Poonam Bhagat - Taika - WLIFW S/S 2007-08 'Sep

TAIKA by Poonam Bhagat
Take a sprig of twine , a spool of yarn and a leaf of natural fibre – throw it all in a bubbling clauldron of burnt earthen hues and stir with passion , add a glitter of burnished gold and a shimmer of antique silver , let the moonbeams dance along the wooden spatula while you stir and watch TAIKA emerge .

TAIKA , a Finnish word for “magic” , has , for over 16 years cast its own spell on women using pure natural fabrics by taking on myriad shapes to flatter and enhance the female form .
Tonal or stark but minimal embroideries , intricate surface texturing , quilting and appliqué with emphasis on styling and detailing is essential. A smattering of matt sequins is used for highlighting the garment when necessary. A nice vintage look is created for formals and a hip retro look for casuals.

Empire line dresses , sheath dresses , tunics with wide band collars , kaftan dresses and jackets in eggplant , burgundy and black handwoven tussar silks vie with each other for attention .
A range of jackets in contrasting vibrant silks , quilted and appliquéd , titillate and tease along side the more conservative and classic Churidar-kurtas and the quintessential Indian ensemble , the Sari.

Black and burgundy chanderi silks flirt with ivory peek- a – boo abstract motifs in dresses , tunics and skirts in the ‘Cherries on Coal’ collection.

Silks in rich emerald and turquoise hues balloon and gather in high waisted dresses and skirts with tonal polkas and swirls or jewel like dull pewter and bronze embroideries reinvent themselves in the “jewel Silk and Aquamarine silk” collections.

Ivory matka silks with black thread embroidery tell a “fishy” tale complemented with ochre and lavender. Black flirts with ivory and olive matka silks to tell its own fish and foul stories along with nature in the “Pearls on Coal” collection , boasting of knee length skirts, empire line and kaftan dresses and tunics .

Georgettes tie-dyed in earthy colors of rusts , burgundies , olives and browns , limes and forest greens with the quintessential black , printed and embroidered with tribal motifs inspired from the Mola tribes of Panama translate into sarees and dresses which sing an ode to femininity.
Bronze,copper and pewter tissue appliqués on chanderis form a lattice like pattern on elegant Churidar-Kurtas with crinkled silk stoles.

Ash linen trench coats , jackets , sheath dresses and pencil skirts are evocative of the “Retro” look with black geometric circular and striped motifs –embroidered and patched .
Soft georgette tunics in slate-pink , wedgewood blue , sage , ash and brown sparkle ,shine and shimmer iridescently with delicate borders of dull gold and pewter sequins scattered like “Stardust” .

And so TAIKA works its magic on discerning buyers as we sell from
various upmarket designer stores in Chennai , Kolkatta , Bangalore , Hyderabad , Mumbai and Delhi besides making forays into stores in West Palm Beach , Florida , Manhattan and Tokyo.