Crafts and textiles are a bit like the Richard Bach, 70s story of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a quest for self-perfection and riding the wave of belief that finally becomes an aerial feat! AIFW SS 17 warms the cockles of your heart with that unfettered passion for hand-crafted!
By Asmita Aggarwal
There could not have been a more befitting beginning to the biggest fashion fiesta than having the man who revived a lost craft Jyotiraditya Scindia on the ramp, and a show Road to Chanderi curated to celebrate the prowess of crafts and elevate it to give it a new high. With the FDCI striving to promote, cultivate and harness this innate strength, designers have understood that preservation of a powerful legacy is the only way ahead as the past merges with the present for a riveting future.
Day one of the AIFW SS 17 at the NSIC Grounds was a mixed bag where you had torchbearers of the textile movement like Krishna Mehta paying homage to Maheshwari in her unique style adding spiffy sequins to the handwoven fabric, she kind of added a bit of jazz to what was considered a stodgy old fabric. And the young guard with Love Genration wooing the millennials with their RTW irreverent ensembles soaked in the spirit of….ahem LOL and emojis.
Mumbai-based Krishnas asymmetrical tunics, tie and dye techniques along with an interesting palette of limes, plum and pink rubbed shoulders with the playful embroidered motifs—pineapples, birds of paradise and robust roses which burst open on the catwalk. The traditional yarn got a nifty makeover as it was teamed with animal print tasseled moccasins and gold leaf necklaces.
The leather belt is enjoying its moment in the sun, it came knotted, buckled or tied, with the scales titling in its favour and designers now cinching the waist to give a more structured appeal. An asymmetric dress was thus, bolted in with a black leather belt complete with fuchsia embroidery. The collection had an easy, relaxed feel, and even though it boasted of a smattering of shimmer, it remained saddled in.
Rusty tones, crinkled sari gown dress, lace and transparency have been the leitmotif of Rina Dhakas design aesthetics and seldom has the designer deviated from this set ethos. But this time she did take a stroll in uncharted territory by including Paithani, woven in Aurangabad, Maharashtra in the finest silk to herald a kaleidoscopic effect.
Designers are not giving a cold shoulder to shoulders in fact, they are indulging in a bit of shoulder play with Rinas floor-length and baby doll dresses in minty greens and icy blues armed with bohemian peasant sleeves, which executed a romantic interlude.
It was interesting to see what really happens when three celeb wives get together to launch a brand….well, for starters the front row is buzzing with famous faces playing the selfie game and supporting their glamorous halves.
Dolly Sidhwani, the beautiful Nandita Mahtani and Bhavna Pandey gave, Love Genration. We are guessing, it has got to do with generating pure, sure love for clothes that you can shimmy in!
Diors Kalyani Saha, Chunkey Pandey, Ritesh Sidhwani, Riddhima Sahani were there to support their friends as the trio showcased ensembles which may not make you think, but will certainly keep you trendy.
Everything was sort of short and sweet, they had fun with denims, so there was a barrage of minis, some came studded, others were plain as peek-a-boo shoulders remained omnipresent. Hip was the buzzword as roomy pants, capes and boyfriend button down shirts came armed with the 80s flavour.
But if there is anyone, who really knows how to get into the groove it is the charming Italians who always bring their A game. And on the award winning song Volare, or to fly in Italian, the master craftsmen created a line up to remember—clean, minimal and impactful, just like the 50s song written by Franco Migliacci and Domenico Modugno. FDCI with the Italian Trade Agency and Italy as the partner country, showed that bling doesnt have to be audacious it can be quiet yet chic. Whether it was the structured envelope bags, glittering clutches, or printed little beetles walking across on tan leather cutesies everything epitomised grand construction.
The 70s tassels and fringes too made a fleeting appearance, and so did bamboo handles and nifty backpacks, but the ones which were heart stealers were the thin wired flower earrings and the peacock printed parasol, which will keep you artfully fashionable, even when you are sun bathing!
RECAP DAY 1
Click here to see more Trend-spotted at #AIFWSS17 from DAY 1