DAY FOUR of the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week saw little drama off the ramp and more on it, instead of the usual inverse one is used to. The day was launched with a five-fisted shot of a show, when designers sent out a never-ending series of models on the ramp.
As Kutch inspired, balloon-like silhouettes by Ashima Singh, followed by the optical illusion inspired show by Dozakh by Kartikeya and Isha charged the air in the hall.
The calm red and white Assam-rooted collection Prama by Prtima Pandey came as a palate cleanser only to be burst into the flavourful colour combinations of orange, blue, green and some easily translatable styling in Tanvi Kedia’s show.
So, by the time one was ready for the next trio, there was almost an unexpected sense of knowing. But what came next in the form of Che Guevara motif recurring on almost every second garment and tones of dark grey, brown, batik and white on chiffon and khadi from the Kolkata-based designer duo Dev r Nil transported one to the magically nostalgic middle-of-the-road movies from the 1980s, a time when such patterns adorned saris and shirts alike.
Blasting next was the no holds barred glamour and shimmer from Gayatri Khanna, who showed how pleats on dresses should be done.
Colours of powder blue, dreamy yellow and soft pinks gave the collection an off-the-shelf guarantee with at least the starlets. But when Nalandda Bhandari sent seasons seen leopard prints down the runway, that too in tiger skin mimicking velvet, it turned a bit too spotty to sport.
And all of you, who turn to Hermes for your scarf tutorials, it time for a new twist. Pashma’s Shilu Kumar sent silky, pashmina scarves paired with pants, leggings, shirts and even as tops draped creatively around the models.
Though, we almost wished Shilu Kumar would have skipped the white inner wear and the side tasselled T-shirt, skirt, legging combination, which seemed a bit too inspired from the girl on the street.
However, by the time Nida Mahmood’s show started, buzz had already spread about her use of owl motif and matchbox covers for inspiration.
And if Dev r Nil were faithful to their Harleys motifs, Nida turned to bicycling, even getting one on the ramp.
Delicate embroidered sleeves, sheer shirts, gauzy dresses with shorts, loud waistcoats and louder bags, the show had everything for a Nida Mahmood Technicolor drama.
Though, what did steal the show were clean lines, asymmetrical cuts and muted hand woven delicacy by the label Akaaro by Gaurav Jai Gupta.
Naturally ruched tunics, V-necks, hints of blue, grey and brown, a sense of extreme wearability and all these styled with simple black Oxfords, ensured Gaurav Jai Gupta an ovation that refused to die down quickly.