Category: 2012

Sonali Pamnani’s label The Meraki Project hopes to dress women of all ages and this SS 16 she is creating magic with cotton, linen and ikkat. By Asmita Aggarwal ...

It takes 700-800 workmen to get the show rolling in a matter of 5 days as they work 24X7 before the curtains rise for the biggest fashion extravaganza----the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2012 with 132 runway and stall designers set to showcase their designs from Oct 6-10. As ...

As Mickey Contractor gives finishes touches to a model backstage, he remembers the rule he set for himself----keep it simple. So the eyes, this season, in most WIFW shows were nude, with just a bit of sheen, gloss or eye conditioner is used on bare eyelids. “The mouth has a ...

Jenjum Gadi didn’t need to fly to South Africa or Mexico to get his inspiration, it was right here in the busy streets of the capital where he found the humble gota and he decided to elevate it to new heights. The sparkle of the fabric stayed but Jenjum used ...

When you see an advance being paid to designers in more than three booths, assume safely that business has been brisk! And so it has been at WIFW SS 2013 ...

As another season of WIFW wraps up, the success of the week is being judged by the business designers have been able to generate at this trade event (with a big dollop of glamour of course!) ...

Aneeth Arora was in Lucknow for a wedding when she saw men outside the mosque in crochet caps and white, long chikankari kurtas and lungis, instantly she knew that was going to be the theme for her SS 13 line. But that’s not all ...

Sexy, flirty and feminine, these three words best describe fashion’s most stylish sisters Gauri and Nainika Karan. With a rainfall of high slits, scooped backs, exaggerated shoulders, and fabric swirls around the body the girls made sure they stayed true to their signature---high on glam ...

Pricing swimwear at Rs 8,000 onwards for a label only two years old in India seems like a gutsy move but the confident duo of Shivan & Narresh, who debut at WIFW SS 2013 have a plan chalked out ...

Our hunt for the coolest accessories to flaunt in Spring Summer 2013 continues. The first two editions of this series have already thrown up diverse options to suit different personal styles. Here are some more ideas to elevate your style with the right accessory in the coming summer ...

Come Spring-Summer and prints become a tool to depend on for a majority of the fashion fraternity. The reason is simple. Summer clothing has to be light and airy with minimal add-ons and prints allow that without making an outfit boring ...

Maachis, Sadak Chaap and now Sapna Cinema. You may love or hate Nida Mahmood’s kitschy, bohemian work but there is little chance you’ll be able to ignore it. Whether it’s the catchy names of her collections or the vibrant clothes she puts out season after season, Nida’s work is hard ...

Gaurav Gupta used them in shoes, Pia Pauro in her outfits and Elisha Wadhwani utilised them in her embellishments. Screaming neon colours are no more restricted to advertising signs, they’ve been jazzed up to walk straight inside your closet ...

Gaurav Gupta understands what new-age women want, slinky, draped dresses in eye-popping colours. Neon was the flavour of the day, as GG, tempted all fashionistas with his kaftan style, floor length numbers with oddly placed zippers to create an irreverent mood. “Unlike popular perception that Indian women can’t wear neons, ...

It was a night after a good meal that Alpana and Neeraj Chauhan were watching a documentary on the Arctic on TV. The colours of the melting icebergs, the sun setting as it turns crimson, the beautiful blue landscape, pointed icicles and pure white snow flakes falling left a lasting ...

Growing up his father was keen Rahul Mishra study for the Indian Administrative Service or join IIT, so he was quite disappointed when the physics graduate decided to join NID. But the math that he was so good at as a teen gets reflected in his meticulously calculated cuts, seamless ...

It was a tribute to Bhagalpur silk with Bollywood star Manoj Bajpayee doing the honours by adding oodles of masala, as Samant Chauhan showed his eclectic line complete with floor sweeping silhouettes on the second day of the WIFW at Pragati Maidan. Oranges rubbed shoulders with whites and these beauties ...

There are 10 accessory designers on display at WIFW this season. We’ve asked them to pick out one piece from their collection and tell us why it is the accessory to flaunt in Spring Summer 2013. In the first edition of this series we heard from Pinky Saraf, Shalini Ahuja ...

“I’ve been very angry for the past 3 months. I don’t know why but I’ve been angry and I thought it will be a challenge to translate that aggression through white,” says Kallol Datta. And that’s why his Spring Summer collection at WIFW 2013 is mostly about blacks and whites… ...

If you are not one to blend in the crowd, Valliyan by Nitya Arora qualifies to vie for your favourite accessory label. Bold, Chunky, Can-not-miss pieces justify the note Nitya has put up on her website –“ WARNING! While using our product you may find people, known to you or ...

“I want people to come away with joy and temptation when they see my show,” says Mumbai based designer Nachiket Barve ...

You can’t ask God anything more than he has given you. It is this philosophy that helps veteran designer James Ferreira keep his head above water in the fashion industry. Where most designers are encouraging buyers to come into their stall, James likes to play music, jazz and classical from ...

After seeing the work done by the NGO Mijwan Welfare Society, founded by Kaifi Azmi and run by his daughter and veteran actress Shabana, to give employment and financial support to Mijwan girls in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Bollywood’s flavour of the season Parineeti Chopra decided to walk the ramp for ...

Growing up in Nagaland, the one style lesson that Atsu Sekhose’s mother taught him was ‘less is more’. And that is what got etched in the designer’s mind as a student at NIFT Delhi and also when he launched his label ten years back. Atsu means unique in Naga, and ...

Bollywood wife and glamourista Suzanne Roshan may have turned many heads in her little red number as she sat in the front row of buddy Surily Goel’s show at the WIFW SS 13, but it was undoubtedly the quiet and extremely dignified Aditi, daughter of textile revivalist Jaya Jaitly in ...

Yes you’ve heard that the right (or wrong!) accessory can make (or break!) a look. No one believes more in that truth than the 10 accessory designers displaying their Spring Summer 2013 collections at WIFW ...

Diederik Verbakel and Marieke Holthuis met at the Academy of Art, Arnhem when they were design students and 17 years later, besides completing each other’s sentences, they both are ‘best friends forever’. As they sailed through internships and working with Versace Sport, Moschino, Harley Davidson and Diesel, it was a ...

Like in all things in life, a balance is what we all seek, besides of course answers to existential questions. But for model Krishna Somani, her twins seemed to be paramount, as she effortlessly floated in and out of the fittings at The Lalit hotel on a balmy Wednesday for ...

It may be intimidating for some to dress an unconventional beauty like bootylicious Beyonce, who is not your usual skinny girl, but has curves and enjoys them too. So for Dutch style maverick Jan Taminiau, an Academy of Art, Arnhem graduate, this was just the challenge he was looking for ...

After 16 years of blissful married life, being a fabulous mother and a supportive wife, Payal Pratap decided to do something that was just for herself. In 2010, after handling husband and more famous half of the Prataps, Rajesh’s production and merchandising, Payal launched her label, quietly from multibrand stores ...

The most fascinating part about glam world is that it attracts multitude of people from diverse backgrounds. And if you thought modelling was just a pastime for, well, blondes looking for free tickets, travel and of course, beautiful clothes, you are totally mistaken. As the newbies at the WIFW have ...

Just a few days to go before WIFW Spring Summer 2013 begins! As always I’m excited, but even a tad more this season as this time around my focus expands to the designer fraternity, beyond the money crunching with buyers! (although I can’t stress enough how important WIFW is to ...

Manav Gangwani has his pulse on what women want and how! Maybe that’s why his front row glittered with Sophie Chaudhry, Raveena Tandon, Farah Ali Khan, Komal Wazir, Chatwal sisters Charu and Priya as well as the lovely Bhutanese queen Jetsun Pema in an all black one shoulder dress, revealing ...

Few would know that the shy, diminutive girl who walked besides khadi-clad Sabyasachi after his show was sister and creative design head of his team, Payal. In fact, half of the line, the Kolkata-based maverick says, has been conceptualized, designed and executed by her. And Payal did steal the thunder ...

It was as if a constellation of stars had descended! The star power that Manish Malhotra displayed at the PCJ Couture Week on Saturday night, was impressive, with the front row glittering with the stunning Suzanne Roshan, Shabana Azmi, Karan Johar, Shweta Bachchan Nanda, Sheetal Mafatlal and Fashion director Madhur ...

Age may have bent his shoulders and withered his smile, but you can’t miss the twinkle in Puran Singh’s eyes when he talks about fashion. Backstage in the make-up room, he is the busiest and probably also the oldest. After all, he is a veteran, and has handled the most ...

It was heart warming to see designer Nikhil Mehra’s better-half Vidushi flaunting a traditional, black sari accentuated with dull gold motifs, at her husband’s Couture Week showing at the Taj Mahal hotel on a rainy Saturday evening. The sari is certainly not dead. And for the duo Shantanu and Nikhil, ...

A winning combination----whistles, a cage lit up by tiny, fluorescent lights, and his business partner Deepak’s wife model Sapna Kumar, opening the show, it was a memorable return for the maverick Manish Arora at the PCJ Delhi Couture Week ...

Bollywood’s dance diva Madhuri Dixit, Indian textiles and Rabindranath Tagore’s poetry with the inimitable Big B’s rendition of Ekla Chalo Re playing in the background made it just the perfect mix at Anju Modi’s PCJ Delhi Couture Week show on a Friday evening ...

The incredible Sufi singer Zila Khan was the perfect choice for Ashima-Leena Singh’s show at the PCJ Couture Week, which paid a tribute to Indian craftsmanship and its overflowing treasure trove. Her booming voice resonated in the Taj Mahal hotel on a seemingly wet Thursday evening, but the rain gods ...

Divine refinement or maybe just poetry in motion, it is hard to find words when Anamika Khanna outdoes herself repeatedly. The spectacular Kila, Mehrauli was decked up stylishly like a new bride in all white, from the linen to the décor, with a delighted Rohit Gandhi playing the perfect host ...

If you are wondering how celebrities quietly manage to do a catwalk without being mobbed at the fashion weeks, there is a method behind the madness. Bollywood dreamboats Madhuri Dixit, Sharmila Tagore and Katrina Kaif have nothing to fear thanks to the multi-level security provided by the Taj Mahal Hotel ...

The only thing constant in life, they say is change. And only those survive, who readily embrace it. Maybe that’s why Varun Bahl’s opening show at the PCJ Couture Week at the Taj Mahal Hotel on a rainy day saw the oft-considered-ominous black dominating the catwalk instead of traditional maroons ...

She was extraordinarily tall and slim like her mom, and most of her buddies would tell her she had the looks to make it big, just like Kate Moss. She was fascinated by the images of reed thin girls bombarded on FTV, that was the one everlasting image that remained ...

Edgy and experimental, are two words that best describe Gaurav Gupta. Not Indian, but a more global appeal is what the designer attempts with his collections twice a year as he focuses on intricate draping, irregular hems, obsessive embroideries and subtly plays with the contradictions between futuristic and primitive ...

Varun Bahl may be occupying prime space in newspapers for his association with Bollywood’s hit director Karan Johar for his menswear line, but what sets him apart is his continuous search for newness. It is this frantic need for something unique that has led to the birth of his couture ...

Certain events not only make you think and evolve, but are life altering, more like a paradigm shift. And that’s just what happened when Kolkata’s treasure Anamika Khanna, visited the Tata Medical Center and interacted with kids some as young as 9, battling cancer ...

‘Future of the past’ seems to be the perfect tagline for couturier JJ Valaya, after all he is a master of Indian crafts. Undoubtedly, no one understands the hidden nuances of luxury and the opulence of royalty better than him, after more than two decades in the world of razzmatazz ...

Georgettes, chiffons and textured fabrics – Pallavi Jaipur plays it colourful this time with ensembles that give Indian craft a new makeover. Modern sensibilities are paired with traditional crafts – an art Pallavi so beautifully showcases this season with shifts, maxi dresses and anarkalis that make every Indian woman’s dream ...

Winter moods – a palette of bright colours like yellow, red, blue and green went into the colour palette at Nikhita’s show this season. The brightness of the ensembles was meant to oust the winter blues and so the collection showcased easy silhouettes and interesting textures that are meant to ...

The collection named “Oya” looks towards change and transition – a trait that Dolly J truly embraced this season. The fiery change is represented in all of her new fall ensembles – from the chunky necklaces in stained glass to the palazzo pants worn lovingly over kurtas ...

Nimrita’s collection played with easy flowing silhouettes in satin and georgette in a burst of delicate and feminine colours such as lilac, mint, greys and off whites. Asymmetrical hems, one shoulders styles, palazzo pants and layering of fabrics were key features of the collection. Sequins were blended with satin to ...

This season Bhanuni by Jyoti Sharma gave us graphically and visually stimulating detailing with a feminine twist. Surface texturing was an integral part of the collection and translucent and opaque fabrics were blended beautifully into the garments. Greys, blacks, reds and maroons made for perfect choices for the autumn-winter range ...

Handmade and party wear– is there such a combination? This season, Akaaro by Gaurav Jai Gupta takes us through the journey into the making of the modern mix – let’s just say that it is a healthy mix of tradition, beauty, power, wholesome weaves and playful Swarovski’s ...

Strong, simple yet alluring - Anaikka by Kanika Saluja depicts the strong, independent and opinionated woman for whom creating a distinct style statement through her ensembles is significant in her fashionable journey.  Strong structural silhouettes achieved the equilibrium between architectural shapes and wearability and that earned her the silent nomination of new designer ...

Change is the one thing that always remains constant. No one showcases this idea better than Dev R Nil, the Bengali duo who have managed to stay on top of the tag “Made in India”, have now surfaced with a newer, more contained collection ...

The audience always waits for the coveted Abraham & Thakore show to show innovation and inspiration in design – and this season too, we waited with bated breath for them. The designer duo once again decided to keep it simple and inventive – with modern silhouettes, silk dresses and fitted ...

North-east - the charm, the intricacies of art and the absolute colour it throws back, no one captured the essence of it better than Jenjum. Tribal was the name of the game – predictable in its introduction but slowly, the show picked up pace – with its bright-coloured shifts and ...

Antithesis, the newest collection from Ritesh Kumar is a lot of things – texture play, graphic elements and most of all techno-futuristic in every way. The collection is an amalgamation of severe cuts and sharp silhouettes – an idea that is both modern and eclectic at the same time. The ...

There are small things that are intentionally created to be part of the collection - ones that are so insignificant perhaps in the making, but definitely an add-on and quite central to the anthology now. That’s how you feel when you look at the small glitter cape that’s worn over ...