Amazon India Fashion Week Day 3 Outfit

For day 3 of fashion week, I wanted to wear something a little blingy. Not in your face kinds, but something with a little more embellishment on it. I had been eyeing this label called Sanchita by Sanchita Ajjampur for her easy to wear separates that were comfortable and made a statement at the same time. I chose a sporty dress with some really fun detailing. The bottom half of the sleeves had fun fur on it and the shoulders were embellished with stones. I felt a little empty with just the dress so I chose a letterman jacket from her collection to layer on to the dress. My whole look turned out to be really sparkly because both the border of the dress and the back of the jacket had lots of embroidered sequins. Funnily though, despite all the bling on my outfit, none of it looked tacky. It just looked playful. At least to me!

Jacket & Dress - Sanchita
Shoes & Bag - Gucci
Photography - Surbhi Sethi
Sunglasses - Tom Ford

Amazon India Fashion Week Day 2 Look

For day two of fashion week, it seemed like yet another trip down memory lane outfit wise! I chose a very thick denim dress, that was reminiscent of the 90's button down denim jackets. This mid calf length dress with long sleeves (I chose to roll them up for an effortless feel) was cinched at the waist giving it a nice cut. Also, I loved how it fit on my bum and accentuated it. For once my rear end had a nice curvy feel!

For my jewellery, I made a quick trip to Olivia Dar's boutique in Shahpur Jat. I had heard so much about her stuff so I thought why not try it out for fashion week. I picked a pair of very tribal looking earrings with strands of dangling beads. What was really cool about this pair was that the top part of the earring had a suede backing. So some of the beads were actually sown into the suede giving it a very luxurious feel. I love stacking bracelets so that's exactly what I did at her boutique. I chose a really fun black bracelet with a very cleopatra feel to it with all the dull gold sequins that were embroidered on it, a multi layer wrap bracelet with metal beads that had silver polish on them and a simple crystal bracelet and just put them on all at once. I loved the way it looked. Affinity Salon's killer hair and make up completely my look.


Dress - H&M
Earrings & Bracelets - Olivia Dar
Sunglasses - Tom Ford
Bag - Ralph Lauren Ricky Drawstring
Hair & Make Up - Affinity Salons GK2
Photography - Surbhi Sethi

Anavila AIFW AW16 Review

Anavila Misra showcased yet another successful, artisanal and easy to wear collection. Misra, known for creating the linen sari and for changing people's outlook towards the traditional garment is talented to say the least. I mean to make a sari as casual as a pair of jeans, that's just pure genius! In addition, crafting it all from pure linen which is not an easy yarn to work in the first place.

This time though, apart from her signature linen saris, Anavila also focussed on some great styling techniques through the use of layering in the her collection along with featuring various other fabrics like stiff silk and silk wool. The colour palette was fairly muted consisting of beige, light brown (almost latte like), grey and duck egg hues with prints ranging from florals to checks and stripes.

The show had a very bohemian vibe to it as was seen in the look where a model is sporting a pair of flared linen trousers, a shirt with exaggerated sleeves and a fringed handbag or the matching tunic and cropped pants look with the oversized scarf casually looped around the model's neck. Layering was seen on almost every look. Knit tops were worn over or under shirts and dresses. Saris, some of which were slightly cropped gave a glimpse of the pleated skirts or pants they were paired with whilst others were cinched at the waist by a belted silk jacket. However, my favourite part of the show was when the models wore cardigans with the saris. I have only seen grandmothers pair the two and always wondered how anyone could make that look work. Clearly, Anavila can and has done so successfully.






 

Rajesh Pratap Singh Amazon India Fashion Week AW16 Review

Rajesh Pratap Singh's show was without a doubt the best this fashion week. Despite naming his collection 'The Gold Rush', the clothes were far from blingy. Instead, what we witnessed were clean cut and contemporary silhouettes crafted from gold woven into the most of the fabrics. There were exquisitely tailored jackets out of which a white, double breasted jacket (part of a slouchy pant suit) with oversized gold buttons and a woollen, floor length bandh gala style coat with a gold sari like border that closed the show were superstars. The pristine white poplin shirt dresses with splashes of gold and sleeveless evening dresses boasting shiny floral motifs that were cinched at the waist were equally beautiful. The whole collection had a very relaxed vibe to it as was seen from the loose velvet suit, the flowy skirts and comfy culottes.

The painstaking work that goes into making his fabrics make them almost artistic. Combine that with immaculate tailoring and modern silhouettes and you've got clothes that are Indian by birth but international by design. There's a reason by Rajesh Pratap Singh made it to the Business of Fashion's top 500 list.

Dhruv Kapoor Amazon India Fashion Week AW16 Review

At Dhruv Kapoor, it was androgyny meets sports-luxe meets glam meets geek chic. I've only seen his clothes online so it was really exciting to experience my first show and I was not disappointed. The designer creates some excellent outerwear which were seen throughout the show. There were oversized jackets with rounded shoulders, shorter ones with giant fur pockets and big collars, slick sleeveless coats and some fur ones too. Dresses, especially Dhruv's version of the pinafore were an absolute hit. The grey embellished one worn over a white shirt with exaggerated sleeves that were slit from the elbow was a favourite. I used to wear a grey pinafore with a shirt to school as a little girl but these ones were so much cooler! Whilst most of the silhouettes were very masculine, the designer did add a touch of girliness through the use of broderie anglaise (at least that's what it looked like) on the border of some of the clothes, delicate lace like ruffles as accents on shirt dresses, fur wraps and the sequinned evening wear. More separates included some fabulous skirts that were embellished, embroidered or eye catching like the metallic silver one.

Rimzim Dadu AIFW AW16 Review

Rimzim Dadu's show was truly special. Upon entering the show area, we were given a little card and told to follow the instructions. At first I was like 'huh'? Then I saw, on stage, two rows filled with karigars busy on their machines. The Indian version of the 'les petites mains' i.e. what the French call their haute couture artisans. Rimzim wanted the audience to touch and feel the fabrics and get a real feel of what goes on behind the scenes. One exhibit, named 'The Ellipsis' showed a karigar use small specs of hand cut fabrics to make 3D dots, another exhibit showed very thin wire cords being stitched on to a fabric. A third exhibit included an artisan doing some more intricate 3D embroidery applique using tiny pieces of fabric to form branches, leaves and flowers with little birds on them.

The collection consisted of easy to wear separates. There were feminine chiffon dresses and sheer blouses with embroidered paisleys. Sporty racer back tank tops and dresses in faux leather were absolutely beautiful because of the detailing. I visited the stalls to get a better look at the work. Some of the pieces were made from intricately cut faux leather that formed sort of a pattern with stitches running through the holes. Another round necked, sporty dress was made from tiny rectangular leather pieces stitched together. Finally, came the wire cord fabric ensembles and they stole the show. I never thought something so technical could actually be so wearable. They came in the form of structured tops, dresses, a maxi skirt and a sari pallu all with this liquid effect. And all worthy of being displayed in a museum.

Kudos to you, Rimzim and your petites mains for this outstanding and memorable collection.


Image via vogue.in

Hemant & Nandita AIFW AW16 Review

At Hemant & Nandita, it was definitely winter. Presenting a very international looking collection, this was one of my day 1 favourites. The duo used home furnishing fabrics to create their clothes and it was good. Remember those ugly sofas you used to see at your grandma's home? Well, after the designers' fabulous update, vintage upholstery will never be the same again. Gold jacquard fabrics and gold embroidery was the foundation of the collection and gave the clothes just the right amount of bling.

Outerwear dominated the show with fur collared jackets in winter hues and a metallic sheen, embroidered jacquard overcoats (the white one with colourful work on it was a favourite) and quilted bombers. A red short jacket and a long one, boasting gold detailing stood out in particular. Luxurious woollen skirts followed with embroidered leaves, branches and flowers. Some came with thigh high slits. There were dresses too; some were flirty with all their pleats and some were sexy with the plunging necklines. Knee-high lace up stilettos added the perfect finishing touch to all the looks. This was a fierce collection with clothes that made a statement but looked comfortable to wear at the same time. It's no wonder their clothes are sold at some of the most prestigious department stores around the world.

Runway image via vogue.in
 

Shantanu & Nikhil AIFW AW16 Review

Shantanu & Nikhil returned to Delhi fashion week after almost a two year break with their collection named The Last Walk. Their show focussed primarily on occasion wear with a predominantly muted colour palette of dove grey, ivory and beige with a few reds in between. The duo showcased some unusual and interesting draping styles for this collection. Case in point: A fitted, ankle length net dress with jersey fabric sown to form a U across the body. Sculptural, (I say sculptural because the draping reminds me of the ancient columns we see in history books) Greco Roman style dresses dominated the runway and are sure to be red carpet hits. Some came with sort of a high-low hemline, paired with tight pants. No Shantanu & Nikhil collection is complete without leather and so there were second skin style leather pants worn under cape dresses that were cinched at the waist. Lots of net and tulle came in the form of opulent, layered gowns. However, my ultimate favourite: An ivory, oversized, handwoven Bhagalpur wool jacket.

This was an overall beautiful evening wear collection filled with luxurious fabrics and sexy silhouettes. However, I do wish there were separates that could be easily incorporated into a daytime wardrobe too.



Image via vogue.in

Akaaro By Gaurav Jai Gupta AIFW AW16 Review

 

I had never heard of the Gaurav Jai Gupta until esteemed journalist Namrata Zakaria wrote about him in one of her articles back in 2013. Despite reading about him nearly three years ago, this happened to be my first show! And I was in for quite a treat. Little did I know that the fashion designer was also a textile designer (pardon my ignorance on that front). In fact, in an interview I read online at Border & Fall, he quotes 'for my graduation in college, I didn't make clothes, I made fabrics.' Most of the cloth used in his collections are hand-woven at his Delhi based studios. For his FW 13 collection, Gaurav teamed up with Swarovski to create fabrics with crystals woven into them which was something really unique. Not only that, the designer loves to experiment with unconventional materials and often uses stainless steel in his weaves.

For the coming fall, Gaurav stayed true to the India Modern theme. Whilst most of the looks were very contemporary, the techniques to create the textiles were as Indian as it could get through the use of traditional weaving techniques. Flatform shoes and the metallic sheen on the clothes exuded a very futuristic vibe. Comfort was key here as was seen through the various easy to wear dresses (especially the shirt-dresses) created from luxurious hand-woven silk. There was a sense of practicality too with the reversible outfits. Who wouldn't want to be able to wear those stainless steel merino wool pants two days in a row? Just turn them inside out and you're good to go! Jackets in tussar silk and some in merino wool were simple and on point with the season. More separates included capes, tunic tops and culottes. However, what stood out the most were the silk zaree sarees that were draped sculpturally and almost as if they were bandaged around the models.

As one can see from this and past collections, Gaurav Jai Gupta has a firm belief in understated luxury and practicality in dressing. Through the use of unconventional materials in textile design combined with age old Indian weaving techniques, his clothes are truly India Modern.

Varun Bahl AIFW AW 16 Review

Varun Bahl was as usual on point with the embroidery in his collection; detailed, intricate and impeccable. This designer returned to the ready to wear market after five years, so naturally, the silhouettes didn't include his elaborate bridal wear (minus the last few looks). The clothes were easy to wear and fuss free. What I loved most about the collection were his versions of the bomber jackets. Beautifully embroidered bombers that seemed really light made their way down the runway. Some paired with dresses, some paired with his signature net lehengas that were toned down to look like maxi skirts, these babies will be flying off the shelves come next winter. A blue jacket in particular, with sheer sleeves and appliqued  flowers is a piece I've got my eye on. Another favourite from the show was a ruffled sleeved black tunic top with lots of white appliqued flowers and a pretty blue owl.

There were dresses made from chiffon and tulle featuring sequins and embroidered animals which seemed slightly off season, but then not every part of India gets a harsh winter. Fur collar accents added a nice touch and as I mentioned above the embroidery was lovely. More than the minis, I liked the semi sheer, layered maxi numbers more. A knee length black dress with a ruffled peplum and a layered net overlay was just stunning.

Overall, it was a nice collection that will do commercially well. Varun is a veteran at the end of the day and knows exactly what will bring in the big bucks. And he delivered just that.

Amazon India Fashion Week SS16 Round Up

Fashion week was very low key for me this time. I wasn't able to attend all the shows as I have been super busy with my nine month old munchkin. I did however catch a few shows on the last three days and wanted to jot my thoughts down about whatever shows I did see.



L-R: Eka, 11.11, Debarun, DollyJ

The one designer I was really looking forward to was Anamika Khanna as she was showcasing her ready to wear line Anamika. Whilst the weather was lovely for an outdoor show, the organisation was not that great. I had to fight with a bouncer to be able to get inside the seating area as he claimed it was only for photographers! Luckily I did manage to get inside and get a seat too! Yay me! Once the show started, I was pleasantly surprised as it was totally different from what I expected. No anarkalis or heavily embroidered silhouettes or bridal wear. There were Anamika's version of athleisure clothing which was a breath of fresh air. Adidas like stripes were seen throughout the show; on track pants like pyjamas, floor length silk kurtas, on a sporty bandhgala and a dupatta too. Ancient Indian architecture prints made their way into the show and so did a bit of heavy embroidery. An embroidered jacket paired with jeans is a look I've played with before and it always looks great. The best part about the show; all the looks were paired with sneakers. And it worked really well.

At Lovebird designs, silhouettes very minimalist and oversized. Beautiful fabrics in subtle summer colours (powder blue, pastel pink, pristine whites) were seen in the form of flared pants, loose dresses and boxy shirts. Detailing was key to the collection. A blue circle on an abstract hemmed black shirt,  a contrasting colored patch pocket on a dress or various patches of fabric in different colours on a tunic were prime examples. My favourite was a blue dress with an uneven hemline that had layers of fabric sort peeking out from underneath each other. Overall, it was a very wearable and a very interesting collection.

Next up was Rina Singh's Eka which was not only a lovely collection but also a lesson in sustainable fashion. Featuring simple looks consisting of loose midi dresses, comfortable linen trousers and striped tunics, the collection was crafted entirely from hand woven fabrics. Colourful stripes, blue checks and polka dots made the clothes very happy and very summery.



L-R: Tanieya Khanuja, Geisha Designs, Saaj by Ankita

11.11 was my absolute day four favourite. I had never heard of the label before so I was quite excited to see what was in store. Here was another label that prides itself with it's sustainable fashion practice. The collection, named The Khadi Way showcased clothes made from locally sourced materials (organic khadi) which were coloured with organic dyes. It may not have been in your face luxurious but I feel that just by using pure and organic fabrics, the clothes end up being luxurious. There is such a craze for fast fashion these days that brands just don't care for ethically sourced garments. High street shops churn out mass produced clothes almost at the speed of light and most of them are created from synthetic fabrics which I am not a fan of. Moving on, there were some really clothes at 11.11. Case in point: The dresses which had a jacket like detailing on one side and jumpsuits with complex draping. Bandhini, which I have always associated with traditional sarees had been modernised and crafted into casual tops and even worn as a cropped top in one look.

My last show of the day was Geisha designs. After seeing a lot of boxy shapes and oversized looks, Geisha design's sexy clothes were a refreshing change. Lots of skin was bared through the use of laser cut leather, sheer and lacy fabrics. A bandage style leather corset and a barely covering your butt cheeks skirt were a favourite.

Day 5 started with Debarun which was nice I guess. Very summer/resort style clothes in bright coloured fabrics and various geometric prints. There was nothing new happening there so not much to report on the blog. There were the usual maxis, sarees, mini dresses which didn't have much of a wow factor (at least not to me).

Saaj by Ankita on the other hand was extremely nice with a colour palette consisting mainly of white, lemon yellow and light brown. Silhouettes were feminine and the designer played with layering, adding a bit of fun to the clothes. Dresses were flirty with lace like embroidery and most of the looks came with capes attached to them. I really liked how Ankita added a bit of utilitarian glamour by using large pockets on some of the jackets.

However, my number one show for this fashion week had to be Tanieya Khanuja for her exceptional tailoring and meticulous garment construction. I also enjoyed her use of geometrics and houndstooth in the collection. Clothes on the whole were sexy with plunging necklines, slits in the dresses and even pants and bare backs. The flowy cape like backless tops (especially what Sonalika Sahay wore) and an ankle length black dress with a thigh high slit and a slight cut in the midriff are sure to be seen on the Indian red carpet. But the cherry on top was the jacket in the final look; a low cut V-neck number with beautiful detailing on the border. Thick fabric was rolled and made to stick up for a sort of 3-D effect throughout the border. All in all, a fabulous collection.

My last show before the finale was Dolly J. I have to say, she made a solid attempt at creating lovely red carpet gowns in neoprene (watch out Gauri & Nainika), complete with ruffles, feathers and a wee bit of sparkle. Some of the clothes featured interesting work like one big layer of fabric folder over and attached to a button on of the dresses or the crisscross look on one of the tops. Now, if only it didn't resemble the Carolina Herrera SS15 collection (especially the last looks) so much.

And there's my round up for Fashion Week SS16.