Inspirations show their cutting edge on Day 3

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Baul singers from West Bengal at the show by Babita Malkani (centre) at the Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2011

ONE COULD rightly tag Day 3 as the king of inspirations. From social causes, to renaissance paintings, to a near forgotten folk genre in West Bengal, the variety of muses was breathtaking. Now, if only the end creations stood up to their respective “inspirations” the designers would have created wonders on the ramp. But instead, what we got was a predictable picture in terms of designs and patterns, barring a few surprises, which proved to be the saving grace.
The day kicked off on a slightly serious note than one would have expected with Eina Ahluwalia’s “Wedding Vows”, a collection that portrayed her response towards the pressing issue of domestic abuse. A complete foil to traditional bridal jewellery, Eina’s works managed to create an alternate image of the bride through accessories inspired by the weapons of the Hindu goddesses Durga and Kali. From spears, daggers and swords, license plate to a human skull, Eina’s show was fraught with surprises. “It angers me when I see people who think that they can get away with domestic violence. I wanted my show to convey the message that the power lies with the woman. So one should not take her for granted,” said Eina at the post-show conference.
After Eina’s sombre subject, Malini Agarwal’s “Malaga” seemed like a colour splash on the ramp. Inspired by the Brazilian carnival, the range was a riot of colours and patterns, with the quintessential colourful feathers outlining each bag, neck piece, sandal and headgear that walked the ramp. However, when it came to design and craftsmanship, the range left a lot to be desired.
Breaking the colourful pattern was Debarun’s “Opulent and Chaste”, a white collection that sported copper appliqué and pleated work on Indian wear, signed off by showstopper Aditya Roy Kapoor. The pleats continued in Rajat Tangri’s Renaissance inspired line, except that this time they were played in summery pastel shades that were missing on the ramp until then. Rajat’s finesse with fabric is his ultimate strength and this time it could be seen in the way he incorporated Renaissance art into his silhouettes of fitted dresses, flowing gowns, open jackets and satin jumpsuits. His trademark hand-crafted jewel embroidery was met with appreciative front-row glances. Randeep Hooda, who was the showstopper for Rajat, looked a little out of place in a rather feminine jacket.
What seemed a predictable affair in pleats and threadwork so far was soon offset by Rimi Nayak’s refreshingly new concept played with buttons and tagging barbs that created some delightful results on the ramp. Also interesting to see were the sole-less chappals that truly adhered to the summer resort thing.
The biggest surprise of the day was Babita Malkani’s showstoppers — the traditional Baul singers of West Bengal who enthralled the crowds with their rustic musical charm. However, the spirit of these musical gypsies were not seen much in Babita’s Iktar collection, except for the ghungru motifs, saffron colour and traces of Sanskrit prints.