In Conversation With Shweta Kapur Of 431-88

Shweta Kapur

431-88 By Shweta Kapur SS15

The last fashion week, my aim was to look beyond the usual fashion big wigs of the industry. I wanted to check out more of the upcoming Indian designers and one such designer that came up on my radar was Shweta Kapur. I had the pleasure of hanging out with the designer at her stall and made sure not to miss her show. In fact her show was quite fun! I Loved how everyone got the 431-88 stamp on their arms and of course her clothes were fantastic.

The SS15 theme was Poolside Tailoring and featured slouchy shirts, cropped jackets, soft drapes, sexy slits, some deep necklines and contemporary saris all paired with Nike floaters. I mean pairing a sari and Nike floaters... just the sound of it makes you raise an eyebrow. But not in the case of Shweta Kapur. The closing look (sari and cropped jacket) in my opinion was the winning one. It really changes the way we have been perceiving this traditional Indian garment. The entire collection had this very relaxed vibe to it. The clothes just seemed so easy to put on! Nothing too restricting. Trousers were on the looser side and some garments came with a shiny drape attached either from the bust to the waist or waist to the thigh to add a bit of a bling. What fun right?

Anyways, so since I've become a fan of the label, I figured why not get inside the head of Shweta Kapur. Here's me digging deeper on the designer's background, more on her SS15 collection and future plans for the label:

Me: What does 431-88 mean?

SK: Sorry to disappoint but they are merely the last 5 digits of my phone number. 

Me: You've come really far in a short span of time. Briefly describe your journey. (P.S, she's got celebrities like Alia Bhatt and Diana Penty wearing her clothes)

SK: I studied womenswear at LCF and graduated in 2011. While studying, I did a series of internships with international labels like Burberry and VPL and Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla and Nitin Bal Chauhan in India. After graduation, I trained under a fashion consultant who did a series of projects including window dressing, personal styling and brand management for a year, after which I came back to India to start 431-88. 

Me: You use of colour is very limited. Is there any particular reason why?

SK: That’s not necessarily true. My SS14 was full of colour.  It’s not really about use of colour or not, it’s very mood based. If the season comes with a certain inspiration, it is then up to the inspiration to speak of the colours and its usage. Sometimes colours work and sometimes they don't. It's not like I purposely do not use colour. I love my pinks :)

Inside the stall

Stamped!!!

Me: What would you is say is your signature design aesthetic?

SK: Sexy meets sporty.

Me: What kind of fabrics do you like to work with?

SK: Fabrics to me make or break the garment. You could have a stellar pattern but if the fabric doesn't stand up to the same it’s a fail! Heavy crepes, tailoring fabrics are always my first preference and leather is of course a favorite too.

Me:Your ideal target market?

SK: The 431-88 woman is a global citizen. She sticks to classics and often shuns the trends. She is anywhere from 20 - 40 years of age and is well aware of what her style speaks of and is very certain of her sartorial choices and isn't really someone who is trend centric. In terms of fashion she is focused and has a steady knowledge of the market. 

Me: Tell me a little bit about your SS15 collection. What inspired you? What made you use Nike floaters to pair with the clothes?

SK: For SS15 I wanted to focus more on the commercial aspect as I felt it was lacking in the previous collections. The entire collection revolved around the idea of a hungover Sunday morning spent next to the pool. I wanted to relax down the idea of tailoring hence we styled it with pool sliders for the show. Sleeves of the blazers were rolled up, shirts were loose on the body and the slits were made higher. 

Me: There were two saris on the ramp. Was this the first time you showcased Indian wear?

SK: Yes to showcase but I have been doing my version of Indian wear for stores for a little while.  

Me: Do you plan on designing Indian clothes, or would you want to stick to Western wear? Yes/No and why.

SK: I thought about what the 431-88 woman would wear on occasions that demanded Indian wear. She would want something that is different from what is available and something that is fuss free. So I did cropped blazers instead of blouses and pre-stitched saris and pants that take the form of saris. I just like the idea of taking something and making it 431-88. For me, my approach to design has changed from battling it between Indian wear and Western, to just focusing on providing my client with a complete wardrobe.

Me: Do you see 431-88 with an accessories line in the near future?

SK: We already do. We always do our own bags, snoods and beanies so the world really is our oyster. It is great I feel when you can approach your favorite designer for all your wardrobe solutions.

Me:What e-commerce platforms are you currently retailing with?

SK: As of now, only my own.

Me: Any plans of opening your own store?

SK: Not right now. Our main focus is on our website and making the brand better and stronger. It is still considerably young and we have a lot yet to achieve.

Me: Any plans on going international?

SK: Like I said before, the focus is first and foremost on making 431-88 a strong brand. To cater to our international clients, we are going to start international  deliveries soon through our website. Though we have done pop up stores in the past in London, it is not something that we are focusing on. 

Wills India Fashion Week Round Up - Kavita Bhartia

Kavita Bhartia's show was all about adding a contemporary feel to traditional Indian silhouettes.  In addition, I also enjoyed were how breezy some of the clothes were. Examples include a pale pink poncho, a tulle skirt, various flowy pants and some high-low tunics. None of her designs for SS15 seemed too restricting which I think is very important when it comes to Indian clothes. Not to mention, there was a lot of layering (especially those pretty, embroidered vests/gilets) which means separates can be worn individually as well giving more value for money.

Moving somewhat away from the traditional bandh gala, which is known for it's stiff silhouette, Kavita Bhartia managed to create more relaxed pieces by using softer fabrics. Her coat dresses as she called them, were all zip  front featuring a slightly looser fit and were worn over trousers, draped skirt, a tulle skirt and one with a handkerchief hem was even seen on its own. A choli was given the contemporary treatment by making it look like an embroidered, cropped shirt which I thought was very fun and kurtas were modernized through the use of waist high slits. In terms of decoration, floral thread embroidery was seen on most of the clothes with sequins and gold zari work making an appearance every now and then. 

 

Wills India Fashion Week Round Up - Rajesh Pratap Singh

Rajesh Pratap Singh SS15

Over at Rajesh Pratap Singh, it was all about his Blue Blooded tribe. Most of the clothes were created from indigo dyed raw selvedge denim not only because of the designer's love for the fabric, but also to revive the dying craft of creating the fabric. Furthermore, the production involves using pure natural indigo and non-toxic raw denim which makes the process extremely environmentally friendly thereby supporting ethical fashion.

Silhouettes (for women) were very androgynous. Next season, girls will be seen wearing bow ties and suspenders!There were Nehru jackets for women worn over white kurta shirts, masculine overalls and jeans featuring large, rolled cuffs and boyish Bermuda shorts amongst others all paired with industrial looking Doctor Martin style boots.The pristine white dress seen on Carol Gracias has gone down on my wish list as did the white kurta, cropped pants and the jacquard stole. Despite the whole boyish theme, cute polka dots and quirky embroideries made their way into the collection adding an element of playfulness.

Ethically manufactured fabrics, innovative textiles and attitude packed clothes made Rajesh Pratap Singh's show one of the most talked about of the season.

P.S: Click here to understand what selvedge denim is and how it's different from raw denim. A little background information never hurt anybody!

 

Wills India Fashion Week Round Up - Samant Chauhan

Samant Chauhan SS15

A collection consisting primarily of whites and ivory with pops of colourful embroidery, Samant Chauhan had a very pretty line up for SS15. It was the first time Samant introduced colour in his outfits. What surprised me was the reaction of some people from the fashion flock who gave me a funny look (and raised eyebrows) when I came out of the show talking about how much I enjoyed it. What was there not to like? An array of clothes created from gorgeous hand woven fabric and that are eco-friendly? A combination of machine and intricate hand embroidery? Fun indo-western clothes? I didn't get it. Maybe I'm way off with my what's fashionable radar.

Moving on, silhouettes were leaning towards the Western side, with a few Indian looks in between too. Cotton silk seemed to dominate the runway with light and breezy skirts, tunics, easy to wear gowns and dresses, most of them boasting some lovely light, silk thread embroidery.Whereas Indian ensembles like a lehenga choli were heavily embellished with silk and zari work. My favourites included the transparent white trousers with shorts underneath and the bagalpur silk saree, so casually draped over the corset. Whilst I wasn't a fan of the show stopper outfit, I was amazed to learn that it was crafted out of discarded fabric and that the appliqued bows were hand made and individually applied on to the dress. As I mentioned, above, I'm not sure what there isn't to like about the collection. I for one am making a grab for those tunics, which by the way are available on www.exclusively.in .

A closer look inside the stalls

A closer look inside the stalls



A closer look inside the stalls

 

Wills India Fashion Week Round Up - Payal Singhal

Payal Singhal SS15

One of my favourite shows from WIFW was without a doubt Payal Singhal. Although, slightly mature, Payal presented some simple, yet beautifully crafted clothes for next spring. The designer was inspired by Gulmarg valley, which explains the recurring pine cone motif in the collection. Silhouettes were a modern interpretation of Indian clothing and included silk cigarette pants, soft dhoti skirts, various long-short cholis, kurtas and tunics, traditional sari with a pine cone print and shirt dresses amongst others. The long-short looks were a fun twist on the traditional Indian silhouette. In fact, I think the choli would look equally amazing when paired with skinny jeans. However, I'm sure if you know me by now, you'll know that I am most definitely eyeing the dhoti & tunic combo along with the very relaxed fit silk jacket!

As I was chatting to Payal's mum at their stall, she explained to me that some of the silk they used had like a mal mal feel to it, which indeed it did when you felt a few of the clothes. Whilst watching the show, I thought there was extensive use of gota patti, however I later discovered, the designer used leather embroidery. How cool was the second last look where the lehenga had a massive gold leather border? In addition, the collection also featured hand embroidered zardozi as was seen the last few looks.

P.S - You can shop the runway collection on www.payalsinghal.com.

At the stalls

A closer look at the zardozi and leather details

Leather detailing on the tie-back

I've got my eye on you!! My favourite look

 

Wills India Fashion Week Round Up - ATSU, Alpana & Neeraj

Atsu SS15

ATSU - At Atsu, it was all about pastels, light embellishments, plumage and architectural silhouettes. The designer was having fun mixing textures and shapes. He was inspired by his travels to the far east which explains how some of the looks were reminiscent of traditional Japanese clothing. Case in point: a light purple zip dress with sleeves like that on a geisha's gown and a peach number featuring sculptural, rounded sleeves like that on a samurai's armour. The collection mainly comprised of dresses - some were romantic and full skirted, some were mid thigh with very sculptural sleeves and some that were in between with very lovely embroidery. On the whole, Atsu didn't use very heavy embroidery (minus the cape that closed the show)which gave the clothes an element of lightness. My most favourite look was a flowy gown (kind of like a night gown), held together with a bow tied on the waist, featuring beautiful ostrich feathers on one side paired with cropped pants.

Alpana & Neeraj - Top marks to the duo for being brave enough to experiment with such crazy clothes and doing a great job at it. This was yet another Japanese inspired collection but not based on the usual geisha and samurai style clothes. More like the country's obsession with stuff like Hello Kitty, Anime, Manja and Harajuku. Silhouettes were very sculptural here too with giant bows, scalloped hems and embroidered floral patches adding a dramatic flair. Although it was great to see such fun creativity on the runway, I couldn't help but wonder how many of them would actually make it into real life. The pants and the full skirted ball gown style dress - yes, I can see those but most of them had way too much going on and seemed a little restrictive for my liking. A massive bow right across the bust on one dress could hardly be functional and the part bronze, part white dress with a bow right above the knees made me feel the model will fall any minute. Designers do need to constantly experiment, but one shouldn't forget that a collection needs to also be commercially viable. Lets hope next time Alpana & Neeraj strike a good balance between the two.

Alpana & Neeraj SS15

 

Wills India Fashion Week Round Up - Tarun Tahiliani

There's a reason why Tarun Tahiliani has remained one of the greatest designers of our country. It's not only because he's extremely creative, but he's a great businessman and most importantly, evolves with the times. For SS 15, gone were the heavily embellished, crystal laden lehengas and saris. Instead, miniature paintings by the very talented Singh twins were digitally printed on light and airy clothes. Various versions of the sari were seen. A bright blue one of a midi length that Carol Gracias wore cinched at the waist with and Indianised version of an obi-belt, and a colourful, striped dhoti style sari paired with a massive turban for a bohemian feel stood out.

The designer created clothes that could be so easily incorporated into daily wear wardrobes. Lungis, dhotis, kaftans and skirts printed with the artists' works were made from light fabrics and were extremely wearable. Most of these will be flying off the shelves. There was also a lehenga towards the end where digitally printed scarves (they replaced the traditional chunni) decorated varying hemlines of tulle. Instead of a choli, it was paired with tight fitted top and a turban. What a fun outfit right? There were signature Tarun looks too, but I was too fascinated with everything else the designer offered to pay attention to those.

For me, Tarun's clothes have always been about weddings and special occasions. Not anymore though. Come 2015, I know where I'll be buying clothes for my summer wardrobe. All in all, a truly wonderful blend of India and contemporary fashion.

P.S - I am attaching photos of my favourite looks taken from my phone below because either I get like 10 photos from the show or they're such awful photos I don't want to use them!

 

WIFW AW 14 - Rahul Mishra

Without a doubt, the most awaited and important show during fashion week was Rahul Mishra. From being the first Indian to ever win the Woolmark prize to being the first Indian designer to have clothes on Rent The Runway, and creating a new fabric that consisted of merino wool and silk, Rahul has crossed major milestones in the last one year and has made India proud. Considering he grew up in a town where electricity was a luxury and his school fees was merely seven rupees, what he has achieved is simply remarkable.

The hall was packed to say the least with people craning their heads to catch a glimpse of the clothes (I was one of them). The set itself was beautiful with 3D paperwork along the centre of the runway. An amazing start already.

His collection, The Lotus Effect featured geometrical shapes (mainly the hexagon) along with lotus motifs intricately embroidered on garments constructed from his new fabric. The clothes, mostly non traditional, proved that Indian designers need not always send saris and salwar suits down the runway. Instead, the silhouettes focussed not only on beautiful designs, but a lot complicated and painstaking techniques, intricate hand knots and scientific innovation. The permanent texture of bandini on ultra-light merino wool was a prototype. What made the clothes so special is the lightness of the fabric. When I saw the dresses, it almost looked like they were made out of cotton as opposed to wool.

The colour palette was beige, black and monochromes towards the end with pops of red, yellow and blue. I loved some of the sheer clothes, especially the white asymmetrical dress with embroidered floral and geometric motifs on it, paired with cigarette pants. An off white dress with yellow tree motif embroidery was another favourite. The embroidered jackets, again, light as air, are most definitely going to be on every Delhi-ites wish list for next winter. Finally, the real show stopper was the very architectural jacket on the runway. The patches you see standing up on the shoulders are actually 2-D which were made to look 3 dimensional! The patches were supported by a metal wire first, and then sown on to the shoulders. BRAVO! The show ended with a throwback speech by Alexa Chung in Milan leaving me with goose bumps.

If you haven't already heard, Rahul Mishra's collection is now on Pernia's Pop Up Shop. What surprised me the most was how accessible his price points are for designer wear. A fully hand embroidered jacket in silk organza for 26,000 INR! After everything the designer has achieved, and still so humble; he is truly one of a kind. Next winter instead of buying a woollen dress from Zara or any other international brand, I am opting for a Rahul Mishra creation. Jai Hind!

Click here to see the entire show or scroll down for the video.

The very complex yet magnificent architectural jacket

N.B: Most of you are probably wondering what exactly is Merino wool. It is said to be one of the finest, softest wool available. It is mainly used in producing athletic wear because of it's wicking (drawing sweat away from the body) properties. In addition, due to its finer fibres and small scales, Merino doesn't retain odour making it anti-microbial.

Images via vogue.in

 

WIFW AW 14 - Arjun Saluja & Dev r Nil

Dev r Nil - Whilst the collection was portrayed to be about freedom of expression, to me it was all about the celebration of big bold prints -- geometrics, florals, and big birds all shone bright on the ramp. Also, it was actually the first time the duo worked with leather. I really enjoyed the way they used it throughout the collection. They incorporated leather accents on some silhouettes, however what caught my eye was the leather cutwork especially on the jacket sleeves, busts, dresses and skirts with an underlay of a bright contrasting fabric. Head-to-toe prints may have been the highlight of the collection, but it was also interesting to note the play of textures through the use of different fabrics and embroidery.

Currently on my wish list is the short bolero-style jacket with embroidered flowers and birds accentuated with a leather border along with a black and yellow printed double breasted jacket. This was paired with matching printed cigarette pants. Click here to see the entire show or scroll down for the video.

Arjun Saluja - Inspired the by the city of Lahore and its history Arjun kept silhouettes simple and fuss free with the drama being in the detailing -- such as the unexpected placement of zippers, or distressed leather.

Take the sari paired with somewhat of a biker jacket style blouse. "The zipper exposes reality when its opened and regresses us when its closed," said the designer when I asked him what inspired him to create such an interesting blouse. A leather blouse with an uneven asymmetrical hem worn under a sari with pleats on the opposite side which the designer adds was to show the contradiction in our society. I liked how grunge/ punk was so easily mixed with a traditional sari in these two looks. I am hoping to see one of the big fashion editors wear this creation to an international fashion week.

The collection was too metaphorical for me to translate but I loved seeing plaid in his clothes, especially in the dress paired with matching plaid stockings/ tights and the cape. Also seen were hoodies, trousers and dresses in menswear suitings paired with oversized jhumkis to add a bit of an Indian touch. Click here to see the entire show or scroll down for the video of both the shows.

Image Courtesy: Fashion Design Council of India and vogue.in

WIFW AW 14 - Anand Bhushan

Most designers usually draw inspiration from art, culture, history, etc. Meanwhile, at Anand Bhushan it was all about studying shiny, happy people. Digging beneath the 'perfect' exterior of what people portray themselves to be and discovering the "cracks that have been filled and the fragments glued back". A very cool, intriguing, albeit an unusual inspiration. I guess its all about going down to the bottom of what defines each and every one of us as human beings. Our DNA.

The collection on the whole was not one that was easy to create and displayed the use of some interesting materials. The concept dress that opened the show, made out of steel and beads "was the first to start working on and the last to finish" says Anand when I asked him a few questions at the stall. Another interesting piece at the stall was a molecular structure inspired jacket crafted out of industrial copper and glass beads. Also, as I was browsing the clothes at the stall, I picked up a few pieces to examine the finishing underneath the embroidery, and it was impeccable. I was telling Anand how surprised I was because I have seen some shoddy finishing on clothes I have purchased from some of the biggest names in our country.

The show started with clothes featuring DNA and chromosome motifs out of which a favourite was a black and white embroidered top paired with wide legged trousers and another, a white, sheer floor length dress with 3-D DNA work on the bust. Moving on,  a black jacket with beads on the bust would sell out instantly for its everyday appeal. The black dresses in the last three looks got me all excited, especially the mini-dress with a flirty skirt and leather applique reflecting the whole cracked surfaces theme on the bodice. The closing dress (black leather and plastic pieces embroidered on a floor length net dress) lingered in my memory for a while. There was something extremely morbid, yet extremely sexy about it. Click here to see the entire show.

Cracked Surfaces

A closer look at the stalls. The concept dress is the first image from the left.

Image Courtesy: The Fashion Design Council of India, vogue.in

WIFW AW 14 - Vineet Bahl & Kiran Uttam Ghosh

Vineet Bahl - At Vineet Bahl, it was all about pretty pastels. Whilst pastels aren't really winter colours, however, off late, spring colours have made their way to the winter collections and to be honest, I don't really mind. Light blue, pink, pastel yellow and mint green; after all, one does need some cheering up in the cold and often dreary Delhi winter.

Overall, the clothes were more on the traditional side with the exception of a few pieces like a jacket or the cropped tights. Honestly, if you think about it, this is what sells. If I have to pick up an outfit for Eid, I don't think it'll be a some crazy creative type dress. It'll probably be on the lines of the beige kurta with dori and patti ka kaam (work that is seen throughout the collection) paired with shararas with Japanese blossom embroidery or even the magnificent blue embroidered shervani worn with cropped palazzos. I am a bit partial to kurtas paired with palazzo pants so I have a strong feeling mum and I are going to end up buying quite a few clothes from the collection. Click here to see the whole show.

The first two from the left are my favourite.

Kiran Uttam Ghosh - Metallic queen, Kiran Uttam Ghosh did wonders with her signature herringbone pleated fabric. Choli, wrap dress, jacket, cape all made out of the same material, all worn in various creative ways and all of them feather light. However, there was more than the pleated fabric. It was about layering and mixing of textures and contrasting colours and she did both of them well. Case in point: a white collared shirt worn under a silver pleated dress with a sheer teal jacket an sheer black embroidered pyjamas to complete the look. In addition, there were paisleys, a whole lot of them. My personal favourite was seen on Carol, a black paisley texture dress worn over a white pleated dress. Also on my lust list was an antique gold paisley embroidered jacket. Click here to see the whole show.

The many faces of Kiran's signature pleated fabric

Paisley loving!

 

WIFW AW 14 - Shantanu & Nikhil

When I started the reviews yesterday, I thought I'll do it in a very organised fashion. You know, follow the order of the shows bla bla. But as I started to type the Vineet Bahl review, I just got way too impatient to get down to talking about my absolute favourite first day show, which was Shantanu & Nikhil. So I decided, forget being all orderly and organised, just start writing about their show.

There was no drama or crazy sets at the show. Just really good clothes in ivory, dusty pink, and spicy red. The mood was conservative with high collars prevalent throughout. The duo kept their clothes extremely feminine (peplums et al) with leather adding a bit of a fierce touch. This isn't the first time they have worked with leather. In 2010, I bought a suit from them which had black and gold leather applique on the kurta. This time however, it was intricate, laser cut leather which came in the form of a dress, or the bodice for a sari gown. You can see closer images below the runway photos.

The western wear, a collection of smart dresses and jumpsuits, was relatively minimalist with the exception of the strapless ballgowns. Case in point being a red jumpsuit with only a slim waist belt to accessorise or the red maxi dress (currently on my wish list). Speaking of accessories, I was a big fan of the very boudoir style demi-gloves in lace. Funky gloves can change the look of an outfit drastically and I swear by my pair of fingerless gloves. If these accessories are going to be up for sale, its a MUST HAVE.

With the Indian wear, most of the silhouettes had very flouncy and flowy skirts making it very pretty, very girly. An ivory anarkali with a million layers one underneath the other was a favourite and so was a jacket with paisleys on them that was worn over a puffy skirt. As mentioned above, collars were kept high infusing a very Victorian touch. The clothes weren't just amazing to look at, they came with the highest level of craftsmanship. A bridal lehenga took over a month of work as everything was hand embroidered. Even a Victorian blouse which featured 3-D machine embroidery took nearly three weeks to complete. Click here to see the show or scroll down for the video.



The lehenga took one month to create

Victorian blouse with 3-D machine embroidery took almost three weeks to complete

Images via vogue.in

WIFW AW 14 - Anupamaa Dayal

At Anumapaa Dayal, the message was clear. It was all about seduction and believe me, if those teeny tiny cholis (provided you have the body to wear it) don't seduce, I don't know what will! Overall it was a very colourful collection with the colours remaining very traditional; bridal red, saffron, lime green, bright yellow and pyazi.

Silhouettes remained very Indian and very pretty. A yellow chiffon saree worn as a dhoti in particular caught my eye. Dhotis are so hot these days and one made in chiffon with an embroidered border is even better. It was paired with a pearl encrusted choli. So feminine and so sexy. Another favourite was a lungi skirt with gold gota embroidery paired with a pink bandau choli and a dark red dupatta. The sarees, mainly Banarasi or Chanderi came in bright colours with different types of embroidery on them; gota, zardozi or gold lace needlework. All very intricate. My favourite was melon coloured saree with brass roses paired with an orange and green brocade choli and a bright pink dupatta.

The first two looks from the left are my favourite

The highlight of the collection, however, were the extremely sexy cholis. Whilst most designers looked to cover up this season, Anumapaa was inspired by Mira Nair's Kamasutra. The cholis came with cap sleeves and plunging necklines or as bandeaus reminding me that I need to go for a run and do those intense abdominal exercises to be able to even think of wearing them! Click here to see the show or watch the video below.

Images via The Fashion Design Council of India and vogue.in

WIFW AW 14 - Tarun Tahiliani

A runway set lit up with chakras, thumping house music and an amazing addition of two folk artists that clapped their instruments throughout the show, Tarun Tahiliani opened WIFW with a bang. The artists eventually came on to the front of the stage as Tarun came to take a bow and started dancing. A very nice touch.

Moving on to the clothes, we saw Tarun Tahiliani's aesthetics transitioning into lighter modes at the Bridal Week last year -- beige, lights and even whites. This has now descended upon his silhouettes that have completely gotten rid of non-necessary largesse -- a benchmark shift we would like to term. The colour palette stayed customary to the FW theme. Black and white, reds, a bit of blue here and there and emerald green. There was an emphasis on layering with beautiful separates that can be worn individually. Kaftans, pashminas, palazzo pants, lungi skirts, dhotis and scarves that are likely to sell out as soon as they hit the boutiques. P.S. notice the menswear influence on the collection with the dhotis and lungis.

Prints and embellishments were key elements throughout the show. The designer used what he called Pleated Enamel, a slimming print, which creates the illusion of drape. More digital prints were seen on skirts, dresses, salwar pants and jackets rating it high on the day to day wearability factor. The clothes make a statement with just the prints especially the jacket paired with the dhoti draped skirt.

When it came to the embellishments, what I found most interesting was that most of the embroidery was usually on the upper half, with the bottom being much lighter and more fluid allowing for movement. A saree inspired long dress with an embellished neck, a peasant dress with zardozi accentuated shoulders and embellished neck line, an embellished tweed jacket paired with a dhoti sari or the jewelled neck corset with a red concept sari to point out a few. Even the outfit worn by Shilpa Shetty, a layered Kanjeevaram puffy draped skirt (or lehenga) worn with a draped corset blouse can be worn so easily by a bride who wants to be comfortable on her wedding day and walk around with ease. Its so much easier when the bottom part of a silhouette is lighter.

Overall, the collection had the perfect contemporary touch making it easy to incorporate the clothes into daily wear and with eveningwear being relatively light. I seriously can't wait for all these clothes to hit the stores. I'm going to be like a kid in candy land! The dhotis, lungi skirts and the opening look (ivory jacket with zardozi shoulders paired with black silk linen salwar pants), LOVE times a million! Click here to see the entire show or scroll down for the video (unfortunately the music isn't the same).

Images via The Fashion Design Council of India and vogue.in