
1. Jackets from Bodice by Ruchika Sachdev and Tanvi Kedia: Known for an urban take on fashion this was Ruchika’s debut show at WIFW and she surprisingly turned her hand to block printing. She had a very town girl take on tribal with colourful patchwork beading on some jackets.
Easy to wear they combined the rural feel with city slickness. I have been living in my Bodice shirt from her last collection (which I also wore to the show) and I think come fall one of her jackets is soon going to become my new best friend.
Tanvi Kedia’s collection was called Tribal Winds: exquisite embroidered jackets with a vintage & gypsy take. Teamed with digital prints skirts and leggings (which I had to admit often had a very “Missioni” feel) this was another strong collection for a young designer.
2, Androgyny at Rishta by Arjun Saluja: The relationship between yin & yang is always top of mind for this designer. His tailoring is among the finest in India, and this collection was one of his most wearable till date. Full of contradictions, as soften shoulders sat and angular flaps sat comfortably together. As did pinstripes with print.
This is what many would term “high” fashion yet would make for perfect work wear. Corporate wear it seems does not have to be boring. Beautiful printed shirts with unexpected pleat detail at the back, a long kurta with a zip detail and more.
Combined with Arjun’s impeccable sartorial style and you have Androgyny at its finest. His Patiala styled trousers had me wishing I was six inches taller, as without that height you cannot carry off some of his separates.
3, Military Mode by Anju Modi: In my mind when it comes to balancing craftsmanship with fashion, Anju Modi has always got this bang on. She’s probably one of India’s most under-rated designers and this collection made you stand up and take attention! It had a strong military inspiration but crafts remained its backbone.
She mixed block printing, parsi ghara, zari and resham. Elephants were her favored motifs. Waistcoats, saris, jackets all had a ‘take me to battle’ feel, yet elegant enough to be worn to a wedding. But then the Big Fat Indian wedding can feel like a battlefield sometimes!
4 & 5. Sadhu Style by Tarun Tahiliani: Tarun Tahiliani’s collection inspired by the ‘Kumbh Mela’ gets my vote for being one of the high points and low points of the day. As always was the best attended and awaited shows of WIFW.
The beautiful colors of the sadhu’s attire made for a refreshing and strong color palette. Tarun did not need to rely on ornamentation to make pieces from this collection. The best pieces were his drape dresses with just a hint of embroidery around the collar. Pre pleated saris with off shoulder blouses had just the right amount of sensuality. And he combined knits & saris with elegant ease.
But there was one issue I had with the collection – and it was not the 45 minute wait for the show that upset me but the fact that this collection needed editing. There were far too many pieces and in fact it was the simpler pieces that worked better. With his use of colour, draping and styling being so strong many of the more embellished seemed out of place. This could have been the strongest show of the day, instead it did drag in places.
Photos by Surbhi Sethi for MissMalini