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Designers look to historical fashion to lure foreign
buyers
New Delhi:
Designers took inspiration from the 1940's and the Mughal
era, known for their heavily embellished clothing, for their
designs to lure foreign buyers at the Wills Lifestyle India
Fashion Week. Designer Ritu Kumar borrowed inspiration from
forests in her collection 'Urban Roots' which presented an
eclectic mix of denims with foliage and tiger printed patchwork
made from khadi, a traditional handspun fabric. "There's a
lot of creativity here. Some are rather ethnical, others are
more modern more western, and some combine the two. But these
are very creative collections," said Barbara Pasquini, a fashion
critic with Italian magazine 'Collezioni'. "Some of the designers
certainly would receive more attention from the international
market because their collections are absolutely apt to be
worn all over the world," Pasquini added. Designers worked
around a theme and brought together elements of traditional
India in an effort to woo international buyers. "Outside India,
all the international designers and people are actually looking
for coming to us and seeing what Indians are doing, our collections,
colours and embroideries," said debutante fashion designer
Renu Tandon. Veteran designers like Rina Dhaka showcased classic
vintage outfits with long tunics, puffed sleeves and knee-length
skirts reminiscent of the 1940's in her collection 'Me, Myself
and Rina'.
Meanwhile two
other well-known designers Raghuvendra Rathore and JJ Valaya
evoked India's regal spirit to reach out to the buyers. Rathore's
jackets, skirts and dresses were heavily embroidered and Valaya's
lavish neutral palette of outfits was embellished with colourful
stones -- elements borrowed from the Mughal kings. "I like
it because it's something different from Europe. It has that
influence of India but on the other hand its western clothes.
The fabrics the cuts and all that is something different,
which I think is a bit of a competition to Europe," said Suzanne,
a buyer from Switzerland. However, designers hoped the number
of buyers would definitely increase by the next exposition,
to reach out to a larger audience in the West. "Well business
is picking up. We do definitely need a lot more buyers because
this is India's premier fashion event and 150 buyers are not
enough. There should be at least 500-600 buyers from all over
the world coming here because that's how we're going to grow,"
said fashion designer Bobby Grover, whose collection was showcased
on the last day of the fashion week. Over 80 international
buyers from 19 countries and 100 domestic buyers took part
at the fashion week. The last day of the fashion week was
allocated exclusively for buyers and designers to interact
with each other and promote business. The Indian fashion design
industry is worth 1.8 billion dollars, growing at 20-30 percent
in the 35 billion dollars global fashion market.
-Mar 26, 2007
Feminine drapes dominate Wills Fashion
Week finale
New Delhi:
Feminine drapes by leading designers Meera and Muzaffar
Ali and Rajesh Pratap Singh dominated the finale of the Wills
Lifestyle India Fashion Week here on Sunday. Enhancing the
spirits of the last day were fashion designers Jatin Varma,
Aparna Wangdi, Monapali, Ashish N Soni, Aki Narula, Raghavendra
Rathore among others, who seemed to hit the right chord ahead
of Meera and Muzaffar Ali's show and then the grand finale
by Rajesh Pratap Singh. Kotwara by Meera and Muzaffar Ali
celebrated traditional Indian clothes with an emphasis on
elegant designs. Their silhouettes were flowing forms, simply
draped in subtle hues like rose pink, pastel greens and blues,
combined with antique gold and silver. The mainstay of the
collection was a range of quilted coats in a collage of oriental
prints along with Brocades woven in Kotwara, and layered with
Zardosi embroidery. The designer duo said the feminine form
and also the need to create outfits high on the wearability
quotient inspired their collection. "I think it is to be rooted,
to do something simple and not get blown away by the winds
surrounding you. It's to do something which is very true to
yourself and simple," said designer Muzaffar Ali. Designer
Rajesh Pratap Singh, chosen by Wills Lifestyle to specially
design for the brand's forthcoming seasons, did the grand
finale of the fashion week. His collection called 'Deeper
Love' was an intense portrayal of the emotion in all its forms.
Using primarily silk and wool, Singh's designs were incredibly
feminine, although influenced by shoulder construction in
the 1940s, and low-waisted shapes in the 1920s. Classy cuts
in bright colours were spiced up with a dash of bling as gold,
silver and coloured sequins decorated several outfits. Singh's
designs were a balanced mix of Indian and western wear, catering
to national and international markets.
Despite the usual
equation of love with the colour red, one didn't get to see
the colour on the ramp. Purples, blues, greens and black were
the colours that caught Singh's fancy. "It's a very strong
and beautiful emotion that I wanted to toy with. Red doesn't
come for me in love. It's not there for me in love," said
designer Rajesh Pratap Singh. Celebrity guests dotted the
glitzy event with Bollywood actor Naseerudin Shah, Rahul Bose
and Tabu. "I really liked the collection. I have worn an outfit
like this one after a long time... it's glamorous and shiny.
I felt like I was shooting for a song in one of my films,"
said Tabu. The Will Lifestyle India Fashion Week was made
a bi-annual event last year in order to cater to the international
market segments. While the designers beam in ecstasy in the
splendour of their innovative and glitzy creations, a determination
to club fashion with business clearly marked the event. The
fashion week has provided an opportunity to both well-known
and budding designers to share the platform with international
buyers and consultants. At least 150 international buyers
explored Indian designs this time.
-Mar 26, 2007
Fabindia promoting rural handicrafts
Chandigarh:
The globalisation of the economy and free trade might
have changed the concept of 'swadeshi', but 'Fabindia' is
endeavouring to promote products made by rural craftsmen.
This rich and diverse tradition of India can be seen at Fabindia's
Chandigarh outlet. The reason behind the collection's uniqueness
is its close association with rural artisans in terms of design,
quality control, access to raw material and production coordination.
"Although, we use Indian handwoven and handcrafted items and
products, we sell everything that's made by hand. At the same
time, it's in keeping with the needs of today's world. Our
styles are very classic and contemporary. We have arranged
from everyday wear to the most formal," said Diltaj Grewal,
Fabindia's Zonal Manager. From handwoven clothes to elegantly
designed juttis, cutlery, cute table lamps and a variety of
handcrafted furniture, customers have an envious choice. "There's
a wide variety of garments for men here. So, for fashion conscious
men, who like to get their hands on a well-stitched kurta
or a Nehru jacket, this is the place," said Sunil Sharma,
a customer. The company has a consistent mark up policy, which
reflects the workmanship involved. The price does not pinch
the customers' pockets either. Founded in 1960 by John Bissell,
Fabindia today plans to open 51 stores across the country.
The expansion is estimated at 18 million dollars. Fabindia
is also targeting the organic food segment and plans to introduce
organic snacks in the market. Fabindia has been a partner
in the promotion to traditional crafts, helping artisans extend
their reach.
-Mar 25, 2007
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