Bring on the inspiration!

Must say, our designers are an inspired lot. Let’s face it, if everyone was as ‘inspired’ as our designers, man would’ve conquered Mars and a few other planets along the way by now. And it’s only getting better with each edition of the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week presented by Fashion Design Council of India.
We’ve seen, in the past, collections inspired by everything from the human muscular system, veins, the heart, the sky, birds and pebbles; from African tribes to death, destruction and even the rubble left behind by earthquakes! Surprisingly, all of them have turned into gowns and more gowns of varying lengths.This time, so far, we’ve seen palpitation, molecular grouping, paranoia and classical raagas turn into dresses and saris. But what the heck, we’re all for being inspired… So, over to another ‘inspired’ day!
Rahul Mishra: The feted designer came home for his first showing after winning the International Woolmark Prize 2014 and took a bow, with tears streaming down his face, to a standing ovation. There was a short AV, showing his winning moment in Milan and the outfits he’d shown there, which were made from the finest spun blend of merino wool, created by him, were also shown here. Up close, it was easy to see what impressed the international judges, as Rahul presented an immaculate, handcrafted, hand-embroidered, tie-dyed collection.
Charu Parashar: In a total turnaround from her bling act, she presented a collection that she said was “a celebration of embroidery”. Playing predominantly with red, blue and black, she presented a collection of classy jackets, saris, kaftans, dresses and tops. The blue-black combination, with muted embellishments and a plethora of embroidery with everything from French knots to kasab and resham work, looked chic. She’d used mostly silk jersey and raw silk.
Anand Bhushan: DNA structures and chromosomes were what inspired Anand for this Broken collection. What it translated to on the ramp was a series of asymmetrical silhouettes using leather, acrylic and “engineered fabrics”. Surprisingly, it wasn’t much of a glittery collection, despite the heavy use of beading, metallic studs, steel and pearls. The black lipstick the models wore was an interesting punk twist.
Ashima Leena: This duo presented one of the classiest collections so far – a celebration of prints in beige, orange and ivory. The inspiration was Persian, and the fabrics mostly crepe and satin. There was thread work, Kashmiri motifs, sequins, brocade with embroidery and more on the outfits that comprised Anarkalis, bandhgalas, suits and pre-draped saris that came with a slit.
Rimzim Dadu: Her inspiration was Patola weaves and prints, but the materials she used were leather and silk. This made for an interesting combination of things, as many tops, dresses and skirts ended up looking ‘shredded’ or as if a chatai had been moulded into a dress. Rather complicated, yes, but the corded feel of some outfits, and the fact that using all this, she had managed to make the dresses, skirts and tops look ‘Patola’, did it for Rimzim.
Malini Ramani: She presented Glamourette, an Indian collection, a first for the designer who’s known for her resort lines. Adding to the Indian touch were the big bindis the models wore. She’d done sari drapes and fitted dresses both, in lycra and silk jersey. The appliqué work, mirror work yokes and embroidery lent some bling to what were mostly black-on-gold outfits.
Nikasha: Hers was a collection for the ‘lady of leisure’, titled Bibi – a romantic collection in a colour range that went from pink to peach to cherry. Her collection had everything from tunics to kaftans to saris, with a dash of prints, and the embroidery and crystals adding the bling. There was a lot of organza, some georgette and a bit of brocade too.
Kallol Datta: Paranoia Pronoia. This was his collection name, and as usual, the reticent Kallol was at his quirky best, we think, taking an extreme turn in the way he presented garments on the ramp. As for what the outfits were, perhaps he’d be the best one to know, for some of them looked like unfinished fabrics loaded on the frail shoulders of the models, but this collection had a range of bright colours, some of them making for good saris. We could say it’s pushing the boundaries of fashion, but well...
Nikasha: Hers was a collection for the ‘lady of leisure’, titled Bibi – a romantic collection in a colour range that went from pink to peach to cherry. Her collection had everything from tunics to kaftans to saris, with a dash of prints, and the embroidery and crystals adding the bling. There was a lot of organza, some georgette and a bit of brocade too.
Amit GT: His collection, Baroque Oriental, was a red carpet collection, comprising mostly off-shoulder gowns and drapes. The designer is back to show in India after a while, and brought to the ramp his “international learnings”. He’d kept most of the garments bereft of any embellishments, letting the cuts and the diaphanous layers do the trick, but the odd touches of bling here and there.
Nachiket Barve: His collection, Maia (Maori term for a brave warrior, he explained), was inspired by the Maori tribes and their customs, which Nachiket was familiar with, having stayed in New Zealand for a bit. He also knew all about the Maori tattoos and those became a sort of leitmotif for his collection. Using a mix of faux leather, chiffon and velvet, Nachiket put up a combo of palazzos, jackets, short dresses and capes.
Vaishali S: Presented a collection based on a classical Hindustani music raag, Bhinna Shadja. Comfort was the word for her, as her collection comprised saris, tunics and long garments. Vaishali said her outfits were a progression of an earlier collection she’d done, and that she’d deliberately kept her outfits diaphanous so that the silhouettes present a free form that breaks free from the structure of construction of a garment. The designer had mostly used Khadi and silk, in a combination of black-on-gold and ivory.
Kiran and Meghna: The duo, inspired by Morocco, presented a simple, beautiful collection, infusing bold colours like Persion blue and crimson with a hint of white as motifs to break the brilliance of colours. They used organic, handcrafted fabrics, and the drapes were easy to wear, translating into free flowing garments. The accessories were interesting – headgear, bangles and neckpieces.
Pratima Pandey: Her inspiration for her collection, Singing Sparrow was, well, the French singer Edith Piaf and her song La Vie En Rose. What it translated into, however, were silk jackets and fitted trousers. And black and greys, as the designer felt these two colours “symbolize autumn and winter”. Pratima had gone for the layered look as well, giving her outfits a draped and yet heavy look.