Friday, September 11, 2009

Kolkatta Fashion Week II - Day 5 - Designers

Abhishek Dutta







Time: 12 noon at MSA / (Pala)
Winner of Smirnoff International Fashion Award and an award winning student of Wigan & Leign College, Abhishek Dutta believes in creating garments with a difference. He specializes in various ancient embroideries with futurists cuts. His label AD Normal gives immense choice to people for casual clothing whilst his other label Abhishek D creates exclusive couture ensembles. Apart from formal wear his casual wear comprises of tops, trousers, jackets, skirts, etc. at a very affordable price. The inspiration for AD Normal line of clothes comes from the very sporty attitude of youth.



Collection
A futuristic collection is rolled out on the ramp from the Abhishek Dutta stable. Cuts and not surface embellishment dominates the ‘creative patterns’. Off-white, orange and khaki are his chosen colours for this structured western collection.

Aditi Jaggi



Time: 1:30 pm at MSA // (Sundarbans)

Magnum Opus- ADI)
ADI- the Authentic, Desirable and Ingenious clothing for the modern day woman who knows to speak her mind, She is what she is. The label infuses a fresh breath to the Indian fashion scenario making apt use of the traditional embellishment techniques in an experimental way. This collection is an attempt to add to the grace n persona of a bride who considers comfort and value for money as her priorities, yet she wants to indulge in a bright colorful collection for her trousseau, picking a mix of ensembles for all occasions The designer Aditi Jaggi Rastogi is an alumnus of S.O.F.T, Pune, and has won the sobriquet of the ‘most commercially viable designer. A thorough experience under designer Rina Dhaka, a stint @ SSL, and designing for Mallika Sherawat etc. are the laurels that prove the strong foundation of the label.

Collection
This collection is an attempt to add to the grace n persona of a bride who considers comfort and value for money as her priorities, yet she wants to indulge in a bright colorful collection for her trousseau, picking a mix of ensembles for all occasions. There is ample use of brocade from grandmas’ closet in the form of appliqué delicately highlighted with tiny beads and colorful stones. There are lehengas, saris, anarkalis, churidars and also a wide range of tunics. In short there is a mix of all that a newly wed bride needs in her wardrobe. Being spring summer 2010, the fabrics used are very easy chiffons and cotton blend silks. Therez something for Poo and therez something for Parvati too….

Aarti Vijaygupta

Time: 1:30 pm at MSA // (Sundarbans)

Her work is all about ‘breaking the compromise’. Merging old with the modern, creativity with practically. Her design philosophy is based on originality, not reproduction although she is comfortable drawing on many design styles (Primitive, Georgian, Shaker, Art Deco, Modernism etc.), She aims to produce clothes that are unique and contemporary yet grounded in the arts and crafts and the contemporary designer/craftsman movements philosophies. She is also very interested in the craft of the making. She is constantly looking for new ways of blending and extending the traditions of the early craftsmen with exciting uses for materials, techniques and the best of contemporary innovations. Key drivers of my aesthetics lie in a strong belief in responding to the human spirit, the concept of yin and yang, playing with the proportions of the golden section, a wish for elegance in both visual and conceptual interpretation. There has to be pleasure in use, enjoyment of details that can be taken for granted but can provide the observer with an ‘ah ha’ moment. Good design ensures that the object functions as it should, has a level of meaning, is aesthetically pleasing to the client, is structurally sound, has perfect fit and flawless finish.
She is Aarti Vijaygupta, an alumnus of NIFT Mumbai, her identity are her designs for these are just not patterns, they are a reflection of my thoughts and ideas, of herself and her beliefs. Her Line is Prêt-o-porter & her labels idiosyncratic style is the fusion of handmade realizations with futuristic cuts. She believes in an enhanced body freedom, comfort and function. USP: Box Pleats, pyramid cones, quilted yokes yet feminine to the contours- classy, wearable and realistic yet affordable, this sums up her USP.

Collection

The Spring Summer 10 collection alternates the signature austerity of the label with more creative inputs. Her collection into the fold ’, inspired by Japanese art of Origami she feels is self explanatory of her collection. Her main objective was to fuse the traditional with the more topical. This she has tried to do so by blending of linen fabric in earthy colours with sophisticated cuts, which she believes, will certainly enchant the modern feminine world. The design development with a new desire for informal look donned with a relaxed temperament on the basic of infinite genre mixes. The look is not about an age group but about a mind set, willing to have some fun with clothes. She opts for precious, matte eco-friendly fabrics like linen and terry voile that express my respect towards earthy resources.
Silhouettes ;The designs for this collection have clean lines with structural details: feminine but strong, lots of opposites, and strength in diversity. Also, everything has balance so that the delicate and the strong can work together. Her idea of clothing as an art form is in cleanness of line and balance Minimalism shows purity of details. Her details contain structure, texture, and fabrication, tailoring and finishing. Her sensibility is organic through feminine, modern, and fluid but cut for comfort. Since the simplicity and purity are my focus, choosing appropriate material becomes an important issue to create an ideal garment. The art is in seeing fabric as a graphic element, translating practical details into interesting forms, and then taking away anything that is not useful.
The silhouettes enhancing chic cuts with ideal aplomb pooled with ensembles where fabrics are molded with original sartorial touches. The silhouettes enhance the temperament of women with an incisive mode, where casual blends with the irrefutable indispensable elegance. Dresses designed for casual wear has pleats (usually inverted box pleats) to allow for freedom of movement while dresses have double-ended inverted box pleats at the chest and back. The focus is on the sleeves, with an inverted box pleat with quilting in it that provides shoulder volume without the pads. With an eye for detail, new frontiers are filtered through classic pieces while adhering to traditional techniques. Standalone distinctively constructed tailoring that plays with dimension and drape. She has tried to transform the body with exhilaratingly contemporary future-classic silhouettes with a reflective approach to design and have produced an original, intellectual tailoring with a wearable relaxed periphery.
Colors; The color palette evokes metropolitan shades of grey, offset against purple softened by the matte of linen, broken by beige, brown and sand tones, and greens have a dry, olivey patina.

Anita Dongre


Time: 3 pm at MSA / (Pala)

From runways and award shows to premieres and movies, Anita’s designs have graced the country’s most elite and celebrated personalities from all walks of life. Her innate flair for style and design enables her to create collection after collection that flows from her intuitive awareness of the au courant of having a taste for the next hot trends. But more importantly, her designs voice the taste of the new age 21st century Indian woman. Known as the designer who embodies empathy in her creations, it is her understanding of the uniqueness of each woman’s own beauty, grace, body and the pulse of a woman’s desires, ambitions, dreams and sensuality that inspired her to create her fashion house AND Designs India Ltd, which ensures that every Indian woman finds her complimentary fashion statement. AND, her inimitable label is today one of the most recognized and well-loved wardrobe staple of the modern, go-getter woman. This label has come to represent high street fashion at a sensible price. It meets the fashion needs of celebrities, teenagers, young mothers, the career woman and the socialite. One success followed the next – quick on AND’s success trail came the launch of her signature, premium label that carries with it, her reputation and name, ANITA DONGRE IINTER PRET– a high-impact, globetrotting, mix and match western wear, fashion brand. This show - stopper collection combines fashionable elegance with strong detailing. Her designs are always in perfect sync with the eco-conscious. In today’s organic age, Anita Dongre adds environmental glam with GRASSROOT – her latest line of Organic clothing that works sustainable fabrics with traditional crafts into a versatile range of stylish wardrobe essentials.Her creative energy takes wings from her love for life, nature, wellness, art, movies and people. While the glitz and glamour of her designs have found their way into the silver screen blockbuster movies like My Brother Nikhil, Bas Ek Pal, and lately, Sorry Bhai, her stylish power suits and uniforms have changed the face of blue chip corporate houses, airlines, hospitality industry and educational enterprises. From Dhirubhai Ambani’s pre-school to the luxuries of the Taj Group of Hotels, you’ll find Anita’s smart dress code notching up great results. Today her brands sell from more than 120 retail points throughout the length and breadth of the country. The legend in trendsetting has only just begun… all set to take the world by storm, with continuously expanding while defining trends, Anita’s enthusiasm, creativity and boundless talent have kept her at the forefront of fashion.

Collection
With her love for Luxury and Lifestyle, Anita launched her one of a kind couture line, ANITA DONGRE TIMELESS. The label caters to custom made occasion wear, where Anita meets clients personally and creates gorgeous outfits to the tastes of the user. Be it a bridal trousseau or a red carpet stunner, ANITA DONGRE TIMELESS is the luxury outfit you’ll desire to own and have forever. The Timeless collection is a body of work that delves into the rich heritage of Indian textiles to draw inspiration for its designs that brilliantly represent the au courant. The collection makes ingenious use of traditional weaves and silks all over the country to create styles that are classis, feminine and eternal. Each ensemble, delicately handcrafted by adept craftsmen, is precious, luxurious and opulent enough to be considered as rare pieces for heirloom that can be passed on from one generation to the next.


Pallavi Singhvi


Time: 4:30 pm at MSA // (Sundarbans)

A fashion graduate of NIFT Delhi, Pallavi began her career under the guidance of Sabyasachi Mukherjee. She launched her own eponymous label "Verb" in 2006. Verb, woman’s wear brand is best known for its avant-garde spirit in clothing. It is retailed from premier stores across India and abroad with its design studio based in Kolkata.
Verb has been showcasing at Bridal Asia for last two years and has received rave reviews for its design. After a splashing sell out bridal Asia 2007 and 2008 it was rated as one of the most promising new brands by Dubai, African and Indian magazines.

Collection

The collection ‘videsh me desh’, is a about a little India in everyone. It’s a story of the firangi desi. The collection showcases an eclectic cocktail of powerful streamlined clothing with street folk art. The characters of the story are women who come from over the world to discover and experience Indian traditions, culture, music and costumes. It is about India influencing the west and being influenced in return. Mixed fused clothing that take birth of these interactions, like patiala pants, wrap kurtas , scrunched up skirt saris , kaftans dresses , high waisted pants with wrap sari blouses , kali skirts with formal fitted jackets ,short kutchi dance kurtas with fitted pencil skirts. The collections symbolizes globalization, Indian prints on western silhouettes, fused Indian separates with very western mixes. Ensembles have oversized Indian prints, like old birds, peacocks and elephant designs with floral motifs, on very trendy channel, satin and muls and chiffons. The prints are digital mixed with some antique hand block printing .Colours range from Indian reds and haldi yellows to old rose pinks, Prussian blues, crimsons and black.
It is a compilation of twisted classical traditions, outlandish colour combinations, quirky details, textures, unusual embroidery motifs and sharp tailoring.


Swati Srivastava


Time: 4:30 pm at MSA // (Sundarbans)

In over half a decade Swati Srivastava has come to belong to the echelons of high fashion in India. A design graduate from the prestigious NIFT Kolkata, she was awarded the best design collection award for FDIT’03. After working in close quarters with many industry masters, Swati finally launched her own brand, ‘KAHWA Fashion’ in 2006.
The ‘Swati Srivastava’ label, incepted in the year 2007, has already been making weaves in the industry. A swirling mix of urban contemporary influences in heady creative style, ‘Swati Srivastava’ is a tour de force in Indian fashion. ‘Swati Srivastava’ the label is available at locations across India at stores in New Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Chennai.

Collection

The Delhi-based designer is showcasing an Indo-western line. The collection includes lehengas, saris, draped tops, tunics and short jackets brought alive by textures, bamboo work, terracotta and cane work on net, khadi silk and Dhakai silk.

Narendra Kumar



Time: 6 pm at MSA / (Pala)

Narendra Kumar was part of the first ever graduating class from NIFT in 1990, when it was still being run in conjunction with FIT, New York and Trent Polytechnic, UK. The NK line 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, his company Arenah Design Studio, undertakes various corporate identity clothing project for international companies such as Marriot Group of Hotels, Taj Group of Hotels, HSBC Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Uniliver, 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.

Radhika & Sayantan


Time: 7:30 pm at MSA // (Sundarbans)

Defined by sophistication with a traditional twist, Radhika Singhi - Sayantan Sarkar is a label combining Western silhouettes with Indian sensibilities that is a fusion of ideologies, crafts and methods. Inspired by and created for the global citizen, the label was born of diverse thought processes and design styles. While designer Radhika Singhi epitomizes instinctive creative genius painted in Indian ethos, NIFT graduate Sayantan Sarkar brings in technical expertise and international concepts. Sayantan’s understanding of structures, silhouettes, patterns and textures complemented by Radhika’s innovative use of traditional textiles and surface ornamentation create the distinctive Radhika Singhi - Sayantan Sarkar label. The Radhika- Sayantan collection are retailed from their own flagship store Threads in Kolkata, Amara & Fuel in Mumbai, Also in Hyderabad, Collage in Bangalore and Elan in Ahmedabad.

Collection
With their Kolkata Fashion week collection, Radhika and Sayantan step back into their comfort zone to marry new age elegance with old world charm. English grandeur meets Manhattan’s madness as romance and economy fuse together to create drama on the ramp. Lace plays with plaid, while satin flirts with polynosic fabrics. Browns and greys allow for a peak of pink here and there. The collection symbolizes life, where romance and economics are constantly intertwined. The use of lace, ruffles, satin and pinks symbolize romance whereas suiting, checks and rich colors give us hope & optimism.


Aarjun Agarwal


Time: 7:30 pm at MSA // (Sundarbans)

Aarjun, the fashion label was born in the Ballygunge residence of the designer Aarjun Agarwal in January 2006 after the completion of his graduation from the Canberra Institute of Technology (2005), Canberra, Australia.
Participation in the Canberra Fashion Week and Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in April-May 2006 and 2007 took the label to new heights. In August 2007 and 2008 Aarjun took part in "Yatra", held at The Taj Krishna Hotel in Hyderabad. The label showcased its first ever fashion show in India in October 2007 at the prestigious Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai in the Gen-Next category. This was a very proud moment and the event greatly helped in establishing the name nationally and internationally. After this, Aarjun visited Singapore to take part in a trade fare from August 13th- 17th 2008, working towards the dream of becoming an international label. Then the label exhibited at "TT Weddings" organised by The Telegraph in Kolkata from the 11th- 14th September 2008 and made killer sales with its postmodern western ensembles. Leading Indian designers like Manish Malhotra, Ritu Kumar and Kiran Uttam Ghosh (to name a few) had also taken part in this mega event. 27th March 2009 Barbie’s 50th birthday party came to Mumbai at the Lakme Fashion Week. Designers from across the country applied to the contest, organised by the Mattel group, to have the chance to design a dress for Barbie on her 50th birthday. It was an honour for Aarjun to be showcased amongst the top designers from India, including Wendell Rodricks, Manish Malhotra, Vikram Phadnis, Neeta Lull, and dress Barbie looking models in his ensembles.

Collection

At the Kolkata fashion Week, Aarjun will be presenting a line which is very close to his essence, his existence in fashion. He spent a year in New Zealand learning and perfecting his pattern drafting skills. He was greatly influenced by the native ‘Maori’ art, the inspirations of which have been incorporated in his collection. The silhouettes are for the confident and independent women, dressed in his signature blacks and whites. The element of intrigue is added to the ensemble with hints of red. The collection depicts the strength of women who evolve and adapt with poise and grace.

Manish Malhotra






Time: 9 pm at MSA / (Pala)

Manish Malhotra is a true style icon. Not only do women the world over swear by his collection, but also innumerable men who would blindly wear anything he created for them. His label ‘Manish Malhotra’ is the country’s first dedicated diffusion and haute couture label. Currently retailing across Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Dubai and Canada, its uniqueness lies in its adaptability to occasions and its unique pricing strategy. The label plays strongly on colour, texture and fabrics. It strikes the perfect balance between diffusion and haute couture, which combined with his uncanny ability to forecast trends, is one of the main reasons for the label’s success.

Collection
The king of Bollywood closes the curtains on the second edition of Emami KFW with a grander than grand finale. The opulent collection will be high on red, the traditional bridal colour for a not-so-traditional bridal collection, with Manish’s signature nudes, skin and beige offset by splashes of salmon and moss green.

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