Thursday, November 01, 2007

Chivas Fashion Tour October -November, 2007







Chivas Fashion Tour
Oct-Nov, 2007


The First Chivas Fashion Tour begins on October 5, 2007
Travels to Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Delhi and Dubai this year with 12 leading designers
The world’s leading premium brand Chivas Regal brings together 12 of India’s leading designers for the first Chivas Fashion Tour beginning October 5th in Mumbai. The tour will travel to four more cities and end on November 23rd in Dubai. Designers who will feature in this edition of the Chivas Fashion Tour are Ashish Soni, CUE- Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna, Malini Ramani, Manish Arora, Narendra Kumar, Neeta Lulla, Raghavendra Rathore, Rocky S, Shantanu & Nikhil, Tarun Tahiliani, Vikram Phadnis and Wendell Rodricks.

Chivas is a global premium lifestyle brand, and its association with fashion in India will be mutually beneficial. Designers will have an opportunity to touch consumers across key cities in the country and overseas’. Chivas in Fashion has in the last six months gained momentum with initiatives at the India Fashion Week, and support to designers at the New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week.


October 5, 6, 7 - Mumbai
October 26, 27 - Kolkata
November 2, 3, 4 - New Delhi
November 7, 8 - Bangalore
November 22, 23 - Dubai

The show in Mumbai will feature Tarun Tahilini, Malini Ramini, Wendell Rodriguez, Ashish Soni (who has just returned from New York fashion week), Rocky S, Narendra Kumar, CUE, Raghuvendra Rathore, Vikram Pahdnis, Shantanu – Nikhil and Neeta Lulla.

Chivas is an uber chic global brand that evokes the most passionate sensibilities. The first Chivas Tour advertising campaign is a stylish combination of illustration and image shot by ace photographer Jatin Kampani. With India’s finest designers participating on invitation, top models, and only the best in sound, light, set design, the Chivas Fashion Tour promises to be ‘the’ fashion event every year. The shows are choreographed by Alison Kanuga and event managed by Showhouse.

Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna- CUE
The year 1998 saw the launch of ‘CUE’ in Delhi which specialized in women’s western wear and men’s formal wear. Since then, Cue & H2O have dressed various leading personalities. A favored brand of most celebrities, Cue at its inception filled the gap created by the then increasing demand for chic men’s and women’s wear in an otherwise ethnic filled fashion market.Cue and H20 have participated in eight Fashion Weeks. Since the last two fashion weeks Cue and H20 have seen some major achievements. Apart from doing the finale collection in the India Fashion Week they have also been voted as the best menswear designers of the year 2005-2006. CUE’s last collection ‘Light Fantastique’ was about the exploration of the sheeted and sequined possibilities of urban and chic evening wear. Metallic colors along with black, cinnamon and beige drafted aesthetically in fabrics like sand washed satin, polypropylene printed linens, see through georgettes and brushed woolens. The collection varied from engineered trousers to draped dresses. From flared pants to a-line hang ons. CUE & H2O are now available at five stand alone stores in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata, apart from retailing in (Sun Motoyama, Saaya)Japan, (Sanskriti) Hong Kong, (Flower for you) Germany, (Indiva )Canada, (Home Store)Turkey,Our Stores:Delhi- 14Golflinks, F6 Cresent Mall Mumbai-7 Vaswani House, Colaba Kolkata- 85B Lansdowne, Sarat Bose Road Bangalore- 14 Vittal Malaya Road

Light Fantastique- CUE
This collection has been inspired from architectural lines and 60’s stylized wallpaper. An array of geometrics, sharp cuts and metallic sheen live in the Light Fantastique collection. And to make it even more unique, the muted shimmer is juxtaposed with the use of stones.
The forms are experimental. Boxy jackets , peg skirts, kimono sleeves, skinny trousers, wallpaper stockings, knee skimming dresses, embroidery veiled with tulle, sheeted fastenings which emphasize the very high waist are among the many elements that Light Fantastique presents.

Malini Ramani
What is effervescence without a spot of funk and what is Malini Ramani without a large measure of both? Meet the designer who dares to put her joie de vivre firmly on the style radar. Fashion's very own enfant terrible Malini Ramani has always defied rules to create with the courage of conviction – the conviction to follow the dictates of her heart. A quintessential rebel without a pause, for Malini the endeavour is to constantly push the envelope by breaking away from the obvious and adding a dash of cheer to the mundane. Little wonder then that her ensembles are always original, bursting with zest in a happy medley of colours, cuts and cascades of shimmer.Born in New York and deposited in Sanawar in India at the age of 11, Malini's life has always traversed an eclectic path with constant hyperbole! Not one to be confined by disciplinarian authorities for too long, she ran away from school a few years hence. Destination New York - to study Fashion Merchandising at FIT and back to India in 1990. An era when the country was witnessing a revival of the youth and Malini plunged headlong in the moment to savour it to the fullest. Thus began a bohemian pursuit of creativity in every possible sphere. And every experience has left an indelible stamp on Malini's style evolution, be it stints with the radio and television, trotting on the ramp, managing nightclubs, penning gossip columns, relationships or spirituality.Fashion happened to Malini quite by accident when life was pelting at its own fierce pace. Not one to put in an ineffectual performance she gave wings to her imagination and debuted at the first ever IFW in 2000. She scorched the ramp for a fabulous ovation with clothes that spelt oomph and were replete with high-octane glamour. Indian elements were fused seamlessly into western styling. Sharp contouring combined with flatteringly feminine silhouettes and plenty of winking sequins. Malini - the “INDIVA” of Indian design was born. And so was her design anthology - Rock Star Meets Indian Princess! Years later, Malini continues to translate her distinctive aplomb into resortwear and prêt lines with an unwavering philosophy of never creating what she personally would not wear. The constant trademarks of buoyant colours that serenade the sun, sea and the sand, necklines that dare the décolleté, provocative fits that accentuate curves, generous smattering of sequins, all combine in a heady cocktail to raise the spirits and declare: meek hearted stay away and the true INDIVA step forward! The ‘Malini Ramani’ label is currently retailed from her four flagship stores in New Delhi, Goa, Bali, Phuket and Monte Carlo, and also has presence all over the country through leading stores like Ensemble in Mumbai, Ogaan in New Delhi, Kimaya and Sagar in Mumbai, Sosas in Goa and Evolutione in Chennai and Bangalore. Internationally the label is available at Kimaya Dubai, Sanskrit Hong Kong, Venus Monte Carlo, Indomix New York and Khazana Moscow.

Spa Life...Malini Ramani - Malini Ramani invites you to a wonderful day at the spa.

This year for the Chivas fashion tour Malini has created a whole look for an ideal day at the spa. It begins with: Sunrise..this includes yoga wear , satin bathrobes and kaftans.Next is Brunch…fun flirty bikini's and wrap dresses in fun pop colours with lotus motifs. Sunset at the spa has the colours of the setting sun..burgundy and red in beautiful kaftans with wooden embroideries.Evening…glamourous sparkling outfits made with organic embroideries such as grass. A perfect way to end a perfect day; pampering ones’ soul.

Narendra Kumar
Narendra Kumar (Nari) was part of the first - ever graduating class from National Institute of Fashion Technology (1990) while it was still being run in conjunction with FIT, New York and Trent Polytechnic, UK. After graduating NK worked with some of India’s leading designers and embroiders for several years. As one of the first employees of ELLE magazine in India as the Founding Fashion Editor in 1996, Narendra Kumar Ahmed was intrinsically involved in the conceptualisation of the Indian edition of the magazine, as well it’s the adaptation and customisation for the Indian market. The prevailing disorganisation of the nascent fashion industry meant that Narendra was responsible for introducing concepts such as seasonal clothing, catwalk reports and trends, as well as bringing together designers and the entire ready-to-wear industry for the first time in India. Simultaneously, Narendra was also a faculty member of National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mumbai, lecturing advance level students on various aspects of fashion. With the expertise and understanding of the fashion business acquired through his vast experience of working in different areas of fashion, Narendra launched his signature label ‘Narendra Kumar’ in 2002. The NK line of for both men and women is based on modern cuts and silhouettes but integrates the luxurious aspects of specially woven Indian fabrics and hand crafted detailing to maintain a couture feel to the line. In addition NK’s company, Arenah Design Studio, undertakes various corporate identity clothing projects for international companies such as Marriott Group of Hotel, Taj Group of Hotels, HSBC bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Unilever etc. The company works with some of India’s leading textile manufacturers in creating fashion brands and imaging the brands for relevance to the Indian market. Having begun participating at the Lakme India Fashion Week in 2004, Narendra has been a recipient of several awards such as: MTV Style Awards “Breakthrough designer of the Year (2004), MTV Style Awards “Designer of the Year” (2005), MTV Style Awards “Designer of the Year” (2006) and Kingfisher Fashion Awards “Contribution to the Indian Fashion Industry (2006) Narendra Kumar Ahmed retails his men’s and women line through: 3 flagship stores in India, Mumbai(at Courtyard),Delhi (Square 1), Gurgaon (Galaxy Towers). The label is also available at select boutiques in the United States, Canada, Dubai and Hong Kong.
Red Carpet- Narendra Kumar

Narendra Kumar introduces a new edge to his clothing. The collection called "red carpet" is a take on modern urban clothing for the celebrity set. With hints of the 60's, shorter lengths and a sophisticated colour palette interspersed with bolts of colour pointing to a new direction in hip, young clothing to get the shine into your lifestyle, all screaming sexy and elegant. The collection comprises of mostly dresses in silks and brocades periodically worn with jackets for the sharply tailored appearance. The menswear is naturally well cut formal clothing but with a sporty edge.

Ashish Soni
Ashish was the first Indian designer to be invited to present a runway show at the Olympus Fashion Week, New York. At his debut show in September 2005, he was hailed as “one of New York’s new discoveries” by international herald tribune’s Suzy Menkes.Ashish has carved out a distinctly original niche with a sharply refined and deceptively simple sense of aesthetic that is a product of a childhood spent in Africa governed by an Indian upbringing. Ashish continues to show during fashion week in New York and he also exhibits at London Fashion Week and Tranoi in Paris. The label is currently stocked at prestigious stores like Beams in Japan, Penelope in Italy, Tsum in Russia and Villa Moda in Kuwait.Hand crafted skills have always been a strong inspiration for Ashish, which explains his propensity for subtly twisting proportions and inventing new stitching and embellishment techniques , which is further recognized as one of the labels strongest identities today . His clothes are neither ready to wear nor couture but are a more youthful interpretation of today’s strato luxury masstige.

Game On- Ashish N Soni
In the ever fickle fashion industry, forget trends for a moment, this season is not about the 60s, 70s and 80s but is about getting your decades all mixed up. It’s the new way to look now in clothes which are fizzing with tomorrow ness. Easy clothes that make you feel free, relaxed and definitely away from the daily grind. The deepest direction of all, however, maybe so a perfect excuse, then, to indulge in the light, loose pretty clothes, created expressly for whiling away long hot summers in clothing which is, ultimately meant to be worn.Without doubt, past references are an inspirational must but the challenge is to evolve these into excitingly fresh seasonal statements. For summer 08, the designer takes classic sportswear silhouettes and details and transforms them into ultra feminine &, quite often, provocative styles. In delicious contrast to the season’s bold yet minimalist stance, we, this season are following a new youthful direction. Next summer we see women becoming decidedly more playful and charmingly child like. Silhouettes reflect this diversity moving between lean and boyish simplicity. Sportswear reinvents itself and functionality translates into clothes to have fun in. At the same time, he captures the ease and comfort normally associated with contemporary active wear. Rich and luxurious embroideries done on various jersey pieces are juxtaposed with a new volume that emphasizes the female form. Sexed up sports, the sporty past meets the sexy future, sexily cut away details, graphic number embroideries, all over yoga prints, twisted satin twill tapes and embroidered springs add an ingenious twist to the collection. The designer’s free reign to interpret the form and function this season ….The mini dress, kurta tunics, the summer coat, dropped waist tennis dresses, hour glass slim trousers, the tank shift, hand crafted jodhpurs, uniquely decorated track jacket are some of the must haves for this season. The mostly crisp white collection is interspersed with somber color palette of bubblegum pink, powder blue, French vanilla cream, dusty overtones of grey and colored heathers add a refreshing flavor to the collection.There is certain appreciation of the beauty of plainness in smooth compact lycra jerseys enzyme washed which lend themselves wonderfully to the fluid draped pieces, crisp cottons, mercerized dobbies, twill gabardines and viscose jerseys finding more sinuous representation this time round.

Neeta Lulla
She plays with colours as effortlessly as the rainbow plays with sunlight on a rainy day. From the lily-white salwaar-kameez of Sridevi in Chandni, the shimmering mirror worked chaniya choli of Aishwarya Rai in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam; the simplicity of Taal, to the vibrant richness of Devdas. Neeta Lulla has simply done it all.In 19 glorious years, Neeta has designed costumes for over 300 Indian movies and is one of the leading fashion designers in India. Neeta also heads a firm called NSL Fashions Pvt. Ltd. that deals with bridals and trousseau packages.
She has been a visiting lecturer in Fashion Co-ordination at SNDT University since 1987. The subject focuses on the use of the right colour sense to give co-ordination, accessories, personal grooming and make-up. She is also affiliated to Hamstech Institute in Hyderabad in an advisory capacity. Yash Chopra’s Lamhe pushed Neeta Lulla into the limelight. “The best moment of my life was when I bagged the National Award for Sridevi’s clothes in Lamhe. When I got the news I was too stunned to react,” she says excitedly. Soon she became the most sought after designer in the film industry. Other notable projects like Darr, Chandni, Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke, Pardes, Mission Kashmir and others followed. Her latest ventures include Hollywood movies such as “Bride and Prejudice” by Gurinder Chaddha and “One Night with a King”, a Gen8 Entertainment production. Neeta says that several factors need to be taken into consideration while designing a star in the film. The story, the comfort value of the artiste, whether a scene will be shot indoors or outdoors all are crucial in the designing stage. “The attire should have appeal not only to the director and the artiste but also be in sync with the background and set.”It is because of her humble yet confident approach she has earned the respect and clientele of many Bollywood beauties such as Sridevi, Aishwarya Rai, Juhi Chawla, Ameesha Patel, Kareena Kapoor, Lara Dutta, Sushmita Sen just to name a few. Accolades and honours for her craft include – The Presidents Award for Lamhe; Bollywood Award (New York) for Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam; a Screen-Videocon Award, an IIFA (London) for Taal, a Screen-Videocon Award, a Bollywood Fashion award, the President’s award and an IIFA award for ‘Devdas’, an epic film which was showcased last year at the Cannes film festival. Her undying love for her work and her immense creativity is a motivating factor for many aspiring designers. For her designing is not merely a profession but a fanatical passion. She is never too tired to work.. and a good day is one in which she puts in 24 hours of work! She is undoubtedly the ‘Czarina of Indian Fashion’ and set to take on the world.

Neeta Lulla
Riffing in a straightforward way on the treads of tradition and the flavor of fusion theme that she'd more opaquely alluded to in her FALL-WINTER 2007 Couture show, NEETA LULLA will send out her most concise and focused haute couture collections. All it takes, according to her vision, is to bring through, the essence of two different cultures, creating magic with fabric.The collections will witness a combination of drapes and textures, embellished with exclusively elaborate lace and stones, nattily used to create a dramatic effect. The traditional collection will revolve around deep hues of our soil and more traditional colors like turquoise, fuchsia pink and peacock green. In complete contradiction to the bright regalia showcased, the fusion collection with silhouettes of the west will present more frozen colors. This collection crystallizes the essence of femininity with structured as well as unstructured silhouettes.

Raghuvendra Rathore
Born and brought up in the epicenter of heritage and tradition in the ancient city of Jodhpur, designer Raghavendra Rathore knows only too well the value of ‘Brand India’. His traditional upbringing and training of his craft at the Parsons School of Design in New York gave him the international edge, the experience and the insight to create the right mix of aesthetics, craft and heritage in the products that he designs that work globally. The experience of living in Manhattan, while studying and researching Design was more than a dictionary of ideas. Re-calibrating to the American sensibilities and esthetics was a challenge for a person from a remote town of Jodhpur in Rajasthan. Donna Karen hired him from a graduating class of 120 pupils to work for her as an assistant designer for the sportswear division DKNY. He was then offered an opening at the high design atelier of Oscar de la Renta. Rathore became the youngest designer at the atelier sending shock waves in the 7th Avenue circuit. These years were special as he spent time helm of fashion, learning the ropes, sedating the press and wooing all the lunching ladies of Paris, to promote the new vision of Mr. De la Renta for Pierre Balmain. This exposure enabled him to refine his design knowledge before launching his own label "Rathore Jodhpur" back in India in 1994. Rathore is a design based company that works on diverse design projects ranging from interior design to fashion and beyond. With the valuable 1200 years of family history & linage, it is undoubtedly the source of inspiration in his work. Mixing old-fashioned workmanship with modern aplomb, Rathore finds newer, subtler ways to evoke the spirit of a by-gone age with a fresher approach. Splitting time between home in Jodhpur and work, he is always on the move working on assignments and projects all around the globe setting newer standards in the design frontier.

Raghavendra Rathore
The collection is inspired by the sounds and sights of Rajasthan. Playing with silhouettes & prints, the entire collection is to inspire the onset of the new season.Designed with the inspiration of the new goodwill in the market for a more worldly client, this collection emphasizes the need for redesigning Indian design.

Rocky S
In 1990, Rakesh Singhvi, popularly known and recognized today as Rocky S, never dreamed that he would be where he is today. In 2000, Rocky shot to greater heights of success when he was appointed the designer and stylist for two blockbusters “Kaho Na Pyar Hain” and “Gadar”, dressing none other than superstar Hrithik Roshan and Amisha Patel. In 2003 Rocky took a bold step into retailing with retail giant Benzer in Mumbai. The success of his line at Benzer gave birth to a new brand of couture “Boulevard Benzer” with Rocky S as the design head. In 2005, besides being a part of India Fashion Week since its inception, Rocky was the only Indian designer invited to participate at the Milano Della Moda(Milan Fashion Week). He was given the honor of opening the Fashion week and showcased his talents alongside design greats like Armani, Roberto Cavalli and Prada to name a few. In 2006 Rocky S launched the Rocky S noir collection at Lakme India Fashion Week. He took his creativity a few steps further and stepped into the field of soft furnishings with his home line, “ROCKY S DUVET”. This collection of exclusive home linen offers a wide array of decorative cushions, runners, coverlets, quilt sets and a lot more.In 2006 Rocky S also tied up with the brand “Hakoba”, one of the largest Manufacturers/ exporters of crochet lace and schiffley textured fabric and launched the label “Hakoba Club by


Rocky S” for a younger audience.
After the success of his Boulevard Benzer couture label, soon to be re-launched is the Rocky S couture line which comprises of custom and higher prêt ethnic wear. This label specializes in custom made bridal couture as well as “off the rack” cocktail and indo west ensembles. In 2007, to add to his already brimming repertoire, Rocky S launched his signature fragrance


“Rocky S Noir”
The list of Bollywood celebrities that depend on Rocky for film and personal styling is endless. A few names include Esha Deol, John Abraham, Yana Gupta, Katrina Kaif, Neha Dhupia, Hrithik Roshan, Bipasha Basu, Arjun Rampal and Diya Mirza. Rocky S retails at his stand alone store at Juhu-Mumbai, Aza in Mumbai, Collage in Madras, Samsaara in Delhi and Strip in Hyderabad. Internationally, Rocky S Noir is available at MUMBAI-SE in Singapore, Dubai and Jakarta, FAE in Dubai, and Crossover in Dubai and Vancouver Canada.

Rocky S Couture
From the palaces of ancient Indian monarchy to the glitz and glamour of vintage English flamboyance, from the beauty of primeval dances to the ‘opera’…the Rocky S ‘couture’ collection draws diverse inspiration and talks about synchronism of cultures.The collection unfolds in two phases, commencing from ethnic mughal charm. A bejeweled colour palette of emerald, sapphire, ruby red and coral are complimented by traditional angarkha style silhouettes. Antique gold embellishments adorn the surfaces giving an aura of royalty to the ensembles.Moving gracefully from ethnicity to modernity, the ensuing collection exudes ornate glamour and subtle opulence…soft and neutral hues of peach, pink and beige are accented with vivid red and maroon trims. Stylized, body flattering cuts speak about fluidity and are enhanced with glittering pearls and diamante work. It captures myriad moods….those of drama, grandiosity and striking dreams.Innovative sari drapes, chic cocktails and modish bridals, the couture collection beautifully reflects femininity, stylishness and charisma. The feel is flirty yet elegant, it’s ‘ethnicity’ with a distinct edge.

Shantanu and Nikhil
Masters of elegance and sophistication, Shantanu and Nikhil, are a label synonymous with luxury. The understated appeal of their design aesthetic goes beyond the here and now into a realm of pure classicism. Defining the luxurious and the beautiful, they define the eternal feminine in essence, rather than superfluous forms. Inspired and in turn exhilarating, they create for the strong, the beautiful, the avant-garde and the well-traveled sophisticate
Enriched with a global fashion vision, the duo have moved beyond borders, infusing an Indian sensibility into a rich detailing that remains quintessentially Shantanu and Nikhil. From cricketers, to filmstars to socialites and style icons, the label today, is an ode to attention to detail, and that master of all cuts- the silhouette, remaining the most important USP in all. Feted by the media, and adorned by the crème de la crème, the Label is a style statement extraordinaire Known primarily to use Indian craftsmanship with contemporary styling, the designer duo dove into fashion; first with their Indian menswear couture line in 1999, hence the birth of “Shantanu & Nikhil”. Signature women’s collections, both diffusion and couture soon followed, and the designer duo stepped onto the field of high fashion with their debut diffusion line at the India Fashion Week in 2001. The brand’s foray in 2003 to reach out to the masses with a chic high-street western line is the combination of a fine commercial sensibility and a genuine feel for fashion. Delving deep into the emotions and inheritance of culture and sensibility, Shantanu and Nikhil cull out the essence. Going beyond the obvious, or the superficial, Shantanu and Nikhil create a unique subtext with delicate details, simple harmonies and rich textual formats. The evolution of their style has been shown in both trade shows, and couture collections in the country, which has appealed to both Indian and International buyers. Whether it has been the sylph like Shilpa Shetty at the recent IFFA awards in Yorkshire, or international cricketers, they know that style becomes the personality it envelops. Judges of the extremely popular, ‘Get Gorgeous’ show on Channel V, Shantanu and Nikhil have a take on glamour and allure, beyond the skin deep . According to “Shantanu & Nikhil”, Design is a sensibility that has to be delicately played with to create a balance between the eyes and the mind. It is a feeling, a sensation that comes from within. Style to us is the body and it talks to you the expression that your mind has created to complete the body. These daring designers were among the first to venture into the business of redesigning an entire look for the Indian superstar, Amitabh Bachchan, in a look which took Gaming on Indian Television by storm. The superior design aesthetic of “Shantanu & Nikhil” with electric colors, rich and sensuous fabrics, and silhouettes, that compliment the body has made it ubiquitous in the world of celebrity with some of the leading Indian socialites, Sports personalities (like Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan, Glen McGrath, Stephen Fleming & Leander Peas) and Bollywood stars (like Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Saif Ali Khan, Kunal Kapoor, Manoj Bajpai, Shilpa Shetty, Sushmita Sen) being lead purveyors of their style

Shantanu and Nikhil

Kajal, black and smoldering, sensuous and innocent, defining wherever it goes is the theme of the collection Shantanu and Nikhil present. A sensuous collection which defines the parable of black in its many avatars, the essence remains couture. The black smokiness and shadow play of kajal defines the look of the collection. Inspired by the intricate mass of colour that is black, the designers display a series of moods and moments which range from sensual to powerful to demure. The look represents the many different facets of this colour. The silhouettes are modern with drapes that define the form. Sequences are defined by black detailing on black outfits. Delectable Indo-westerns, sensual saris and lehengas with defining drapes are the bulk of the collection. Black moves from inky depths to starlit shimmer in it's many avatars. Texturisation highlights the look and offers fitted jackets and shapely silhouettes. The unrelieved stillness of black is broken into by flashes of colour which range form oranges, fuchsia pinks to emerald greens. A collection which defies interpretation in stereotypes of fashion, this is surely a glamorous rendition of an eternal colour from Shantanu and Nikhil.


Tarun Tahiliani
Tarun Tahiliani founded his design studio in 1990. His distinctive signature has since evolved as a fusion of textile detail, refined luxury, and meticulous tailoring. TT (as he is affectionately known) creates couture, diffusion, prêt-a-porter and accessory lines, which are Indian in their sensibility, yet international in their appeal. The rich heritage of the subcontinent is reinvented as contemporary high fashion through the genius of Indian craftsmanship and the finest textiles; along with Italian pattern cutting and construction and new technologies such as digital textile printing. His unique combination of historical opulence and contemporary chic are personified as a Mughal queen, sipping cocktails in Milan. But for the Tahiliani muse to attain such effortless chic, her designer first needed to explore the history of Indian Fashion -- which essentially entailed the embellishment of textile and the masterful way these endless, dreamy lengths of cloth were draped, tied, twisted and pulled over the body. As a trend, this endured for centuries, shaping with the times and evolving slowly through cultural invasion. Men and women displayed the richness of textiles, from turbans, to saris, to dhotis or wide bodied skirts, draped or fastened by a single piece of string. No detail or labour of love, was too painstaking: Years of handwork would be kneaded into a single, lavish piece of cloth, and this tradition was passed from one generation to the next. And yet, it was not until very recently that Indian Fashion began to mature in terms of cut and proportion. The combination of these elements, along with India’s enduring and passionate affair with colour is the basis of this studio’s work. Essentially, it is the exuberant and richly detailed, structured drape that represents Tahiliani’s modern, Indian woman. His first solo show was held in September, 1994, in London. Since then, he has shown countless collections at home and around the world. In September 2003, he was the first Indian designer invited to showcase his work across the globe. In 2004, Tahiliani was awarded F Award for Best Women’s Designer for Couture. He is an office-bearer and founding member of the Fashion Design Council of India. Tarun Tahiliani’s international events in 2005 included the Milan Fashion Weeks in February, and other events and fundraisers. The clothes are worn by lovers of luxury around the world. Aishwarya Rai to Goldie Hawn to Jemima Khan to Minal Modi to Saif Ali Khan among many others. In 2006 the Italian ministry of Foreign Affairs conferred the prestigious award ‘Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity’ on Tarun Tahiliani. The ‘Fashion’ Awards voted Tarun Tahiliani to be the best Women’s Wear Couture Designer and he was also awarded the Life Time Achievement Award for contribution to Indian Fashion.This year will see the TT Design Studio move into its new Design Headquarters and the opening of the first super flagship Tarun Tahiliani store at the DLF Emporio Mall in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. This will be the first store of its kind to merchandise the entire collection – Women’s, Men’s and Accessories. Tahiliani’s new line of semi precious jewelry will also be a permanent feature at this location, along with new services and brand extensions. Milan, the fashion center of refined luxury, showcases Tahiliani’s creations in its boutiques and the collections currently sell in top stores such as Mumbai Se (Singapore), Tabla (Hong Kong), Fine and Rhine (Hong Kong), Mimosa (Riyadh), Harvey Nicholas (Riyadh), Glamour (Doha, Qatar), Garbo (United Kingdom), Khubsoorat (United Kingdom), Sunmotoyama (Japan), Saaya Boutique (Japan), Elahe (Hyderabad), Evolusione (Chennai), Samsaara (Delhi), Mebaz (Hyderabad), Moda In (Kuwait) Zenia (Kuwait), Kimaya (Dubai), Fea (Dubai), Mumbai Se (Dubai) along with his flagship stores -- Tarun Tahiliani Boutique, Ensemble in New Delhi and Mumbai and Kimaya in Mumbai.

Trans Orient Express –Tarun Tahiliani
Seasons print stories

Barkleaf
This collection is a combination of barkleaf submerged in animal skin. Prints are highlighted with black and white crochet flowers and mother-of-pearl. This print has been used in different weights of fabrics, viscose jerseys for a sporty chic T-shirt, chamois satin for an evening top. Silhouettes vary from of young halters and smocked tops to long kaftans. Sarees and fun kurtas with churidars appear in all prints.

Stripe Lace
A collection which makes clever use of old jamewar stripes highlighted by Victorian lace patches with belts and jewels. Colours range from earthy rusts to blacks and greys.

Jewel Jamewar
A collection which brings together the beauty of old world jamewar with absolutely modern gem jewels. These are further accentuated in a very flirtatious and young way with beetle and dragonfly broaches. The traditional jamewar design is offset by modern silhouettes and appear in several colours of Swarovski crystals. Silhouettes range from tie up T-shirts to draped corsets, short smocked kaftans to absolutely fitted long jackets.

Zardozi
A traditional Indian colour palette of oranges, fuchsia pinks, lime and olive greens have been explored in this collection. It has a combination of antique zardozi motifs which are beautifully highlighted in gold studs.

Striper
The overlay of different Indian linear stripes in an asymmetrical way to create an illusion of a corset. Asymmetrical jewel flower made in antique ‘kasab’ and Swarovski crystals which is cut worked and appliquéd on the silhouettes. The silhouettes are flowing and full, re-creating a feel which is rustic with urban chic. Fabrics range from pure silks to stretch chamois and stretch tulles for shirt dresses.

Lace
The delicate fragile beauty of Victorian lace in a collage of various laces is put together to create an illusion of a corset. Appliqué lace motifs and Swarovski crystals embellished in the garments lift the translucency of the lace prints. Silhouettes are sexy evening wear, moulded to the body, the colours enhancing the illusion of skin and transparency.

Chikan Embroidery
The creation of this line is the result of innovation and experimentation with this traditional technique of embroidery. ‘Tepchi’ uses a combination of traditional embroidery on raffia. Silhouettes are very modern and highly draped to take traditional embroidery a step further.

Machine Embroidery
The two groups in machine embroidery illustrate diverse use of different techniques such as appliqué of black lace skin further highlighted with fine Japanese materials. The other group explores the combination of lace and net appliqué on neutrals with a fair amount of cut work. Silhouettes range from baby doll tops to textured kurtis, Indian sherwanis for women and structured garments like jackets.

Textured Italian
This group explores different textures like random pin tucking, smocking, fluting, ruffles combined with highly draped dresses and tops made in imported silk jerseys.The Jewel Pieces The jewel Indian pieces on order from the stores unfurl on its canvas, mukaish, chikan, swarovski and zardozi for special occasions. These will not be in the show. Goddess Drapes In a season where the agendas of fashion are being rewritten, this collection, though classic in inspiration, has a modern interpretation, satisfying both the desire for tradition and modernity, ornamentation and sobriety. A minimal colour palette of black, beige and coral in an array of monochrome is distinctly characterized by finely pleated silk georgettes and effervescent crystal trims. This true couture in spirit collection of ready to wear, which has its heart set for Indian tradition, has a modern twist to detail and styling executed with martial austerity. Kurtas and saris in a combination of pleated georgette are reshaped to give it a contemporary bite and cleverly used Swarovski crystal trims takes it a step further. The pleasures of this collection are found in the impeccable construction and smallest of details, the sculpted fan pleated bodice of a strapless kurta, the crystal chain descending the front of a halter dress or around the neckline of a tunic dress or the way a cape is designed to remain demurely in place skimming the body like a breeze…The finale is draped goddess dresses in a moulten liquid jersey that drips onto the body and like lava and folds around the curves. This, mixed with Swarovski rocks and jewelled beetles, enhances the raw sensuality of volcanic eruption in goddess formats.Silhouettes are very modern and broaches adorn the formal evening wear for cocktails to black tie.


Vikram Phadnis
Often referred to as Bollywood’s ace designer, Vikram started his career as a choreographer before rising to fame as a fashion designer. Not having gone through any formal training in fashion designing, he currently adorns the wardrobes of the biggest names in the glamour industry. Besides his passion for designing, Vikram is a very good stylist, making celebrities of today what they are. Right from their wardrobes to their hair-do, to their makeup while taking full responsibility of their complete makeover.Vikram’s efforts have always been to achieve synthesis of popular avant-garde tastes. This has been his unique selling point in his bridal and prêt-a-porter wear. In the fashion and film industry, he has created for himself a place, which can be filled by none other.

Vikram Phadnis- Collection Note
Black teamed with hues of beige n gold embroidery lend lightness and freedom bringing a richness and depth to the collection. Each ensemble is immaculate in detailing exquisite in its contemporary treatment and eclectic style. Rich embroideries add sophistication and modernity. Embellished with zardosi, kasab and coins, the artwork is simply striking. All silhouettes with indo-west cuts create interplay of surface effects and embellishments resulting in a sensual effect of feminine elegance and sophistication.

Wendell Rodricks
Wendell Rodricks began his career in fashion after a successful tenure in hotel management. Trained in Los Angeles and Paris, he returned to India in 1988. After a brief span of two years, designing and styling for reputed companies such as Garden Vareli, cosmetic giant Lakme and diamond corporate De Beers, Wendell Rodricks established his own label in 1990. The Wendell Rodricks signature style is unique in India, blending ancient Indian geometry with a relaxed Goan attitude. Using natural Indian fabrics, cut in a linear line, the silhouette is sheer, layered, draped and fluid. Emphasis is on concrete themes, experimental colour combinations, exotic fibre weaves, structural simplicity based on geometric Indian shapes and hand-painted details. The garments are worn by a growing clientele from all walks of life that share a similar minimal, spiritual aesthetic.

Lounge Lizard- Wendell Rodricks
The Wendell Rodricks Lounge Lizard collection for the Chivas Regal Fashion Tour is inspired by and aimed at the young lounge reveler. All over India, the concept of a lounge or club has emerged as an integral part of entertainment. In the relaxed yet energetic ambience, clothing is young, sexy, sporty and yet cocktail. Using a colour palette including black, aubergine, deep olive and silver, the Lounge Lizard collection by Wendell Rodricks uses diverse fabric woven or treated with a technological edge: Velvet is woven with lycra. Organza is heat treated to form pleats. Silver is infused with stretch that does not ‘crack’ the silver. Lycra is plastic coated for a leather shine. All these treatments make the clothes look modern and futuristic. Using a variety of silhouettes, styling and layering, Wendell Rodricks sends out his signature style of minimalism, reinvented each season with a new creativity.

The Wendell Rodricks lounge lizard collection for the Chivas Regal Tour will be available as a limited edition collection at Zoya and Aza (Mumbai), Raintree (Bangalore) Ensemble and Ogaan (New Delhi).

Monday, October 15, 2007

Sabyasachi Mukherjee S/S at the Lakme Fashion Week & Brdal Asia



























Sabyasachi and the




indigenous art form





The red carpet and chandeliers set the mood for Sabyasachi's presentation of his Indian couture collection, apparently the first time he is showing Indian wear at Lakme Fashion Week.








But it was not until the Pakistani qawwali music, particularly the song Mera Piya Ghar Aaya started and the models walked out onto the ramp in Sabyasachi's clothes from his Chand Bibi collection that the impact of his work was realised.




As the audience in the packed hall sat enthralled, the dupattas contrasted the lehengas and tunics, all inspired by history. And indeed, history emanated through the dramatic prints and woven fabrics, the colours and the gait and adaabs of the models as well.













LIFW Couture Collection - Chand Bibi 14/10/07
Sabyasachi’s first Indian Couture Collection at Lakme India Fashion Week celebrates Indian Textiles, silhouettes, embroidery and styling unabashedly. Taking influence from the costumes of Royal India, the “Jenana” and the “Purdah” system, old muslim enamel utensils, the bylanes of Karachi and dilapilated royalty, this entirely handcrafted collection exudes nostalgia and refinement.

Special pieces include: Antique brocade coats , Zardozi embroidered brocade ghagras , Vintage jackets and dresses, Vegetable dyed silk and net saris , Fluid trousers in silks, georgettes, Heavily embroidered silk and cotton Kalidars



















LIFW - Pret Western Collection 15/10/07
Spring 2008 is about internal growth. As the world is inundated with photocopied fashion, real luxury moves away from the tangible to the spiritual. Organic fabrics, personalized surface ornamentation, cross cultural influences set the mood for this collection that is eclectic and mature. Hand stained satins, obsolete Mughal embroidery, organic hand block printing and an array of textiles that range from canvas to brocade create a look that is vintage with a very neo-modern feel.










Special pieces include:, a)Organic Bomber Jackets with hand embroidered details, b) Antique brocade waistcoats, c) Stained ivory satin evening pieces, d) Antique embroidered brocade coats, e) Vintage jackets and dresses, f) Fluid trousers in a multitude of luxurious evening fabrics, g) Lingerie inspired inners, h) Jeweled scarves and headbands



















Bridal Asia










The Collection–Fabrics, Textures, descriptive info.The chief fabrics used in this collection are - Silks, Georgette, Brocade, Fine Quality Khadi, Muslins and Gauze. The Bridal Outfits being showcased comprise of traditional Indian saris, Kalidar Kurtas, Rich Angarkhas, Short Kurtas and Lenghas. Various kinds of surface ornamentation have been used to embellish these outfits – hand embroidery, moroccan gara work, crusty borders, tepchi work, zardozi, intricate aari, gota ka kaam, vegetable dyeing, block printing and tye and dye. The colours used are red, green, royal blue, black, cream and baby pink amongst others.The collection showcased at Bridal Asia consists of Sabyasachi’s staples- namely lenghas, angarkhas, and heavy kurtas and signature saris. This collection is inspired by the intricacy and beauty of traditional Indian Folk Motifs. USP - The Bridal Collection being showcased is a testimony to the richness and complexities of Indian heritage, culture and textiles borrowing heavily from the Mughal Gharana and the Avadhi Royalty. The emphasis is on bringing in dynamism in colour combinations which hitherto did not exist in the Indian Bridal wear Genre.










Brief Description about company and products
Sabyasachi Couture came into being on the 23rd of July, 2002. Over the years, it has become synonymous with the very best that a Couture House can offer – in terms of exquisite creations, innovative designs and personalized attention to our high profile clients. We supply to highly esteemed stores in India and abroad. Sabyasachi Couture specializes in Traditional Indian wear, Bridal Wear, Western Wear and Indo-Western Wear. Our forte lies in the unique but innovative blending of colors, textures and patterns. Sabyasachi's design
philosophy is very simple and clear 'Personalized imperfection of the human hand'. Deserts, gypsies, prostitutes, antique textiles and cultural traditions of his home town, Kolkata, have been a lifelong inspiration for this designer who believes that clothes should just be an extension of one's intellect. He uses unusual fabrics, texturing and detailing, 'fusion' of styles 'patch-worked' with gorgeous embellishments in a vibrant eclectic color palette to make the feeling of going back to the soul'. His creations evoke powerful images of the ancient and medieval eras. He describes his own collections as 'an International styling with an Indian soul.’



















Designer Profile
Summer of 1999, Sabyasachi Mukherjee graduated from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, India with three major awards. Four months later, Sabyasachi started his eponymous label. Early 2001, Sabyasachi won the Femina British Council’s most outstanding young Designer of India award, which took him to London for an internship with Georgina Von Etzdorf, an eclectic designer based in Salisbury. Returning home with edgier ideas, Sabyasachi started retailing at all major stores in India. In 2002, Sabyasachi participated at the India Fashion Week where his debut collection earned him rave reviews from the national and international press. In a cover by women's wear daily which is considered as the most coveted trade magazine internationally, he was reckoned as the future of Indian fashion. He was the first Indian designer to have incorporated the use of Indian textiles in his collections but in a modern context. His unique contribution was the use of indigenous methods like bandhani, gota work, block printing, hand dyeing etc in construction of modern silhouettes. Spring of 2003, Sabyasachi made his international mark by bagging the grand winner award at the Mercedes Benz new Asia fashion week in Singapore, which took him for a workshop in Paris by Jean Paul Gaultier and Azzedine Alaia. His collection "Kora" at the Lakme India Fashion Week 2003 won him laudatory reviews where he used unbleached and hand woven fabrics with Kantha and other hand embroideries He was declared the best Designer of India at the MTV Lycra style awards and won the “Society” Achievers award for the best new Indian designer. In 2004, Sabyasachi went global with the Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week, The Fashion Week of America at Miami with a bohemian take on Indian textiles and his collection was called "THE FROG PRINCESS". His significant achievements included his coveted showing in Browns earning him a retail place at the tiny London store voted by vogue as the best shopping destination in the world and thereby establishing himself as one of the most promising young designers for years to come. He forayed into films by designing costumes for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's landmark film: "Black" which earned him rave reviews and also the national award for costume designer for a feature film. He earned the distinction of being the only Indian designer invited to showcase at the Milan Fashion week 2004 facilitated by the indo-Italian chamber of commerce. Along with great reviews he was also voted by Asia Inc. a Singapore based Business magazine as one of the ten most influential Indian in Asia, alongside Aishwariya Rai, Priyanka Gandhi, Sabeer Bhatia…et- all. His Spring Summer 05 Collection, "The Nair Sisters" was inspired by hand block printing, embroideries, bagru prints and the extensive use of cotton and other hand woven fabrics. The collection found itself in the racks of Browns & Selfridges in London, and has been featured in the UK vogue hot list, establishing his presence in the international fashion arena. He has been requested for a showcase at the prestigious Oxford University Annual black tie charity dinner fashion show. Sabyasachi’s debut Spring Summer 07 collection at New York Fashion Week last year earned him critical acclaim and the label started selling worldwide in territories ranging from Moscow to Hong Kong. His recent collections project India in a new light to the west which in turn would help our Indian textiles and tourism in a big way. His clothes are found in countries far and wide like Los Angeles, Kuwait, UAE, Switzerland, Russia, Greece, London and others. He has also designed Bed/Bath line for Bombay Dyeing which has been well received by all. In 2007, Mr.Sabyasachi Mukherjee has been invited to participate at the New York Fashion Week which is considered as one of the most prestigious fashion events of the world. He has also been invited to showcase his collection at the London Fashion Week, apart from the Lakme India Fashion Week and the Vogue Launch event in India.










Saturday, October 13, 2007

Lakme India Fashion Week, LIFW Spring/Summer 2008 Mumbai 13-17Oct 07-08



Lakme India Fashion Week, LIFW Spring/Summer 2008 Mumbai 13-17Oct 07-08


54 designers, 32 models, 91 buyers
Fashion madness gets underway at the LFW today



Watch this space for updates and much more


Gauravv Kapoorr
TFW
EDM Magazine
Studio Varuag, New Delhi,India
9811996129




Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Bridal Asia WINTER ‘07 - Rina Dhaka & Varun Bahl





Bridal Asia WINTER ‘07 UNVEILS THE look for the bride
Preview



Rina Dhaka & Varun Bahl





9th October, 07, The Grand , New Delhi: “Weddings in India are just not a ritual but a belief, a dream and a collection that marks the beginning of a new life”. Bridal Asia 2007 brings two of the leading designers of the country, for an exclusive preview, to dress the bride, as she gets set to celebrate the most special day of her life.





Rina Dhaka



Rina Dhaka, an undisputed talent powerhouse and a part and parcel of the Indian fashion scene for the past 15 years, is best known for her theme collections - sheer trousers, crochet, stretch jersey, woolens and spider web motifs. Her forte remains western wear, and she boasts of the fact that her pieces can be worn as separates. Indeed, with Indian women beginning to work in the outside world and becoming more independent, there's a market for both western and Indian clothing, party wear and office attire. Rina feels that "fashion for women is about giving options, its about severity and seduction".



For her collection at Bridal Asia October 2007, Rina will be making use of tribal embroideries, chikankari, broiderie anglais, crochet work, patch work, paisley, digital prints, sequin embroideries, lace and mirror work, her each piece is romantically feminine suitable for cuppa coffee to cocktail. Reincarnating India’s celebrated heritage, her collection comprises of multifaceted designs for which she draws inspiration from intricated decorated walls to murals of Rajasthani havelis.





Varun Bahl



A graduate from NIFT-Delhi, this talented designer launched his label at White in Italy in 2001. White is a select showcase of International design talent invited from across the globe where his collection won the ‘Best of Season' award amongst 20 competing International designers.



At Bridal Asia October 2007, Varun brings distinctive repertoire where he has mixed vintage and antique looks with new and contemporary lines. He designs for the bohemian, non-conformist woman. Keeping the focus primarily on surface ornamentation his collection includes simple clean silhouettes and a fusion of techniques. Varun's label is available at leading designer outlets in India as well as stores in UK, Europe, the Middle East and the Far East.





Monday, October 08, 2007

Pria Katria Puri's "KASHMIR KI KALI" - LIFW-S/S,Mumbai 200708





SPRING SUMMER COLLECTION 2008:
“KASHMIR KI KALI ”


PRIA KATARIA PURI COLLECTION IS INSPIRED BY THE BEAUTY AND THE HERITAGE OF THE OF “KASHMIR”.


BEING OF KASHMIRI ORIGIN AND HAVING A GREAT APPRECIATION FOR THE VARIOUS EXOTIC ELEMENTS OF THE LAND, HAS INSPIRED HER NOT ONLY TO DESIGN CREATIONS FOR THE COLLECTION, BUT ALSO TO ADOPT A PLATFORM TO ADVOCATE THE BETTERMENT OF THE SITUATION IN KASHMIR TODAY. IT IS A COLLECTION IN WHICH HER HEART PLAYS A GREAT ROLE. THE COLLECTION IS A CULMINATION OF BEAUTY AND FASHION WITH A HEART .PRIA HAS SOURCED WORK FROM EMBROIDERERS IN KASHMIR BY THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE BEAUTIFUL LAND.


COLOUR STORY:
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BEAUTY OF THE LAND, A COLOUR STORY IS INSPIRED BY THE NISHAD GARDENS AND SHALIMAR GARDENS OF SRINAGAR, FULL IN BLOOM WITH EXOTIC FLOWERS IS A PATTERN IN THE CREATIONS DESIGNED FOR SPRING 2008.


THE COLOUR STORY RANGES FROM DAFFODILS TO SUNFLOWER YELLOWS TO MARI GOLD AND POPPY FLOWER ORANGES A BLEND OF HUES CULMINATE MAKING EACH PIECE A WORK OF ART. A VARIETY OF OFF WHITES OF THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS AND LILY’S TO FUSIA OF THE DAHLIAS, BLUES OF THE BLUEBELLS AND NAGIN LAKE, RUSTS AND GREENS FROM THE CHINAR LEAF, AND EVEN BLACK AND GREYS FROM THE MIDNIGHT SKIES OF KASHMIR SHINE IN EACH DESIGN AND CREATION.


EMBELLISHMENTS:
THE EMBELLISHMENTS ARE VERY SUBTLE, YET DETAIL ORIENTED AND ESSENTIAL EVOKING THE ANCIENT YET ARTISTIC KASHMIRI ELEMENT.


FROM KASHMIRI TILLA WORK IN 18 CARAT ANTIQUE GOLD TO SILVER IN PAISLEY MOTIVES, AND COLOURFUL RESHAM IN SILK, WOOL AND COTTON THREAD IN FLORAL PATTERNS CREATE A GARDEN OF PARADISE ON THE ENSEMBLES. THESE EMBROIDERIES HAVE BEEN SOURCED BY THE KASHMIRI KARIGARS WHO HAVE PASSED THE ART OF FINE CRAFTSMANSHIP FOR CENTURIES TO THERE KIN.
METALLIC DELICATE PIECES OF JEWELLERY ARE ADDED AS ACCESSORIES, ENHANCING THE SILHOUETTE, IN FORMS OF BELTS.


SILHOUETTES:
FEMININE AND FLOWING DRESSES PLAY A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE COLLECTION. THEY ARE IN SENSOUS CUTS, YET BREEZY AND RELAXED MAKING THEM PRACTICAL AND WEARABLE THROUGH DAY
INTO EVENING.


SKIRTS IN BIAS, UMBRELLA AND RUFFLES DANCING AROUND THE KNEES ARE TEAMED WITH FITTED BLOUSES STYLED IN PIN TUCKS AND PLEATS AND IN DRAPE STYLES.
A FUSION OF FASHION COMES TOGETHER WITH CHURIDAR PANTS AND COORDINATED THEM WITH RELAXED TUNICS AND JACKETS.


STRAPLESS, HALTER. NECKLINES CREATE A STREAMLINE EFFECT AND RUFFLED SLEEVES ADDING VOLUME TO CREATE A CLASSIS MODERN FEEL.
ORIGAMI RUFFLING IS SEEN AT THE HEMS OF SHIRTS, DRESSES AND SLEEVES TO CREATE A GLAMOROUS FEEL.


PRINTS N FABRICS:
PRIA’S PRINTS IN THE COLLECTION ARE INSPIRED BY KASHMIR KI KALI--------FLOWER OF KASHMIR –THE PAISLEY.


FABRICS SUCH AS SILK CHIFFON, SILK GEORGETTES, SILK JERSEY, SATIN, CREPE, EGYPTIAN COTTONS, BANARSI COTTONS, MALMAL, AND SILK PASHMINA MAKE THE PERFECT CANVAS TO PORTRAIT THIS COLLECTION. SOURCED FROM INDIA ITALY EGYPT.



BELTS IN TILLA WORK AND METALLIC PIECES ARE USED TO ACCENTUATE THE WAIST.
MADE FOR THE SENSOUS, INDEPENDENT, WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE, THIS COLLECTION DELIVERS THE TRUE ESSENCE OF KASHMIR; EXOTIC, BEAUTIFUL AND MEMORABLE AND MESMERISING.


WLIFW S/S Sep'07.Delhi- Appraisal REPORT












Figuratively
Speaking

Appraisal REPORT

Though we're proponents of fashion shows as entertainment, what is actually worthy of coverage requires greater scrutiny, as ever more Fashion Weeks fill up our calendar. For this reason, our Appraisal REPORT for Fashion Weeks take a look at traditional as well as up-and-coming design showcases; in addition to the usual stuff we do. We started this some three years ago, India has since developed into a destination with major fashion percolation's - true to our forecast - as evident in our coverage of last Fashion Week's. And although Delhi is the latest city TFW sees as a fashion hub, TFW examines whether the city's obvious style qualifies it for a praiseworthy Fashion Week. On much more solid ground, Fashion Weeks in India & abroad seem to be running amok with more showings on the runways than we frankly care to see. We break down the serious business of fashion in the big apple in Market Consciousness, Power Play. Meanwhile, we also profile a small cadre of influential labels coming out.

Some become a de facto showcasers for this Fashion Week as well for the next ones to come.


Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, September 5 – 9, 2007 .

Witnessing 13 designer duos and a trio showcasing their collection on the ramp - out of the total 30 shows. With total of 60 Fashion Designers & 11 Accessory Designers - 72 in all.

Models walked walked about 200 kms, changed 1600 outfits, 400 hairstyles and put in over 1600 hours of hard work. Model Carol Gracious, who did 11 shows, walked 5 kms, hair-styled and makeup 11 times, & outfit & shows 44 times. Every show roughly had 20 models . The 62 feet ramp ,almost 4 walks per show. For every show hairstyling took approx. 20 minutes. & 20minutes makeup of a single model.. With too much chaos backstage before the show & tension is always intense back to back shows have time gap of hardly 5 minutes. Three foreign models, Barbora Brabcova of the Czech Republic, Jacqueline Fernandez of Sri Lanka and Diva Dhawan, a Briton of Indian origin, debuted at WLIFW. 10 aspiring models selected at the New Faces Going Places auditions conducted ramped this WLIFW.

Earlier Five (Hi-5) designers were chosen for the April edition of the Week and displayed their creativity at a single show. This time around, there were five such shows, each featuring two new designers.

10 upcoming designer’s got opportunity to debut at WIFW 24 students of the Inter National Institute of Fashion Design (INIFD) of Bhopal, along with their faculty members, visited the fashion fete.

Memories of Rohit Khosla - a pioneer of Indian fashion industry, a fashion designer who passed away at 35, in 1994, from cancer. lit up the ramp as the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) paid a tribute to the legend. Khosla, born Nov 29, 1958, was just 36 years old when he died in 1994. The fashion fete, which was held Sep 5-9, had two main showcase areas and outside each one 32 feet tall walls were erected displaying pictures of Khosla, his works and quotes. Also projectors showed persons close to the style guru talking about him. I love fabric. I love the human form in totality, and I love mixing them together: Rohit Khosla, read one of the walls.

Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI)’s primary objective here might be to provide a cohesive platform for Indian Designers. In a bid to promote Indian fashion - at home & abroad. From Facilitating Designer-Corporate tie-ups, aimed at expanding the designer Prêt Market . It celebrated its 10th Edition of The India Fashion Week – a B2B Fashion Trade platform at Pragati Maidan, India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) in New Delhi.

A mix of North and East was visible in most of the designer wears at the fashion extravaganza. The number of models and designers from the northeast trying to establish themselves in the fashion industry has gone up in the last few years.

As compared to previous years, the Bollywood star presence was a little low. Rajyavardhan Rathore came for Raghavendra’s show with wife Gayatri. Shahnaz Hussain walked in with husband Raj to watch Abhishek and Nandita’s show. Pradeep Hirani-Kimaya. Angad Bedi, Sunil Sethi, Rajat Kapoor, Yumasu, Ramona Narang with hubby Bruno ,Meyhar Bhasin, Bobby Darling & others

Celebrities like Mandira Bedi and Kapil Dev were there, and some actors from Bollywood took a turn under the strobe lights.Dino Morea,amrita Arora, Kim Sharma, Katrina Kaif, Upen Patel, & Lara Dutta walked the ramp for Rocky S.but shorn of its five-star trimmings fashion was more of business than anything else. However, even if the mood was just right for good business, not many international buyers turned up for it.

Designers Manish Arora was in London for a felicitation by the Victoria and Albert Museum where his ensembles served as a finale to the Fashion in Motion programme, while Ashish Soni was in New York for a showing there. Others like Ritu Kumar, J J Valaya, Malini Ramani chose to organise a stall instead of a show.


Sponosrs ; Title Sponsor – Wills Lifestyle, Associate Sponsor- Esenza Di Wills, Gold Partner-Nokia, Fashion Partner - Chivas. Magazine Partner - ELLE, Hotel Partner- Le Meridien, Internet Partner Yahoo, Radio Partner - BIG 92.7 FM, Fashion Partner – Chivas CD’s, Broadcast Partner- NDTV Good Times.

Designers;

On the Ramp: Fightercock by Abhishek Gupta & Nandita Basu , Grassroot by Anita Dongre , Aparna & Norden Wangdi , Ashima-Leena,Falguni & Shane Peacock, Gauri & Nainika Karan , Manoviraj Khosla, Monisha Jaising, Namrata Joshipura , Deepika Govind , Ashish Pandey , Anjana Bhargav ,
Raban & Rakha , Vikram Phadnis , Varun Bahl , Swapan & Seema , Tarun Tahiliani , Surily Goel , Siddartha Tytler, Shantanu & Nikhil, Rohit Bal , Mynah by Renu Tandon, Rajesh Pratap Singh , Rocky S , Rina Dhaka , Raj Shroff & Neetu Gupta , Raghavendra Rathore , Puja Arya , Payal Jain , Gunjan & Rahul ,Ranna Gill + 10 Hi-5 Designers (Ashish Viral Vikrantfor Virtues, Zeal by Shubhra Chaudhary, Elisha W, Varun Sardana, Prashant Verma, Abhijeet Khanna, Affascinare by Meher & Riddhima, Gauri Bajoria, Drashta by Drashta Sarvaiya Sarvaiya,Prriya & Chintan.)

Off the Ramp but at the Stall: Abraham & Thakore , Amber Paridhi Sahai , Bharat Mehra , Charu Parashar , Kavita Bhartia , Malini Ramani , Asha Kamal Modi-Art Karat , Chandni Munjal , Atpug Varuag by Gaurav Gupta , Manish Arora , Krishna Mehta , Mandira Wirk , Manju & Bobby Grover ,LISA JACKAL by Zeisha Jaffer , Vasundhara , Suhani Pittie , Shyam Narayan Prasad , What’s Pink by Shalini Gupta , Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna , Satya Paul , Ritika Bhasin , Rajiv Arora & Rajesh Ajmera - Amralpali, Taika by Poonam Bhagat, Geisha by Paras-Shalini , Niki Mahajan , ENZ by Neelum Narang , Monapali, Pankaj Ahuja , Neeta Bhargava,Bounipun by Zubair Kirmani,

Finally, Grandeur – A finale that presented fashion the way it should be glam, drama, haute statements – heralded the end of WIFW’s 10th Edition. The show stunning yet solemn – Rohit’s poignant Grand Finale in a jiffy. It gave the show what it lacked the drama. And in never before show of solidarity all the Designers walked for Rohit Bal. Rajesh Pratap Singh,Malini Ramani, Cue by Rohit & Rahul Khanna, Rtu Kumar, Rina Dhaka, Vijay Arora, Nikhil & Shantanu Mehra. Varun Bahl etc. Rohit did a jig and broke down to the ramp. It was a Bollywood potboiler but great fashion. When he took a bow after his show, Gudda helped Rohit’s parents Usha and Kamal Khosla on the ramp. And then the audience gave Rohit Bal a standing ovation. He couldn’t help but get emotional at the end.

Well no bollywood babes, but cut-and-dry style technology was Rocky S’s inspiration at the WIFW.

The 10th edition of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week closed on a happy note. The representatives of the Madrid Fashion Week (also known as Pasarela Cibeles) tie-up with Fashion Design Council of India. Madrid Fashion Week hosted its 46th edition September 17 and 21, 2007. Indian designers will now participate in the Madrid Fashion Week, and certain Spanish designers will be invited to participate in the next edition of WLIFW.

WIFW has had a heady dose of glamour. Malini Ramani showcased her grand collection on the ramp titled ‘Indiva-In Transit’. Manav Gangwani's collection was creativity at its best. Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna called it Metroplis Maxima, Abhijeet Khanna once worked amongst Manish Arora’s Design Team. Prashant Verma’s USP remained draping columnar gowns. Raj & Neetu had bold textures & intricate embroidery as their USP. White Anita Dongre’s Collection made a lot of business sense to her. Kavita Bhartia theme remained The Glass House, Poonam Bhagat targeted at the European & American Audience.

Turkish Airlines provided air tickets and Tui in India and Medsa in Turkey provided ground arrangements and all their support in this venture

The Café@Olive at The Fashion Week had short and excellent menu serving Mediterranean cuisine. Grilled sandwiches, succulent pork & lamb chops in delicious gravy served with bell peppers & mashed potatoes. All at reasonable prices.


Designers & there Collections on the Ramp

Anjana Bhargav
Revival - Gold Balinese Lehnga, Indian as well as Western & fusion silhouettes variations. intricately embellished light weight cottons & hand woven fabrics which ranged from Khadi to Banarsi silks. Chanderi and maheshwari mixed with georgette and khadi. Light weight cotton fabrics were constructed into minimal summer dresses printed with Kaddi. golden metallic jacquards on traditional fuchsia pinks & light emerald greens, maroon pleated chiffons with gray Bhagalpur cotton with colored dusky golden motifs. long white ankle length kurtas with smart golden Balinese cutwork & lace at the sleeves & hemlines. Off-white’s, antique golden hues, warm earthy shades of sandy beiges, muddy greens & coppery browns. Show opened up with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's resonating music, Little boy walking down the ramp with a kettle & a tray of tea glasses in his hands, then making way for a disguised model with a basket in her hand walking through a broken wall. First Bridal Collection was shown on day 1. Kapil Dev came just for Anjana applauded, as the Designer came to take the bow.

Manoviraj Khosla
Resort Wear - Candy pinks, curacao blues, citric oranges & marshmallow yellow, white, black & fluorescent greens. Crisp slim-fitted, cropped pants, the functional, sporty details - voluminous bellow pockets, flaps & heavy contrasting top stitched. Silver studs along side seams. Trousers teamed up with textured shirts. Cutworks on shirts, body hugging t-shirts ,appliqué work & embroidered motifs. Loosely worn Strappy vests over classic lightly textured shirts. Sharply cropped jackets, boxy blousons contrasted with advanced surface textures. Dark grays & black in combination with red hues. Interesting . Jacquards superimposed with strong 3D textures in denim look-a-likes. Plain fabrics with subtly placed innovative textures. Unconventional Men’s Collection

Rajesh Pratap Singh
Eminently Wearable. - less-is-more - light weight white fabrics with graphic elements & geometric floral motifs in neon colours. strong feel of silhouettes of the eighties with off-shoulder necklines for flouncing jersey tops, broad tight fitted hems worn over capris & fitted pants/shorts. Subtle shimmering fabrics in cool grays & muted shades of blues, linen with lurex, flowing jersey knits with metallic effect. crisp cuts of the silhouettes highlighted through strong linear fabric textures. An oxygen infused fresh, airy and light collection. Simple, modern, silhouettes that are heavy from the top, slim at the bottom. Asymmetric drapes. Jacket constructions also draped and fluid. Glazed Linens, silk tissues, silk jerseys, fine indigo voiles. Patented leather bags accessories teamed up with the varying clothing styles. The colour palette included white, greys, metallic colours of silver and white and indigo with some hints of fluorescent embroideries. Juxtaposed with a smattering of origami flowers, bright multicoloured corian heels and oversized bags. Aimed at the well traveled and independent global person.The front row had Suneet (Mani Shankar Aiyer’s - Union Minister’s wife). Show on the 1st Day ,opened the WLIFW. The guest list included Kalyani Chawla, Rohit Bal (Gudda) and Rohit Gandhi.

Rina Dhaka
City of Samode – "A collection for a women who loves her lunches & cocktails to be uber stylish".Tribal embroideries, chikankari, broiderie anglais, crochet work, patch work paisley, digital prints, sequin embroideries, lace & mirror work. Empire waist lines, swinging hems & sleeves. Graceful ensembles & cuts such as kaftans, egg shaped dresses, wrap over skirts, cowl skirts & halter neck tops. Layered translucent crepe de chines, georgette, soft see-through cotton-silks & chiffons as well as viscose lycra. Intricately decorated walls & murals of Rajasthani Havelis. A well balanced mélange of India’s textile surfacing & ornamentation techniques blended to give a delicate look - Amalgamation of styles. Her show brought end to the 2st day shows. Kamal nath & other many Mumbai Celebs came to watch her show..

Payal Jain
Muslin - Camisoles with thin straps worn with pant/ knee-length tights. Angarkha necklines with empire lines. Traditional intricate lacework at hemlines & necklines adding up to the ensembles. Ballerina skirts. Layering & motives intertwined with costumes worn in India, Spain, Hungary & Croatia. Textured with pleats, smocking & embroidery were captured in harmony with the cool raw colour of cotton. coral, indigo, tangerine & soft lemon was used as accents & embroidery surface . Fabrics such as linen, silk & lycra blends.

Shantanu & Nikhil
Banaras Boulevard - Women’s wear range included a short trench coat . White leather jacket with Victorian ornamental cut work (Menswear collection). Richly textured fabrics, shimmering materials, flowing silky weaves & glamorously crafted ornamental cutwork. well-draped blouses juxtaposed with stretch shorts & giant royal ornaments. Ballooning & A-line dresses. Snug fitting finely knitted jersey tops for men. Volume was added to long flowing sleeves, puffed sleeves & gathered necklines. noble pale golden beiges & subdued matted oxidized tones to bright rich pure yellow gold with shades of white. There muse was Victoria Beckham. Nikhil walked the ramp too.


Ashima & Leena
Resonance (Far East Asia & The Middle East) - hombre dyed flowing silks printed with motifs taken from the rich ornamental world of oriental crafts. Patterns from blue pottery & antique ceramics, Chinese porcelain, majestic kimonos, romantic floral bouquets, Japanese fans & cherry blossoms united & translated into intricate digital prints. sequins, beadwork in metallic tones & elaborate jeweled embellishments. & collars, kimono sleeves, tulip sleeves, butterfly wings, kaftans, harem pants , djellabahs were the details from the East. prominent powdery color palette & pale pastel shades black outfits with dramatic red & white print motifs & Egyptian pharaoh (ruler of ancient Eqypt) inspired embroideries for necklines & hems. Saris paired with golden embellished blouses

Monisha Jaisingh
Holiday Wear- Subtle neutral tones in mélange knits & sparkle of metallic as accent, lean look in mix of woven & knits. Washed denim as micro mini shorts embellished with subtle matte golden sequin paired with floral prints. Metallic loops around the neck line. Chiffon tops as an embellishment. Block printed traditional motives on rich silk fabrics in bold red & indigo blue. With palm trees printed on a sunset warm colour back ground as border placement at the hemline of dresses. Spotless white linen tops teamed with golden metallic hints as embellishments. Horizontal nautical stripes & lace trims on knitted tops with value addition of sparkle, as embroidery created with lace & sequins. Neutral grey with white Linens & knits seemed to be the highlight

Tarun Tahiliani
Kutch to Kenya - Dancers disguised as monkeys pulled antique trunks. Washed linen & cool summer cotton fabrics softly crushed /crinkled in subdued whites & shades of ecru, sandy beiges & pebble tints. Elongated, elegant silhouettes, pleated fabrics draped & tucked at the empire line thus creating simple elegant shapes. Tunica & tunic dresses orated with tonal threadwork, cutwork & lace trims around necklines & hems. Macramé techniques revived to create full tunics with fringes worn over shimmer bustier. Revival of Pucci’s psychedelic prints on knitted fabrics draped & gathered at seams & around hems. A bustier which was quilted in mini diamond shapes was attached to transparent long tulle skirt followed by long dresses which seemed to have been draped almost spontaneously. The final outfit was presented by Shilpa Shetty who came on the ramp draped in a jersey gown from gold dust sprinkled jersey.

Drashta by Drashta Sarvaiya
Paradiso Fondare –Paradis Found - Voluminous gathered dresses aqua greens,reds & orange. Comfortable oversized fuid fabrics draped on/over the body.Fabrics gathered, pleated combined with streaks of merging color created a surface that seemed like a picture painted in love. Techniques such as cowling & diagonal pin tucking created a magical asymmetric illusion on fabrics. Sequined splash work on tops gave a simmer & shine to already prevailing colors, bringing impact & power to the designs. Amalgamation of soft & harsh, bold & feminine styles put together in harmony & perfectly juxtaposed reminiscence of the eighty’s complete look. Highlighted with swirls formed by patch work & embroidery at the center of dresses & released flounce of fabric. (Debut at the Wills India Fashion Week).

Namrata Joshipura
Revival – Happy Day - The collection draws inspiration from the works of the late Cuban American artist, Dan Puissegur -- a consummate renaissance man, Dan loved nurtured and inspired his friends and loved ones. The collection "Happy Day" is inspired by his exploration of color, movement and personality. Reviving the Glamorous look of Joan Collins & the 80’s –White fully tonal beaded dress, decorated with silvery beadwork. Sequins all over & the beaded fabric look were the main theme for the ensembles. Represented particularly in a black dress with bright colored stylized flowers randomly placed around the hem. Silhouettes showcased a characteristic styling elements of the era of disco & Studio 54 in New York – kimono & butterfly sleeves, boat necklines, jackets with shawl collars & broad belts, cowls /drapes, bright colored blousons combined with metallic golden pencil skirts. The waist shift between original & hip level resulting in a variety of wearable ensembles & single piece dresses. Grey mélange knitted tops which had necklines accentuated through ornamental sequined cutwork. Contrasting patch pockets, full front zips, knitted rib hems & kangaroo pockets created a sporty glamorous look Geometric mini pattern repetitions on either in the form of prints or through surface texturing on many outfits.

Vikram Phadnis
La Terre / Return to Nature - Ultra glamorous, sexy. - Shinny, shimmer using matt. Drapes managed & held with high-waist embellished belts like empire lines. Lurex Linen fabrics with a dash of shimmer. Gota was patched with panache on hem lines. Intricate detailing of foil & metallic placements. Positioned bodices, skirt hems & sensually adorning the back, In conjunction with traditional surface ornamentation-beadwork, dori work & sequins. Juxtaposed Light quilting techniques on jackets paired down over soft dresses. Corsets fitted into form-structuring waist-clinched, back string fastening silhouettes. Silhouettes were voluminous yet breezy for tops, structured & fit at the bottoms. A-line baby doll dresses were box pleated teased into soft flare. Soft earth tones. Shinny Vs matt sequins & rich gold dust shimmer. (Earth inspired collection)

Affascinare Meher & Riddhima
Illumination of White - (Debut at the Wills India Fashion Week), Designed for the globetrotting woman who wants pieces that can successfully carry her from day to night, feeling as chic in Dubai and Shanghai as she would in London and New York. With a story "On White" Designer label AFFASCINARE (To Fascinate in Italian) - Vibrant colorful details used to highlight white feminine white Dresses. Inspiration from Art & Architecture resulted in geometric motifs transferring into patchwork placed at hemlines, necklines or sleeves. Balanced geometric pattern mixed with flowing fabrics with volume at hems or sleeves giving it a organic youthful silhouette feel. A hexagonal patchwork was formed placing various prints pieced all together, additionally embroidered & then cut into crisp miniskirts. White blouses with pleated front yokes & band collar were decorated with colorful cording motifs. Dress with multicolor bustier top with a superimposed cording in colour white, another flashed a sporty drawstring hemline. Multicolored chiffon was cut into ballooning dresses which flowed joyously. Use of multicolored detailing with pure whites in cottons, chiffons, organza & taffeta.

Siddartha Tytler
Fusion Earth 3000 AD – Dressed in an olive green bag pants that looked very much like - but only in a more exaggerated form - the Patiala pants Indian women wear with kurtas, Siddartha Tytler said his collection at the fashion week is 'all about our planet'. Use of ecru’s, sandy beiges, dusky browns & subtle olives. Abstracted foliage motifs & forest patterns in muted greens which creeped all over fabrics & garments.Fabrics presented a pleasant fullness. Wearable falling ensembles ranged from unstructured shoulder lines, butterfly sleeves to wide Marlene-pants. Additionally embellished garments with 3 dimensional embroideries, with a dash of golden/copper metallic effect. Few accessorized with broad girdles/corsages, fastened through strings in the back. The strong waistline emphasis in combination with rich fabrics & functional sporty details. Menswear had flowing harem pants with cargo pockets combined with decorative subtle details on short sleeve shirt. Transparent shirt with hood for men & a mesh top worn over a blouse for women

RISA by Abhijeet Khanna
Far East - Bright glitter red sequin set in diamond shape patches running all across the bodice & skirts.Collection inspired from Far East & bouquet of flowers blooming in an oriental forest. Feminine Silhouettes & the early 1960s.feel. Pink rose motives patchwork crafted on soft fabrics & sequin embellishments. The second part of the 2nd part was A James Bond’ movie inspiration & transported the audience to a power pact level of women in metallic gold cat-suits with high collars. Technology induced digital prints on skirts highlighted with sequin embroidery paired with bright; almost neon yellow jackets. Patch work of circular motives in silver & bronze on skirts. Traditional tie & dye in linear & motifs. Fabrics such as quilting, patchwork, drapes with varsity of bright green, yellow, pinks & red colours. (Debut at the Wills India Fashion Week)

Grassroot by Anita Dongre
Organic/Eco Friendly / Perfect summer Picnic - Grassroots an ecofriendly line of dresses & tunics for daywear. 100% recyclable, reusable, eco friendly, safe to the skin fabrics, organic cottons & vegetable dyes. In-between male models appeared on the ramp in unbleached casual shorts & T-Shirts which were theme inspired Ensemble feel. Floral motives depicted with thread work, graphic layouts at hemlines & necklines. Unbleached whites with colorful embellishment or trimming on hems, cotton & organic cotton mesh & tunics with irregular naturally falling hems in tie-dye techniques. Emphasis was on natural dyes, thereby making fabrics softer. Ensemble for mother & daughter. The silhouettes mostly wearable & suitable for daily use comprising of dresses, tops, tunics & jackets. Simple, yet stylish through contemporary details such as puffed sleeves, empire cuts & pleated frills at hem. Perfect summer picnic inspired ensembles carried naive flower & plant motives which were used to embellish the skirt of simple summer dresses.

Elisha


W VIVA DE GLAM - Make way for the luxury prêt princess. Glamorous long flowing pleated dresses & gowns in powdery hues of turquoise, coral & aqua. Fabrics used were chiffons, georgettes & cotton Lurex. Elaborate silver embroideries, sequined embellishments , accentuated bust area, hips & shoulders, leaving the hems of the dresses flowing with playful volume. Feminine long tops worn over pants as well as jacket-pant Ensembles had swirling ornamental embroideries in gold & red across the shoulder area. Cuts & silhouettes. Neutral khaki, soft reds , pink , rose, salmon. Flowing ombre dyed saris showed glittering silver. Final Ensemble was Layered with layers of tulles , silhouette all over sprinkled with sparkling diamonds. (Debut at the Wills India Fashion Week) Hi 5 Designer .

Gauri & Nainika
A Closet Full of Dresses (Swinging 50’s)- Long flowing & voluminous bell-shaped silhouettes. Petticoat skirts supported through layers & layers of tulle underneath. Colour combinations of black with s&, or red with black. Also used for big hounds-tooth prints for long flowing sleeveless dresses. Organza panels formed silhouettes & were accentuated through a single asymmetrically placed panel. Ensemble Range was in Kandinsky inspired prints which had geometric shapes in pale yellow, & black on white taffeta. The Empire Line theme emphasized through contrasts, long hounds-tooth printed dress in sand-black with a bright red belt around the waist. Fabrics used were of light weight fabrics & transparent such as organza & fluid georgette. A well incorporated Wassily Kandinsky & influenced.

Gauri Bajoria
Hiji Biji - a Bengali phrase which means haphazard collection. Candy colors muted alongside neutrals. Numerous techniques of drapes rushing, fluting, gathers & pleats sensibly put together to match Ready to Wear. Combination of Soft light weight knits combined /paired with translucent woven fabrics. Crushed velvets & Lurex induced fabrics. Silk cocoons like embroidery all over fabric in metallic silver & powdered tinted pales in gray, beige, blue, mint, yellow & lavender colours details. Faded floral prints in dusty colours on skirts with draped knitted tops. High waist fitted look with Empire line cuts to accentuate the top. Crystal like sequins in silver & multi colours in muted shades of gray. Combination & Melange of spray dyeing, gun dyeing, tie-dye techniques. (Debut at the Wills India Fashion Week)

Prashant Verma
Devine Femininity - Showcasing 5 individual themes based on silhouette variations for evening wear: tube dresses, column shapes, sari dresses were cut from organza, silk, satins & jerseys. The 1st theme "defining grace" comprised plain taffeta drapes, decorated with oversized taffeta-tulle bouquet like rushing at straps & shoulders. 2nd "Flower Diamonds" talked about colorful digital prints on stretch fabrics which were cut into simple stylish body contouring outfits. The print motifs – for example one giant lotus, were impressive through size & colour schemes. 3rd "Cubist Manifesto" - juxtaposing of flowing fabrics with kaleidoscope like prints & heavily beaded add-ons such as bolero jackets & broad corset belt. 4rth "The Ghost of Couture" - had pure black dresses, partly encrusted with diamonds. Silhouettes referencing contoured shapes , cocoon like shells The 5th & the final theme "The creator himself. In a portrait of aspiration - All the black based outfits were printed with black-& –white self portraits of Prashant Verma. (Debut at the Wills India Fashion Week)

Mynah by Renu Tandon
Rise & Shine - Metallic gold with warm colours. Orange Saris & Lehngas fabric embellished in western forms. Waist fitted corset , while light weight fabrics tucked into the corset & released gave a smooth flowing A-Line silhouette. Empire line, drop waisted, cowled & softly fitted. Box pleated tunics. neckline embroideries in subtle fabrics. Silver lace fabric trims were used as patch work on saris with embellished blouses. Embroidery on lehenga panels teamed with stoles made of flowy fabrics in burnt red colour. Mirror work on whites & warm orange. Fabrics like georgettes, cotton linen & pure cottons textured. Sonia Mehra, daughter of the late actor Vinod Mehra, walked the ramp for Renu

Nokia Prism by Rocky S
Vigor, Prism Inspired - Black with dash of pink & blue. Embellished with crystals & metallic sequins, the designer captured the mood with a brilliant play of light against black, structures, crystal & flow. Black mini skirt/ dresses, Structured jackets & pants, pleated, body defining t- shirts. Jackets with hoods & dresses with gathered hemline. Punctuated dazzling prismatic embellishments. Lara Dutta was roped in for the show . Bollywood stars Katrina Kaif, Dino Morea Amrita Arora, Kim Sharma and designer Manish Malhotra sitting in the front row Unlike most of the audience who found the collection monotonous and boring designer Manish Malhotra said, ''I think it was pretty glamorous, very sexy with lot of attitude and the music was fantastic.''


Surily Goel
Defining Modesty – Grecian style Flowy silhouettes with Bohemia, bold prints, stark contrasts of colours. Mother of pearl shells on pleated fabrics, beaded embellishments on accessories belts & strings. Divided into two sections consisting of ; 1.Soft Feminine appeal & 2. Fluid Look .First one highlighted digitally reproduced floral prints embellished with bead work ,complimented the ensembles with distinctive cord detailing. The second saw many surprise elements such as metallic studs to decorate waist & necklines, a hint of coral stone detailing, & made macramé as belts & corset. Cut work cotton fabrics. Decorated corsets with metallic studs. Contrasts of white, red & black, Red color played an important role for the Silhouettes in Bohemian Style. It Consisted of Ready to Wear. Pleats, gathers & fraying Voluminous ensembles. Showstepper Priya Chatwal (who has earlier walked for Surily at the PlanIndia charity show ) walked the ramp this time too in a white long summery dress in jersey with silver and enamel coated studs. Some of the celeberities who attended the show were kalyani chawla, Tina Tahiliani, A.D Singh, Raseel and Naveen Ansal, Feroze Gujral, kekashan patel, Natasha Poonawala, Ramona Garware (dressed in a surily outfit), Pooja Talwar, Charu Sachdev, Bindu Vadhera etc. Adding star blitz to the show was Priya Chatwal,( Priya Chatwal, wife of famous British hotelier Vikram Chatwal) who strutted the catwalk for the designer.

Fightercock by Abhishek Gupta & Nandita Basu
Cent Percent Indian - encapsulates this journey in its own special manner. The collection is an endeavor to present a plethora of ideas that articulate the identity and the language of this country. We create new symbols and pop culture moments to providing Indians everywhere with a cooler new identity and a sense of national pride. From the wastelands of a socialist experience to a modern, global nation of rising aspirations and rising dreams. 150 years of the uprising and 60 years of independence has been a journey that has spawned many experiences, good and bad, that give India a personality that is unique in all forms and in all shapes. Incorporated poster prints/woven badges imposed on prisoner stripes to form a street wear (sewing machine, auto motifs). Elements from utility wear such as strap fastenings draw strings, bellow pockets; button fly, full front zips, & kangaroo & zip-pockets, hoods & block stripes. Flare of the 60s, visible through the graphical interpretation of vintage advertisements & motifs such as Vespas & "most wanted" posters. Metallic foil prints & psychedelic digital prints. The collection included jumpsuits, shirt dresses, t shirts & sports wear jackets. Menswear range included long sleeve t-shirts with block stripes which were taken from team sports & over printed with lager than life gold graphics referring to the freedom fighters. Lurex (pink & rose stripped) fabrics & sequins work was the Women’s Wear Theme. Golden hot pants with second skin t-shirts & loose wrap shirts.

Aparna & Norden Wangdi
Rag Doll / Wreaks Havoc - On a bright sunny morning, the lil girl felt the explicit urge to raid that huge exciting treasure trove known as Momma’s closet and in the midst of creating chaos in that deep cavern of possibilities, her unrestrained experiments came to life on the hallowed flood-lit ramp. Rag Doll, the stuffed creature with the silky grin & wool for hair! Colorful, explosive & intensive shades of warm colours with doll dress like silhouettes. Fabric texturing developed with patch work techniques & running stitches. Motive design inspiration from Rag doll/cartoon characters. Range comprised bright, dazzling, upbeat colours of the likes of red, pinks, & sunny yellows, greens, splattered with blacks, white & brown. Fabric steps shredded with raw edges was used, design detailing on structured jackets as well as skirts. Linen fabrics in neutral gray tones featured structured shapes of pants & skirts with patchwork of fabric shreds. It was unapologetic and brash. Something stirred in the deep recesses of childhood memories. Of a time of unfiltered joy.

Deepika Govind
Send my roots Rain / Warrior Woman - (A weary Earth begs for respite. Mankind seeks solutions to complex issues. An artist yearns for inspiration. A child longs for a better tomorrow) an Eco theatre – Go Green. It’s in fashion. : is a passionate plea that comes across from her collection and design philosophy. The Earth lets out a silent scream. Her forbearance has been tested. Mute witness no more. Some stop to listen to her troubled heartbeat; others dismiss it as a passing spasm.A collection highlighting the global environmental crisis without and the crisis within each of us, as we battle to confront or conceal the truth from ourselves. Collection of 40 ensembles presented in 2 sub themes namely Souls capes & Mindscapes. flowing Silhouettes interlaced fabric layers merging colours & textures. Geometric motives inspired by Contemporary Indian Artist Raza were translated into all over prints in colors such as – mint, burnt orange, mustard, mid night blue, vermilion, geranium, zenia, kingfisher red, black & white & of course myriad shade of green. Eco friendly fabrics such as Soya bean fabric, bamboo Lycra, silk Lycra, organza & silk modal. Slim & sleek silhouettes & squarish cuts. Tunics combined with gathered with churidars style pants & completed with structured jackets. Over sized pinched shawls used as wrap & belts pieced together from the colorful print fabrics. Ikat technique in contemporary manner was used on hemlines, necklines & sleeves in bright warm colours. Subtle Embellishments in sequins on tops placed in diagonal patter. Soulscapes: The collection has a feeling of adventure and space, where women are dressed like heroes. The Ikat, the bondage straps, et al show Deepika Govind’s Woman as a Warrior, striving to sow the seeds of change. Mindscapes portray individuals who are pragmatic and aggressive, who believe in living 24 hours to the fullest. They border on the Epicureans. They are survivors who know how to stay afloat. Largely dependant on science, they believe technology can solve any predicament. The ikat represents the influence of the organic in a fast-paced technologically advanced world where nothing will ever be more beautiful than nature itself.

Raghuvendra Rathore
Together Under One Roof - Ready-to-wear ensembles for men & women. Indo-Western silhouettes with sparsely used ornamental decoration in the form of prints, or appliqué work. Gold, Black ,Wine, Subtle mauve & sandy tones to subdued mustards. Embroideries in silver/gold metallic yarns. Women’s wear -Tunics & kurtas with band collar/geometric necks, cuts in quilted straight cut vest with extended fronts string fastening string at side seam/back. Some ensembles were cut Tunics were teamed with straight pants or capris. Leaf boarders in black on white accentuated necklines, hems & empire lines of clean cut tunics.Linear circular Print motifs with irregular placement. Menswear-Safari patch pockets with flaps, topstitching details, epaulettes on fitted linen jackets in cool grays & charcoal.Some delicately quilted to create a distinct texture. Nethra Raghuraman walks down the ramp for the designer.


Varun Bahl
Unpredictable - A Tribute by Bahl for Essenza Di Wills. - Varun Bahl's tribute to British fashion icon Isabella Blow (with whom he was supposed to start a fabric line sometime this year), was the culmination of a fabulously put-together show that saw Delhi-based Bahl weave together a continuing design story over the last few seasons. Spring colour scheme, effortlessly dealing with apple green, smoky lilac, lime green, ivory, khaki, olive, dusty blues, ecru, mint & coral, fuchsia & mauve. Cool linen with metallic effects, light mesh, simple muslin & fluid crepe .Textured panels for clear cut shift dresses, crisp shorts , volume bermudas & flattering, elegant blouses. Overlying gold & silver lame to the ensembles . 3 Dimensional flower & leaf motifs were translated in embroideries. Distinctive combination of colour hues like fuchsia on complementary green/lime green on ivory with a dash of silver. Off-shoulder shawl collars were interestingly teamed up with the jackets adding Textured embroidery & pleating on jacket & tops. Bollywood actress Celina Jaitley walked therampfor the designer. Loads of bright colours and is very young. Milano feel for spring summer 2008. The show ended with models walking the ramp in black outfits and flower gear heads after a visual tribute to fashion critic Isabella Blow.

Ashish Pandey


POPE OF DOPE - Giant flowers & abstract motifs, Those were used to cover up smart shift dresses, hot pants, tight tops as well as a variety of body hugging ensembles. Organza framed with metallic silver borders. Wiring gave hems a circular shape & created cubist forms in sleeves. Accessories such as huge transparent coloured plastic bangles & bold geometric neckpieces. Head-gears reminded one of extraterrestrial cultural tribal attire. Super short dresses with layered skirts as well as pleated & draped skirts attached to tight-fitted uppers. Sequins & silver embroideries used. Maiden lace with blooming ruffles & feathery boa-like trims at cuffs & necklines. Collection was designed around the main color black, often pure, often used as slight trim on ivory, often highlighted with red. Extensive use of lace & mesh & glimpses of corsets worn on top of blouses. Embellishments were executed with giant sequins, silks, & organza.

Ranna Gill
Havana- The title of the S/S ’08 Ranna Gill Collection symbolizes fun, style and sensuality. Havana, the capital of Cuba evokes a sense that is rhythmic, colorful, sophisticated and whimsical, all in one sumptuous breath. Obtaining inspiration from this she has created a fabulous collection. Prints rule the mood, with graphic, geometric and paisley prints saturated in sparkling summer hues of cobalt, jade, tangerine, violet and canary yellow. Ornate hand worked blouses and beautifully draped ensembles, suited for both day an eveningwear, reflect her signature contemporary look. While the inclusion of a new silhouette- the floor length evening dress, adds a hint of Hollywood glamour and a sense of luxury. Silk blends–both knitted and woven and organza’s are the fabrics used . Bold and bright jewel encrusted embroidery adds drama to this young, pretty and feminine line. For the first time in her prestigious designing career, Ranna showcased a sensuous line of swimwear that encompassed both bikinis as well as one pieces. Again the inspiration is high color and high style.

Puja Arya
Pacific Culture – Translation of archetypal motifs into striking contemporary block prints leaving the focus on geometric rawness. Block prints used on cottons, silk chiffon, chanderi & satins. Bold leafs & flowers were arranged in vertical of horizontal pattern repeats & additionally adorned with hand embroidery & sequins. The idea of juxtaposing glittering-shine & natural rawness was further executed in fully sequined tops as well as a dress which showed contrasting yellow sequin borders at neck & along the empire line. The colour story which Puja Arya narrated followed the original inspiration pooled natural hues & earthy shades of yellow browns, ochre’s & oranges. Subdued appearance of colours yet retaining a warm positive expression. Printed fabrics were cut into various feminine ensembles including as A-line dresses, flowing full length dresses, ballooned skirts, saris & jackets.

Rohit Bal
Intertwined / Siyaahi - Avant-Garde collection. is a labor of love, an endeavor to create pure fashion for its own sake. "Intertwined" as it is in sync with the philosophy of Wills Lifestyle - 'made for each other'. The Grand Finale inspired from the ancient city of Constantinople & the Byzantine Design. Walls surrounding the glass ramp with huge cut-outs of white flowers over plasma screens. Similar flowers were embedded under the ramp Characteristic blues of the glazed tiles (likewise the blue mosque of Istanbul) translated into a range of evening gown silhouettes with volume and classic sherwanis richly embellished with arabesque motifs in shades of turquoise, blue & silver. Siyaahi - ink in Urdu -- which was inspired by glazed Iznik tiles of ancient Turke, evoke whispers of Mughal influence. Collection started with a story of ivory, ecru & sand chiffons which were constructed into ensembles, pleated & draped with origami folds, cone shaped skirts, over-dimensioned puff sleeves & ballet inspired tutus. Huge leafy creepers in silver were running across voluminous long skirts. Long elegant overcoats & vest in elaborate jacquards & richly embroidered silks. Menswear consisted mainly of sleek well constructed classic sherwanis with long slits. Blend of fluid materials with velvet borders & intricate linear quilting created opulence for Women’s Wear. Rushing & corset dresses with super-volume skirts attached to the tops. Collection accessorized with models wearing diamond necklaces and ink instead of vermilion on their forehead. Male models sported fancy nose rings. Constructed from abundance of organza or chiffon panels. Range of vivid greens in combination with charcoal, Persian blue & chocolate brown. Blue glass symbol (One of the most popular elements appreciated in the Turkish culture) which was translated into giant motifs in sequin work & appliqué work by Bal. With Volume & Colours Palette well suited. Four models, dressed in all white voluminous evening gowns, then stood on the ramp and pulled a string of their dresses - and blue ink started oozing out. Actresses Shilpa Shetty, Lara Dutta, Celina Jaitley, Amrita Arora and Kangana Ranaut walked the catwalk, but Bal surprised the audience by getting fellow designers to model his clothes. Bal's tribute to his friend and colleague Rohit Khosla. The West and the East bound in a marriage with form and structure and embellishment and ornamentation. A cultural partnership and pact that bore a tradition of rich visual craft unlike anything seen before.

Falguni & Shane Peacock
Animal Instinct - Bright hues of yellows, pinks, orange & proverbial peacock blue sswere put together to create striking ensembles made from chiffons, satins, linen. Bold prints on lustrous fabrics. Print theme inspired by historic wallpaper designs. Clean stripes & checks, elaborate Victorian frameworks, romantic flowers & baroque architectural elements blended to produce pattern repeats for the flowing silhouettes. Light animal prints & leopard surface texturing , the feel of the 80s. Embellishments added as in superimposed silver embroidery & sequins. Gigantic crystals & colorful stones assembled to ornate empire lines & to get accentuate detailing. Silhouettes included ballooning aspects, flowing trails, empire dresses – feminine & elegant. Couture inspired ensembles were toned down to wearable day-to-evening ensemble with luxury feel. Amrita Arora walks the ramp for the designer

Ravage by Raj Shroff & Neetu Gupta
Ravage Bricolage - Artist at Work (Raghava KK)- Fusion of art with fashion Ensembles of intricate surface texturing on simple classic & wearable designs .Ensembles drowned in a splash of colours. Layering with different texture treatments for ensembles consisted of metallic patches combined with contrasting colour threads on dresses & teamed with colorful stockings. Metallic yarn fabric patches featured irregularly on solid colour background . Shredding, cutwork, peepholes, patch work & combination of variety of fabric weights & dimensions put together. Colour designs on footwear done by artist himself .

Swapan & Seema
Harlequin Girl - Indian wear glamorous glitz & elegance - Minimalist splashes of embroidery on silhouettes, Collection showcased an amalgamation of classic Indian & western silhouettes. Colour palette ranged from delicate powder blue & coral pink to vivid apple. Bronze & copper as an alternative to classic, traditional gold was use for the Evening Wear. Satin on net appliqué along with beading .Texturing & ornamentation with intricate threadwork green, neutral tones such as earthy browns & stone grey & sequin work. Metallic Silver embroideries. Formal evening wear on traditional Lehnga & choli teamed with mesh stoles. Western wear portrayed floral prints in subtle pinks & burnt reds on checks & stripes.

Prriya & Chintans
Oasis - A sense of tranquility in the midst of a harsh desert - Wild Animal prints & textures created onto soft drapy fabrics Abstract prints streaked & distorted applied onto silks & crepes. Silhouettes encompassed opposite forms – fitted tops with big skirts/extremely loose tops with skinny pants. Saris embellished with pearl beads, complimented with rucheds blouse.Animal printed paneled silk skirts & beaded bustier in pearl layered with organza see through tops. Emphasis on flared & fluid silhouettes evident at hem lines, certain tops & draped co-ordinates. French chiffons, burnt-out printed silks, organzas & taffetas fabrics were used. Over printing techniques. Gloss drapy fabrics & glamorous styles. Kangana Ranaut displays a creation by designers Priya and Chintan

Rocky S Noir
Myriad Moods of the Eternal Woman – (It was his tribute to the greatest mystery of mankind - the enigmatic woman.) tells the story of a young innocent girl blooming into a flirtatious woman. NOIR was synonym for a sensual collection , Absence of colour plus presence of decoration & cute cut details. Ensemble in Ivory with a dash of black, collection evolved into seductive figure flattering silhouettes with playful detailing. Extensive use of transparent & semi-transparent fabrics including lace, georgette & chiffons. Super short dresses with layered skirts as well as pleated & draped skirts attached to tight-fitted uppers. Sequins & silver embroideries. Combination of maiden lace with blooming ruffles & feathery boa-like trims at cuffs & necklines. Collection designed around the main color black, often pure, sometimes used as slight trim on ivory, in some cases highlighted with red. Touch of lingerie with extensive use of lace & mesh & glimpses of corsets worn on top of blouses.

Varun Sardana
The Grammar of Seeing - inspired by the philosophy of Austrian painter and architect Hundertwasser. His biographer says of him, "Hundertwasser wanted to be noticed and invisible at one and the same time. His clothing therefore had a dual function: to arouse attention and at the same time to shield him from curiosity. He wanted his individuality to be perceived by everyone while remaining safe in his hiding place. Collection enshrines this duality. This collection is about creating a narrative wardrobe which borrows its identity from its journey. The garments seek to describe the body without conforming it; the silhouettes are easy and free-flowing. Lot of graphic geometrics used, conscious attempt to break the monotony and the sharpness of the motifs; be it in terms of juxtaposing them against softer silhouettes, sensuous fabrics or the manual processes of printing the graphics. The colour story also helps in the further disintegration of the patterns. Designer’s strong belief in organic forms of design- the arbitrariness of nature, the juxtaposition of seemingly contradictory elements to make a unified whole.Design philosophy shies away from an absolute idea of beauty. The modern age definitions of form and beauty are things designer tried to demystify through his garments. Participation is a very important aspect of design. Whether it is the multiple ways of putting a button, tying a belt or just how you team up the seperates, designs demand a certain involvement by the users; it’s always a surprise to see my clothes interpreted in different ways by different individuals.

Zeal by Shubhra
Misty Nuance - Green is the new black of fashion - an amagalation of traditional and contemporary craftsmanship. Colours like earth tones, and indigo. Washed out impression, blotching, rawness, patching are used for the Ensemble. Toned out applique, nuance of ombre, knitting and misty tonal gradation add to the Ensemble. Colors like green, blues, browns & white. Depicting the 60’s feel. Green was the colour to promote the eco-friendly spring summer collection for her label Zeal. The use of earthy hues of Innocent whites, pale pinks, washed out blues, faded prints & khakis. Fabrics woven from natural fibres, washed away effect crinkled and crushed with Tie & Dye, blotchy effects, patching, torned out appliqué ,knitting & misty tonal gradation, rawness exude dimension to the ensemble.. Silhouettes – wearable & comfortable ensembles with spotty details, worn with tiny halter-neck denim vests. Nuance of Ombre over dyed prints & Madras checks, ballooning camouflage print skirt with patch pocket having flower embroidery at the front Patch-pockets, straps suspenders, denim vests, puff sleeves, tiered skirts with trimmed hems.

Ashish Viral & Vikrant
Indian High – Refers to the salute to the ancient Indian tradition, culture & artwork in a modern perspective. Collection echos the vibrancy and energy of ethnic India as it is replete with chanderis, silk muslins, cottons, kalamkari prints on silk. Designer trio has been eco –friendly, using vegetable dyes. They have very particular about the use of colours. Ivory , whites & light brown are used for the summer season. Embellishments kept simple giving it a smooth & delicate look. The stamp of western fashion can be seen along the Indian feel on the Ensembles. Silhouettes majority consisting frocks, midi’s ,robes, flowy skirts, & lycra tops. Kalamkari lycra leggings, for women wear.

Gunjan & Rahul
Evening Wear - Blend of muted softened colours and flowing matted georgettes for cocktail and evening occasions. Flowing dresses partly texturised with cut work paced across hem or torso creating peepholes making fabric underneath visible. Arrangement of transparent over printed fabrics created subtle & washed effects in shift dresses. Silhouettes with feminine elegant dresses with lots of volume and hem. Some asymmetric effects occurred at off-shoulder necklines & party extended backs. Flowing materials added a play with volume in silhouettes interpreted in wide hems, bat sleeves &pleating of fronts. Feminine silhouette created through tonal fabric belts or contrasting satin fabric ties around the waist. Extendedly shoulders were gathered &fixed with ribbons. Balancing the flowing georgettes with frames in tonal satin to accentuate necklines. Contrasting facings were used for inner hems, small satin piping as well as grainy embroideries with subtle material effects. Combination of plain and printed fabrics through triangular panels was seen in the Ensemble. Menswear range included innovative shirts & shirt-jackets which had extra contrasting trims at the front placket. (Label –Sirali)

Rabani & Rakha
Airg 7 - a blend of fine work and designing. Handcraftsmanship ,intricate embroidery ,perfect trims, cuts and shimmering jewels. – collection with delectable colour palette like ecru, cream & skin tones, pale, yellow, powder and dusky lemons. Revolving around sequins and chiffons with stunning crystals was black and white display spreads through stark contrast lacy embellishments. Intricate handcraftsmanship and glorious embroideries which embellished gowns & elegant saris , long flattering flowing textured dresses created from precious textured fabrics such as georgette, chiffon and organza. Ensemble emphasized on the body curves through thoughtfully placed embellishments. Rich ornaments, classic Indian paisleys, mughal arches, peacock feather shapes, curly creepers and ferns abstracted & translated into prominent embroideries and beadwork used to highlight the waist & neckline giving shape to the silhouettes. Back-less gown merely held together through crystallized contoured straps



About TFW

With our Active Participation in Fashion Weeks in Indian & Abroad. We have been in touch with Media Industry & Fashion Professionals. Providing & sharing information such as Press Releases, Coverage, Editorial & Video Coverage of / for Fashion Events / Fashion Weeks

We have been covering the Fashion Scene from last 3 years, and we do the best as we could says Guarav Kapoor (Publicist, Journalist & Editor ) TFW..

We have covered A/W & S/S Fashion Weeks all over the globe. WLIFW , LIFW & BPFT (Blender’s Pride Fashion Tour) , Chivas & New York, Paris ,Milan ,Madrid, BBB – Bread & Butter (Berlin & Barcelona) Europe & London Fashion Week’s. Paris Fashion Week, Mercedes Benz , Miami Fashion Week etc.(RAFW) Rosemount Australian Fashion Week & Alta Roma. TFW have been honored with Media Accreditation as Photographer / Journalist / Publicist

Also covered Vikram Phadnis Demi Gods, Raymond Fashion Show etc Shared Press Release information for Grasim Mr India. & couple of Fashion Shows.

As Fashion Publicist we regularly update Information on our Web-links / Blogs & Mailer Distributes on regular intervals. Getting Polls done and feedbacks generated.

TFW - The Fashion WeekEND – ‘Publicist & PR’ with EDM Media Publicist (Media Kit-(EDM Magazine with CD,(E-Zine) released its issue 11. Volume.3 reaching more than 40,000 clientage all over the globe.
In association with TFW, CEA (Corporate Excellence Awards) have also nominated various Fashion Designers along with other various categories.

TFW also with its big fashion circle coordinates & manages Various Modeling Agencies and Models under its label ‘ModCord’ bringing to Media and Industry services like Model -Coordination, Management ,Grooming & Counseling. You can always count on us for Best of Models. Handling Photography.

Sharing Press Releases & Event Information for our Editorials., Article & Publicity on our various Blog’s for Information purpose is a tough role & we try to maintain the best we can , being in the industry. Fashion Week Video CD’s / EDM / TFW E-Zine Magazine (Media Kits) can be collected from us.

We also tend to generate Appraisal Report /Critic for Fashion Weeks & look forward to share in the best of fashion. We hope this fashion Report cum Appraisal suits and fits to the best of anticipation and purpose.






Gaurav Kapoor
Journalist & Editor / Publicist PR
TFW – The Fashion WeekEND
Publicist & PR
New Delhi, INDIA
Contact; 9811996129 25932086
http://us.f382.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=Email.tfw_fashionpublicist@yahoo.com
Email.
http://us.f382.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=Guarav.kapoor@yahoo.com
http://groups.msn.com/varuag/mediapublicist.msnw
http://groups.msn.com/varuag/tfw.msnw
http://youtube.com/user/gauravvkapoorr
http://magazine11.blogspot.com/
http://groups.msn.com/modcord
http://groups.msn.com/cearr

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Personal Comments

30 yr old Guarav Kapoor have all the figures in hand, but no clues still, where it is taking each other. Well generally speaking of figures speak the truth, either way , & figuratively may it be fashion or fashion business, he fashion conscious & not so fashion conscious people might just think and believe in just what they might be told and heard. Well someone one called it a fashion the other day and I saw that guy believing him that this must be a fashion. Well anything everything can be a fashion statement these daysFashion has come way to good compared to earlier days. We still need to grow. Fellow industry media and fashion people need to respect and cooperate to the fullest when it comes to maintaining a business relationship & ethic.

I don’t understand why PR people retaliate so rudely and do not seem to cooperate when it gets to sharing in the piece of information. Some of them called me and said that they have already send in the information and they cant do it again since it was a share waste of time. Well you want the names you can ask me.

One of the Fashion Designer on one of the networking portals did send me a message and some of my known mutual people, telling them some negative notes on me and my profession. Well then this person also sends me a sms stating me that he wont be interested in anything with and from my side.Well I would call this frustated response retaliation. The other Designer asked me to send in the profile and the other said the guy did not believed in the ratings and all the appraisal thing and was not ready to share in any information.

Error's; The Yahoo Portal (Internet Partner) was the partner for Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week this Spring Summer Season . Well the information on the site was all mixed up and wrongly posted. From Press Buyer Details to the Designer Photographs posted, with information of one of the Details of the Designer in the other and some names of the Pr mentioned who no longer worked for the respective Designers. Rocky S had the information Press/Buyer Contact of Rajesh Pratap Singh. Puja Arya having details correct but photographs of Rajesh Pratap Singh Show. Rina Dhaka with no photographs and details of the collection. Rina Dhaka’s Press Contact having Mandira Koirala from Starmagna. Whereas Mandira told me that she no longer was with Rina Dhaka. She said the info was a misprint.

Well FDCI did the 10th Fashion Week People, What’s wrong with you guyz?
Well I always used WLIFW as an abbreviation for the Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week, and I was told that it was wrong and it was to be spelt as WIFW. Well now I see even fdci.org calling it a WLIFW. Interesting, Well Lakme India Fashion Week LIFW has to be like this and not LFW. Because LFW-Stand for London Fashion Week. Good to see FDCI incorporated the same for Wills.

Lil for fun;

Arkesh (Model) said Inder Bajwa (Model) had been teasing me throughout day. He’s been telling me Ihave a child-bearing behind & he ridiculed me in front of every body else. & what did Arkesh do to retaliate" gave a coy smile.. But I want to say something ugly about Inder. Well I have nothing to say, the guy is perfect, toned body, chiseled face.

While passing away by Rohit Bal, a guest didn’t shy away from using a pick up line on him" You are to cute to pass Rohit" she said. Rohit blushed red a deep red and just smiled. And then he we asked the best pick up line ever used on him" He came up with this one" Let us go to my room and have sex, Why waste any time?"(asprinted in the newspaper/media)

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GLOSSARY / DEFINITIONS

1. sequin - small shiny clothing decoration: a small round flat piece of shiny metal or plastic that is sewn onto clothing as a decoration, usually in large numbers

2. embellishment - embelliss-, stem of embellir "make beautiful" beautify something: to increase the beauty of something by adding ornaments or decorations. embellish - beautify something: to increase the beauty of something by adding ornaments or decorations

3.Mesh - material like net: material, or a piece of material, made of plastic, thread, or wire woven together like a net

4. ensembles - outfit of clothes: a number of different items of clothing & accessories, put together to create an outfit

5.Marlene Pants -(Marlene Dietrich Pants) Loose pants similar to riding pants, became part of the work attire after world war 1,Lounge pjs' often worn in the evenings. Hollywood put there stamp of approvation the pants when Marlene Dietrich donned a pair
in the movie Morocco.

6. ecru - pale brown: of a pale brown color, like unbleached linen

7.linen - fabric made from flax: a thread or durable fabric made from the spun fibers of flax

8. harem pants - baggy pants: women's pants made of soft thin cloth, with wide legs that are gathered at the ankle

9. couture – the design & production of fashionable high-quality custom-made clothes

10. corset - stiff garment: a stiffened garment worn by women to shape the waist & breasts

11. foliage - architectural ornamentation based on leaves & stems

12. motif - repeated design: a repeated design, shape, or pattern

13. hemline - clothes' bottom edge: the bottom edge of a skirt, dress, or coat

14. panache -a plume or tuft of feathers

15. silhouettes - 1. shadowed contour: an outline of somebody or something filled in with black or a dark color on a light background, especially when done as a likeness or work of art 2. something dark on light background: something lit in such a way as to appear dark, but surrounded by light, or the effect produced by such lighting silhouettes dancing in front
of the bonfire


16. Flax Fiber / Linen - The term "linen" refers to yarn & fabric made from flax fibers; however, today it is often used as a generic term to describe a class of woven bed, bath, table & kitchen textiles because traditionally linen was so widely used for towels, sheets, etc. In the past, the word also referred to lightweight undergarments such as shirts, chemises, waistshirts, lingerie, & detachable shirt collars & cuffs.

17. Lurex- Lurex is the brand name for a type of yarn with a metallic appearance. The twine is most commonly a synthetic fibre, onto which an aluminium layer has been vaporised. "Lurex" may also refer to cloth created with the yarn.


18. Girdle - woman's foundation garment: a woman's elasticized foundation garment or corset extending from the waist to the thigh

19. Yokes- fitted part of garment: the fitted part of a garment, usually around the shoulders or waist, from which an unfitted part is suspended

20. Corsages - flowers on dress: a small bouquet worn on the bodice of a dress or the lapel of a jacket

21.Drawstring - a cord threaded through a hem, piping, or eyelets around the opening in a bag or a garment so that it can be tightened or the opening can be closed
22. Bodices - laced-up top: a close-fitting, often laced-up top worn over a blouse in the past or as part of some national costumes

23. Kimono - full-length traditional garment worn by women, men, & children. Kimonos are T-shaped, straight-lined robes that fall to the ankle, with collars & wide, full-length sleeves.

24. Pencil skirt- narrow skirt: a narrow straight skirt

25. Kangaroo pockets - kangaroo pocket or kangaroo pouch pocket accessories, one of them designed for new mothers. Sometimes referred to as a sling, a loop, or a kangaroo pouch, this garment envelopes the torso of the mother, hanging from one shoulder.,

26. Rib Hems – it’s the hem you get when you do a flat knit

27. Hem - folded fabric edge: a neat nonfraying edge made by folding fabric over & stitching it down

28. Melange - mixture of things: a collection of things of different kinds ( literary or formal

29. Blousons – garment like shirt: a woman's garment resembling a shirt that is gathered at the waist

30. Juxtaposed - put side by side: to place two or more things together, especially in order to suggest a link between them or emphasize the contrast between them

31. Flounce - A deep (wide) ruffle is usually called a flounce

32. Macramé or Macrame is a form of textile-making using knotting rather than weaving or knitting. Its primary knots are the square knot & forms of hitching (full hitch & double half hitches). Decorative work in knotted string: pieces of string or cord knotted together to form a coarse ornamental lacy pattern, or something made using this method

33. Tulle Skirt – Roman/France Skirt

34. Tunic- The tunic (Latin tunica) was the common masculine garment of Greco-Roman civilization. Look like a jacket. usually close-fitting, buttoned up the front, either high-collared or open-necked, & of a variety of lengths (although most commonly with short skirts).

35. Bustier- A bustier (alternately bustierre) is an article of clothing for women, which is form-fitting & is traditionally worn as lingerie. It looks somewhat like a Basque, but a bustier is shorter. It reaches down only to the ribs or the waist & has a different function: its primary purpose is to push up the bust by tightening against the upper midriff & forcing the breasts to move up, while
gently shaping the waist.

36. Camisoles - a woman's sleeveless top with thin shoulder straps & a straight neckline. a camisole top. A camisole or cami is a woman's undergarment which covers the top part of the body. It is sleeveless & tight fitting in contrast to a loose-fitting chemise. Camisole is sometimes worn cropped allowing midriff exposure, but often covers the entire torso. Camisoles are manufactured from satin or silk, or stretch materials such as lycra, nylon, or spandex, though cotton based materials are more common. A camisole can be worn over a brassiere or without one. Some camisoles come with a built-in underwire bra which eliminates the need for a bra among those who prefer one. Recently, camisole have been known to be used as outerwear.

37. Angarkha – unisexual drape / costume for women consists of an angarkha (from the Sanskrit anga-rakshaka 'limb. Men may also wear it

38. A-Line – The fashion term A-Line was introduced by the French couture designer Christian Dior for his Spring-Summer 1955 Collection. It followed the "H" line of the previous Fall-Winter season, & describes the new silhouette of that collection. The "A-Line" silhouette replicated the letter "A" by flaring out from the top, like a funnel, narrow & fitted at the neck & shoulders, skimming the hips & widening toward the bottom, with little or no shaping or seaming at the waist. Any dress, coat or skirt that has a slender, funnel shape.

39. Trench Coat - raincoat: a belted double-breasted raincoat, originally modeled on a military coat of World War I. A raincoat made of waterproof heavy-duty cotton drill or poplin, or in some cases leather: it generally has a removable insulated lining; & it is usually knee-length or longer.

40. Djellabahs – Jalabiya (jahl-lah-bee-ya) - Men caftan,djellabahs are the most common garment worn by Moroccan men,they are lightweight cotton & loose fitting perfect for warm climats.

41. Band collars - A Band Collar is a standing band-shaped collar that encircles the neck without a full turndown or a collar "cape". It can be any height or "stand", but is usually under 2" at the front, so as not to push up into the chin. Variations of the Band Collar are: Clerical Collar, Mandarin Collar & Cadet Collar.

42. Tulip sleeves - a variation of peasant sleeve, ending up like a tulip flower

43. Hombre – ‘Homo’ / Man

44. Kaftanns - men's tunic: a full-length tunic or robe for men, usually made of rich fabric, worn chiefly in eastern Mediterranean countries. Western garment: a western imitation of the caftan, often brightly colored & worn by men & women. It was popular in the 1970s & is still associated with hippy culture.

45. Harem pants – Harem pants are worn under a skirt, or worn alone. Typically they are very full, measuring six to twelve inches or more larger than measurement of hip & thigh. Each half is a single piece with no side seam.The pants keep the legs (& underwear!) covered during floorwork, spins, & outdoor breezes, as well as for those who prefer to cover legs for whatever reason. Even sheer pants appear more modest than bare legs

46. Empire waist lines - style of dress with high waist: a style for a woman's dress or coat with a high waist from which the skirt hangs straight and loose
47. Cowl Skirts - The cowl (from the Latin, cuculla meaning "hood") is a hood worn by members of religious orders. It also refers to a long, hooded cloak, with wide sleeves, worn by some Catholic and Orthodox monks when participating in the liturgy.

48. Halter Neck Tops – Halterneck refers to a type of women's clothing with a single strap around the back of the neck instead of straps over each shoulder. This can refer to either a dress or a separate shirt, called a halter top. The latter is a type of sleeveless shirt similar to a tank top. The term "halter" comes from the German word for "holder," as in Büstenhalter, which literally means "busts-holder" and is equivalent to "brassiere".

49. Balinese Lehnga – Lehnga From Bali

50. Bhagalpur - Bhagalpur is a city & municipal corporation in Bihar state in eastern India. Handloom weaving is done commercially in both the states more or less somewhere cotton & somewhere silk. In Bihar, Bhagalpur cluster is mainly silk weaving one. In Jharkhand weavers wave mainly cotton fabrics. Few weavers at the vicinity of Kharsowa have started silk weaving.

51. Jacquards - patterned material: a fabric that has been woven with an intricate pattern

52. Fuchsia - deep pink color: a brilliant deep purplish pink color

53. Crochet Work - is a process of creating fabric from yarn or thread using a crochet hook. The word is derived from the Middle French word croc or croche, meaning hook. Crocheting, similar to knitting, consists of pulling loops of yarn through other loops. Crochet differs from knitting in that only one loop is active at one time (the sole exception being Tunisian crochet), & that a crochet hook is used instead of knitting needles.

54. Broiderie Angalis – Broderie Anglaise (French, "English Embroidery") is a whitework needlework technique incorporating features of embroidery, cutwork & needle lace that arose in England in the 19th century. Broderie Anglaise is characterized by patterns composed of small holes or eyelets bound with overcast or buttonhole stitches. Later Broderie Anglaise also featured small patterns worked in satin stitch.

55. Ikat - or Ikkat, is a style of weaving that uses a resist dyeing process similar to tie-dye on either the warp or weft before the threads are woven to create a pattern or design. A Double Ikat is when both the warp & the weft are tie-dyed before weaving. Ikat means "to tie" or "to bind" in the Malay language & has the same root as the words dekat ("close"), lekat ("to stick"), pikat ("to catch") etc. The word Katt has the same meaning in all of the south Indian languages but there may be no relation. Through common usage, the word has come to describe both the process & the cloth itself. Ikats have been woven in cultures all over the world.

56. Kandinsky - Wassily Kandinsky (Russian: Василий Кандинский, first name pronounced as [vassi:li]) (December 16 [O.S , December 4] 1866 – December 13, 1944) was a Russian painter, printmaker & art theorist. One of the most famous 20th-century artists, he is credited with painting the first modern abstract works.

57. Prêt / Prêt-à-Por·ter - ready-to-wear clothing: clothing that is manufactured in standard sizes ready to be bought off the rack

58. Sheath – closely fitting dress: a woman's closely fitting dress, originally floor-length, but now also knee-length

59. Retro – Late 20th century. <>




60. Evocative - stimulating memories of the past: prompting vivid memories or images of things not present, especially things from the past




61.Ode- a lyric poem/song




62. Studio 54, New York - The 1970's - 3 decades ago and life was different - dramatically different. American Society was coming off of he 60's, a decade of protest, of speaking out. Vietnam, Woodstock, events most people associate with the later 1960's were fresh in the memories of those who could remember them. We waited in line for gasoline - and paid more per gallon then we did at some points in the 1990's! Detroit produced big gas-guzzling lower quality automobiles. Toyota, Honda and other Japanese import cars were finding their niche in an American Culture undergoing change. On most Saturday nights, we could watch "All In The Family", "Mary Tyler Moore" and "Carol Burnett". In 1975, NBC gave us "Saturday Night Live" with the likes of Gilda Radner and Chevy Chase. All the while, 2 entrepreneurs were busy trying to find a place where they too could cash in on the wave of change - Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager. There dream became a reality in the Spring on 1977 when they opened "Studio 54". I never had the opportunity to go there, you see, I was 11 years old when the club opened. It's greatest days ended abruptly in 1980 - I was only 14. I do know people that had the once in a lifetime chance to be a part of the biggest party probably ever thrown in New York City. There never was anything like it before and there will never be anything like it again. Studio 54 was a brief period in the history of American Culture that makes it so remarkable. You could ask yourself "what if" until you are blue in the face. What If Steve Rubell didn't get caught by the IRS? What if drugs were not as rampant? How much longer could the club have survived? Or did it live the life it was intended? Ultimately, the "party at 54" would bring down 2 business men - and in 1989, take the life of one. If the 1960's and 1970's gave us freedom, then the 1980's and 1990's taught us responsibility. Enough said (for now), I give you the "Studio 54" timeline. Forget all the rhetoric for now and travel the timeline of a unique club. - Studio 54.




63. Muse - in Greek mythology, one of the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, goddess of memory. The Muses inspired and presided over the creative arts. They were Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, and Urania, responsible for epic poetry, history, love poetry, lyric poetry, tragedy, sacred song, dance, comedy, and astronomy, respectively.




64.paisleys - pattern with curving shapes: a distinctive bold design consisting of multicolored curving shapes, stylized cones, and feathers. Garment with paisley design: a fabric with a paisley design, especially a type of woolen shawl popular in the 19th century




65. nuance - subtle difference: a very slight difference in meaning, feeling, tone, or color 2. use of nuances: the use or awareness of subtle shades of meaning or feeling, especially in artistic expression or performance






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