Fervent Tribute to Bal

Fervent Tribute to Bal

FDCI and Blenders Pride pay a befitting homage to Gudda, with 100 showstoppers, friends, family and in this beautiful story, an emotional Sonam Kapoor. By Asmita Aggarwal What happens when you have more than 100 showstoppers paying tribute to the man, and the myth, who left behind an unparalleled legacy? ...
In Fine Print

In Fine Print

From Picasso, to Banksy and Mr Brainwash, Salita Nanda reinterprets art pieces through her unique rendering of hand illustrated prints in satiny draped dresses. By Asmita Aggarwal Born and raised in London, Salita Nanda studied at the London College of Fashion, University of the Arts, and then further honed her skills at ...
“Embroidery is our DNA,” says Ashdeen

“Embroidery is our DNA,” says Ashdeen

Dutch artist Patrick Bergsma and his broken ceramic pottery where bonsai grows is where Ashdeen found his stimuli, though his simple shapes complement the complex needlework techniques he uses to offer modern jackets.   By Asmita Aggarwal Ashdeen Z. Lilaowala is a trained textile designer from the National Institute of ...
Builder’s daughter Monisha Jaising constructs ‘bling’

Builder’s daughter Monisha Jaising constructs ‘bling’

35 years in style business, the doyen believes, her biggest contribution has been keeping alive classic Indian ethos. By Asmita Aggarwal Her father was one of the biggest builders in Mumbai, specially the Bandra area, though he taught at the London School of Economics for many years too. Narain Bhojwani ...
80% feeling, 20% aesthetic sells a garment: Dhruv Kapoor

80% feeling, 20% aesthetic sells a garment: Dhruv Kapoor

Dhruv Kapoor brings his PSS (print, surface and silhouette) tastes to the Denim Edit by FDCI, at LFW as he handpaints, laminates, embroiders the versatile fabric. By Asmita Aggarwal He is a regular at Milan Fashion Week, and his 10-year-old brand, was nominated earlier for the International Woolmark Prize, but ...
Ujjawal’s 10th with homage to “self”

Ujjawal’s 10th with homage to “self”

Antar-Agni as the name suggests is a journey within—thus his unisex label is a lot more than just layering, drapes and lapels, it is an exploration of the meaning of luxury, and why its connotations change to cater to an individualistic mind. By Asmita Aggarwal Some things in life are ...
Voluminous Sculpting

Voluminous Sculpting

Giant moths on chests, cutwork forests on body huggers and you throw in a little of Henri Rousseau and a children book, The Fox and the Star, you get Rahul Mishra’s inspiration behind his LFW X FDCI 2024 AFEW line.    By Asmita Aggarwal Would you ever wear the wing of a ...
No Gender Coding

No Gender Coding

There is a ‘fragility in masculinity’ and Arjun Saluja finds this conundrum a collection-worthy theme. After six years he is back at the FDCI showcase at LFW with his gender bender clothing hoping to solve the puzzle of conditioning or at least question it! By Asmita Aggarwal Frankly, in fashion there ...
Revisiting roots

Revisiting roots

Whether it is Gaza, Kashmir, Syria or Ukraine, human exodus is captured poignantly through embroideries and embellishments as well as abstract outlines by the maverick Sushant Abrol of the menswear label Countrymade. By Asmita Aggarwal He had a child-like excitement every time he begins work on a new collection and ...
“In India sex, humour, and politics sells”

“In India sex, humour, and politics sells”

Jay Jajal founder of Jaywalking will tell you he is returning to simplicity, is excited about his ‘test fit’ garment, calls his drawings ugly and reveals his USP is that he is a fabulous marketeer! By Asmita Aggarwal Jay Jajal aspired to be a rapper, and he thanks his good ...
Unmasking AI

Unmasking AI

Almost 36 Pearl students showcase the benefits and pitfalls of AI in “AI is contagious”, at LFW X FDCI 2024 with an interesting display of ideas through pixelation, distortions and translucency. By Asmita Aggarwal London, Milan, New York, and Paris, and India Fashion Week, almost over, fashion houses are ready ...
Measuring Up

Measuring Up

S and N, the brothers Shantnu and Nikhil have replaced the mini "It" bag and given it to men, in dhotis and sexiness with abundant leg show for women along with dollops of shimmer. While quite the opposite was post-Soviet modest label Measure, which revealed the former Communist country is ...
Ready for a swim?

Ready for a swim?

Saaksha Bhat and Kinnari Kamat launch a swimwear edition, complete with their signature micro pleating, and elevate it with quilting and ikat. But the Gujarati genes hold strong with their unadulterated love for mirror work! By Asmita Aggarwal Saaksha Bhat and her sister-in-law Kinnari Kamat, understand embroideries like no one ...
Monochrome Contrasts

Monochrome Contrasts

Ritika Mirchandani offers tone-on-tone, summer pastels with placement bling for occasion wear this season. By Asmita Aggarwal “My mother has been the most inspiring figure in my life. As a designer herself, she introduced me to the world of fashion from a very young age. Growing up surrounded by her ...
Princess of style

Princess of style

Niloufer Khanum of Hyderabad was the OG of fashion influencers with her Westernising the sari, adding exquisite pearls and it is this regality that Anushree Reddy recreates in organzas this season for the bride who chooses subtle shine over overt bling. By Asmita Aggarwal It has been a ten-year long ...
AK is Ok

AK is Ok

The twins Vishesh and Viraj, one an artist, and the other born with a business acumen, embarked on a journey to give their mom Anamika Khanna a respite when they started AK-OK, but now it has a legion of followers owing to its unpredictable prints, placements raw embroideries, tattered denims ...
Alpha Women

Alpha Women

 Inca or incarnation by Amit Hansraj is for women who are mature, confident and know that clothes are extension of them not the other way round and it is this individuality that he hopes to celebrate each season. By Asmita Aggarwal Amit Hansraj has been in the fashion world for ...
Think Chill

Think Chill

Remember The Jetsons, and the 90s trend Vaporwave? Kanika Goyal brings that shiny high gloss vibe to the line she has designed for the American brand Skechers. By Asmita Aggarwal After four years at NIFT Delhi and then Parsons New York, where she studied for two years, Kanika Goyal was ...
An evening Soiree

An evening Soiree

Paras and Shalini of Geisha Designs offer sundowner clothing complete with cording, macrame, as nostalgia remains their anthem for this season, creating the various elements of nature, through fabric manipulations. By Asmita Aggarwal Olsen twins label The Row banned phones in their showcase recently at the Paris Fashion Week 2024 ...
Right to Repair

Right to Repair

Ashita Singhal started as a curious fashion student wanting to know how to upcycle waste, and that’s how Paiwand, her label was conceptualized. Winning the Nexa Spotlight and telling us that re-woven is austerity personified; she is consciously saving the planet one less stitch at a time. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Hoops of Hope

Hoops of Hope

Nitya Arora of the accessories brand Valliyan celebrates its 15th anniversary by paying tribute to bugs and beetles, quiet warriors, in a new sci-fi avatar, who help balance our fragile eco-system through her brass and copper gold plated jewellery. By Asmita Aggarwal The brand got its name from her grandmother’s blessings, ...
Wear Calm

Wear Calm

Urvashi Kaur had all the makings of a hit show—a bevy of intellectuals from Ratna Pathak Shah to Rasika Duggal as well as relaxed clothing armed with natty wraps, coppery saris, easy tie ups that announced the arrival of a comfortable spring, as she completed 15 years in the business ...
Valaya on wheels

Valaya on wheels

From Chevrons to inclusivity, J J Valaya tells us individualistic women are the most fun to interact with and that his bridge line JJV Kapurthala is only helping you dress quicker and smarter. Asmita Aggarwal The shifting leaf Chevron which is the staple of JJ Valaya’s fashion house, was created ...

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Anish Malpani CDC winner tells us his journey from being a finance honcho in the US to recycling chip wrappers into chic eyewear, as he hopes to build a waste-free world where you wear his “Without” sunnies sans any guilt. Asmita Aggarwal Both his parents are doctors and till the ...
Simple Weaves

Simple Weaves

Gaurav Jai Gupta takes you on a journey to watch a Wes Anderson film through his ingenious weaving techniques, blazing ochres and endearing ‘kinji’ saris in 'Moonrise'.  Asmita Aggarwal When you must fight for everything you get, you take nothing for granted, and sometimes that story of struggle becomes a ...
One size fits all

One size fits all

Chola by Sohaya Misra is back after five years to tell us clothes must be alive, have movement and adjustable, defying conventional norms of dressing according to your size and body type.                                     ...
‘Sari is the Chanel of luxury’

‘Sari is the Chanel of luxury’

Hand woven and timeless Gaurang Shah for LFW X FDCI 2024 is back with an ode to spring with ‘Gulal’, with hand painted charkha woven khadi saris. Asmita Aggarwal Designer Gaurang Shah, won the National Film Award for Best Costume Designer in the Telugu film Mahanati, directed by Nag Ashwin, ...
Simple Thinking

Simple Thinking

Ka-Sha completes ten years in fashion, she infuses the line with imagery of emotions replicated through the prism of relaxed clothing, and monochromes as bead work becomes a show stealer. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Motorcycle Diaries

Motorcycle Diaries

Riding, and utility make a play in Abhishek Paatni’s line that takes us back to the simple joys of life, finding peace through biking and urging us to slow down, choosing the wild road less travelled up the mountains. By Asmita Aggarwal You would imagine an MBA and engineer to ...
Khadi Sutra

Khadi Sutra

His take on the South Indian Mundu with the woven border kara, pleasing monochromes, delectable stripes, and restrained shine, just like the couturier Rajesh Pratap Singh was befitting at his first outing, redefining luxury at ICW 2023. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Pearls of Wisdom

Pearls of Wisdom

Dolly J uses the radiance of pearls to add glow to her army of gowns, as couture transcends from glitter to subtle. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Layered Intrusions

Layered Intrusions

Serenading layering, separates and fluidity the market-savvy brothers Shantnu and Nikhil, complete 24 years with almost 16 stores domestically. At ICW they managed to add dollops of deliciousness with Aditya Roy Kapur and the pint sized beauty  Sara Ali Khan. But the coup was Nikhil Mehra’s 16-year-old son Vivhan, making his ...
Past Is Now

Past Is Now

The past always finds an embellished way to catch up with the present in J J Valaya’s offerings which came drizzling with Sufi music by a live band headed by Sahil Vasudeva and of course some embroidered swans frolicking on midnight blue lehengas. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Floriography

Floriography

Varun Bahl believes couture must appeal to a woman who is aware, responsible, and wants to be original in thought and choice of occasion clothing. Though his love for flowers remains constant, just like his passion for monochromes. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Romantacy

Romantacy

From friendships to shine, Suneet Varma is a bundle of commitments and never shies away from either risqué bustiers, nor fiery reds. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Cultural Values

Cultural Values

From mixing denim with silk, motif manipulation to paying homage to pure metallic yarns, eight designers changed the design vocabulary of ‘Made in Benaras’ at the FDCI curated show at Surajkund Mela. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Back to the Future

Back to the Future

From three decades of shimmer that Suneet Varma protracted, to the skater vibe that Paatni exuded or how meticulously Pawan Sachdeva tells men to ‘change their stripes’, the last day reverberated with passion! By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Painting Reality

Painting Reality

A torch bearer of Communism and social equality, in the early 19thcentury, Frida Kahlo today has become a symbol of empowerment as our quest for liberation of the spirit longs for quietude. It is this tenderness with which Payal Jain celebrates 25 years! By Asmita Aggarwal ...
My Experiments with Truth

My Experiments with Truth

Ecologically sustainable and hand spun, khadi is a leitmotif for freedom of the spirit; there was no better way to say this than with Anju Modi adding it to the lexicon of the younger generation with dhotis, and monochrome check jackets By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Gods & Kings

Gods & Kings

Should fashion be evolutionary? Must it look at alternatives to cloth? Can paper be moulded? And are monochromes eternal...Pratap answers all this with quiet ease and an ‘eye’ on the future By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Connecting the Dots

Connecting the Dots

Zealous showstoppers, monochromatic renditions, wispy 80s, endearing Schiffli and some Shibori made day two of AIFW SS’18 whimsical By Asmita Aggarwal ...
The Bell Jar

The Bell Jar

Ragini Ahuja’s brother Tanmay gets a touching tribute, as she raises pertinent questions about displaced refugees through soft as mul Chanderis and dexterously executed appliqué By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Pret-a-pleaser

Pret-a-pleaser

Indore’s Aartivijay Gupta’s rather unusual trajectory to fame has been sprinkled with stories of courage that took her from a traditional, small town Marwari girl to an astute businesswoman By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Pleats Please

Pleats Please

Schulen Fernandes is carrying forward the legacy of Wendell Rodricks’ decision to drop out of the race of hectic fashion, and Samant Chauhan’s ‘palette cleanser’ ivories and bold floral deluge interspersed with the science of human fragility as witnessed in Goethe’s Faust was enriching By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Bend it like Soman

Bend it like Soman

The man who launched a thousand ad campaigns Milind Soman, mingles with Nida Mahmood as she flirts with gym wear for her SS’18 line By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Part-Time Lover

Part-Time Lover

Divorce-lawyer-turned designer, Aditi Mohoni crafts a story with each piece of khadi that she manipulates By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Docking It

Docking It

Saloni Sakaria, 25, hopes to offer affordability with substantiality, in her love affair with the label, Third Floor By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Dadu-ism

Dadu-ism

Rimzim Dadu deconstructs zari and infuses it with raw energy as the girl from Rajasthan views colour through the canvas of the magnificent havelis boasting of a melange of gold, silver and an era of decadence By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Deconstructing the mainstream

Deconstructing the mainstream

Kanika Goyal’s distinctly vivacious thought process is a result of her training under Bibhu Mohapatra and lessons in the finer nuances of Italian tailoring at Parsons By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Eternal Space

Eternal Space

Shasha Gaba believes in less is more as she offers you her organza sari, yes, with an awesome drape minus the fluff! By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Caressing the skyline

Caressing the skyline

Kolkata raised Pooja Shroff is hoping to offer women an epigrammatic taste of drapes with nifty hand painted florals By Asmita Aggarwal ...
The Misfits

The Misfits

Two boys Amit Vijaya and Richard Pandav (of Amrich) decide to abandon the technical skills they learnt studying IT and Botany and join NID to study textiles and swim with the sharks in the fashion pool By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Bridging the gap

Bridging the gap

Can less be more when it comes to traditional Indian wear? And, does functionality and wearability have a place in it? We ask Charu Vij, the designer behind Aekatri By Asmita Aggarwal ...
The Milky way

The Milky way

The new check trouser for men teamed up with a sherwani has foresaken the churidar and pyjama just like the iced coffee and white tones have replaced the reds in Manish Malhotra’s new bridal glossary. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Rise of the sharara jumpsuit

Rise of the sharara jumpsuit

Rina Dhaka courts wash and wear by crafting a new mill fabric with a pre-crushed effect and of course, appends a benevolent dose of gold.  By Asmita Aggarwal ...
‘I have arrived’ moment

‘I have arrived’ moment

Gaurav Gupta’s ode to lace that he handcrafted or the hybrid lehenga-gown that he created as well as the Zaha Hadid potato chips-like architectural silhouettes he manipulated on nimble shoulders made him an undisputed superstar.  By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Palace of the Winds

Palace of the Winds

There is no consternation in Anita’s mind, she sharply cuts through fashion’s impertinent milieu with her new introduction, the Obi belt, zari embroidered skater dresses with tie details and the voluminous bell shaped offerings, as she courts white with aplomb. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
In search of lost roses

In search of lost roses

Muses can vary, but vintage flowers are constant companions for Varun Bahl, who’s tiered, translucent gowns and flouncy lehengas bristled in never making you incognito. By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Moonlighting

Moonlighting

Monisha captures bright moments through her interesting take on the off shoulder tuxedo jacket as well as shimmering bodices of cut out gowns that displayed her love for Angelina Jolie-esque poses (the leg play), making it tres chic on a rather wet July day! By Asmita Aggarwal ...
Princess Diaries

Princess Diaries

Gotta, intensity of colour, dynamic artisanal work, there was minimalism despite the sandstorm of maximalism in Anju’s lexicon, as she took us to the land of jharokhas and aad (princess chokers); it was seduction by royal charm. By Asmita Aggarwal ...