More Trends for A/W 11!

The list continues with more trends seen at Wills Fashion Week A/W 11.

Tribal art continues to provide inspiration to designers like Ashima Leena, Kavita Bhartia, and Tanvi Kedia, with its strikingly beautiful motifs and colours.

Ashima Leena

Kavita Bhartia

Tanvi Kedia

Black and white is back, but this time with a zing of red! Designers Rahul Mishra and Nikita Tandon among others use this high contrast colour scheme to make a bold statement on the runway.

Rahul Mishra

Nikita Tandon

Ritesh Kumar Ridzyn

The Coat gets not one, but many new spins this winter with some edgy details and interesting constructions. Sonia Sarin showcased an ivory brocade high neck coat with metallic buttons. Atsu’s sleeveless dinner jacket with its large lapels is instantly chic and powerful. Finally, Anand Kabra uses a shawl collar on a white organza coat, cinched at the waist with a smart belt.

Sonia Sekhri

From L to R- Atsu, Anand Kabra

This winter, Indian textiles meet Western silhouettes, as seen in the collections of Ritu Kumar, Zubair Kirmani, Neeru Kumat and Aneeth Arora. A new aesthetic can be seen here, along with a new design sensibility, which makes this fashion forward trend my favorite.

Ritu Kumar

Zubair Kirmani 

Pero by Aneeth Arora

Here's hoping for a chilly, stylish winter 2011 after this long spell of sultry summer!

The 'New' Sari

The Sari- An Indian classic which reinterprets itself every season. This winter, it takes on an interesting form, draped around the neck, and accessorized with jacket or blazer. The look is completed with a statement belt highlighting the waist. Traditional silk saris come to life with Neeru Kumar’s innovative weaves and Monapali’s exquisite borders. Tarun Tahiliani succeeds in creating the perfect evening wear sari- bejewelled grey chiffon with a sexy drape.

Neeru Kumar

Tarun Tahiliani

Tarun Tahiliani

Sanskar by Sonam Dubai

Joy Mitra

Monapali

Twilight Luxe

Glamour by Night- Rich velvet, shiny lustful satin, intricate embroidery and shimmery sequins make up this look for A/W 11.  Deep wines, olive greens, and midnight blue glint under the starry night.

AM/PM by Ankur and Priyanka Modi

Atsu

Rajesh Pratap Singh

Rajesh Pratap Singh

Rimzim Dadu

Tarun Tahiliani

A/W 11 goes *pop*

A bit of a surprise on the usual autumn winter palette- the colours have gone pop!

Shocking pinks, hydrangea purples, bright citrus colours and lime green... you name it, there it is. Used wisely and well to accent garments, designers like Rehane and Urvashi Kaur have opted for these super vibrant colours to fight the winter gloom.

 Urvashi Kaur

Rehane

Rehane



Masaba

 

 Pankaj and Nidhi

Rajesh Pratap Singh

 Niket and Jainee



Wills India Fashion Week Autumn Winter 11: Key Trends- Prints

Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Autumn Winter ’11 saw a record 141 designers, some truly inspiring fashion shows, along with dashes of glamour and celebrities, which never fail to accompany any fashion week held in the country. The highlights were shows by Tarun Tahiliani, Sabyasachi, Anand Kabra, Rajesh Pratap Singh and Neeru Kumar, who showcased her collection in her debut fashion show. Also on display were the Indian entries to the World of Wearable Art Contest in New Zealand.

There are many key trends which have emerged for the upcoming Autumn Winter, starting with a colour palette ranging from bright pop colours, to sombre neutrals, to rich, deep tones, and finally a stark black and white contrast.

Fabrics seem to have been infused with new life, with a return to Indian textiles and weaves, which have been juxtaposed with Western silhouettes- to create a tasteful Indo Western fusion.

Prints play a major role this autumn, where it seems to be the quirkier, the better! Tribal inspired and optical prints have been a popular choice among the designers.

Take a look at these prints- (all images courtesy Wills Lifestyle Facebook page)

Masaba

                                                                                 Kallol Dutta

                                                                          Rajesh Pratap Singh

Anupama Dayal

Pankaj and Nidhi

Bleed Blue!

As the whole nation comes to a standstill, twenty four brave men will battle it out in a stadium in Mumbai for the ultimate object of desire- the golden cup. Tomorrow will be a day where hopeful predictions and complex analysis hold no meaning; our fate lies in the events which are to unfold. This world cup has been like none before, it has truly united our country as we come together and offer our whole hearted support to the Indian cricket team. There has been an upsurge of patriotism, especially among the youth, who are proudly wearing their new found nationalism on their sleeves. A glimpse of the streets of Delhi after the victory against Pakistan revealed unlikely scenes- strangers hugging, dancing, celebrating together, and distributing sweets, even as the night sky was lit bright with fire crackers. India Gate was taken over by hysteria, as the people forgot about everything else and took the party to a new level, dancing the night away on the rooftops of cars. Mumbai too, took the party to the streets, where DJ’s started spinning for ecstatic crowds till the wee hours of the morning.


Tomorrow will be a day of reckoning for every Indian. The celebrations will be unmatched if we win the World Cup. But even if the Sri Lankans emerge victorious, great things have already emerged from this World Cup. There is a new sense of community, of goodwill, and a completely uninhibited love for our country.


Men in blue, don’t you worry- we are behind you.



Photo courtesy- Manish Kumar

The 'King' is Gone

A strange story for the fashion world- John Galliano has been dismissed as chief designer by Christian Dior, after videos of his alleged anti- Jewish tirades were leaked by the media. In the video, a clearly inebriated Galliano, talking to a group of Italian women at a Paris bar, says ""I love Hitler... People like you would be dead. Your mothers, your forefathers would all be f****** gassed."

Fashion as an industry is known to be superficial and cut throat, but this bit of news along with the suicide of Alexander McQueen throws light on fashion's ugly underbelly. Support from the industry has been flowing in for Galliano, but an equally large number of people are disgusted with his comments, including actress Natalie Portman, Dior’s new face, who spoke out publicly against Galliano.

















Galliano Spring 2004











John Galliano was born to Spanish parents and grew up in London. He studied at Central Saint Martin’s College of Art. His graduation collection "Les Incroyables" inspired from the French Revolution was immediately bought by Brown's, where it sold out at once. He launched his own label in 1984. Elegant bias cut gowns and sharp tailored suits became his trademark. Galliano looked towards history for inspiration, and reinterpreted fashion in his own whimsical way. His garments successfully border between fantasy and classical elements.

In 1995, Galliano became chief designer at the fashion house of Givenchy. A year later, it was announced that Christian Dior has given Galliano the prestigious title of chief designer. His dresses have been worn by Hollywood film stars Cate Blanchett and Nicole Kidman to the Academy Awards. Princess Diana and Daphne Guinness were part of Galliano’s private clientele.

John Galliano's contribution to fashion is immense. However, more than anything else these videos show him as a disturbed, bitter man. Perhaps this industry needs to tone down the histrionics and give way for a little humanity.