Internationally Balmain, Isabel Marant and Alexander Wang have done fall pieces which are workwear inspired. Balmain's reinvention of the safari jacket is being one of the prominent examples. Fashion as they say is a reflection of the times we live in and designers across the board have reinterpreted tough femininity, toyed with the idea of androgyny and married style with easy functionality.
'Modernity equals utility and application'
Woolmark prize winner designer Rahul Mishra says, "Fashion's coming of age. Modernity is all about utility and application. Functionality is the key feature - easy fastening method like zippers and pockets reflect that. I was talking to France Sozzani and she said, 'Fashion is trans-seasonal.' I think the fashion story is more beautiful when there are many contrasts. The utilitarian look is a reflection of the androgyny influence. After Galliano's departure from Dior, Raf Simons has been all about utility and minimalism."
Comfort meets fashion
Designer Masaba Gupta says, "It also shows that designers are now focusing on silhouettes that are comfortable yet chic. For example, you will always buy a Uniqlo jacket because it's warm and fits well in luggage and of good quality although it's not high fashion. But you will think before buying a designer jacket for double the price because it may be good quality and luxurious but not all that comfy. So I think the industry has understood the need to make even something like the dungaree super chic and high fashion."
Need for distinguishable closets
Designer Nimish Shah of label Shift says, "Utilitarian or workwear-inspired chic is back this fall. It's going back to the space where women want to have distinguishable work and party-centric closets to denote work time and party time. I think the reinvention of the safari jacket is quite cute. Also multi-pocket jackets when you go fishing or jackets suited to outdoorsy activities and environment are huge. One of my key piece this season is a safari pant suit in navy blue in linen is aimed at a woman who's an architect. There's a rope which doubles up as a belt. The whole thought behind the look is to not make it so uniform looking. Usually a woman wearing a multi pocket jacket doesn't need to carry a purse but I'm sure most of them will end up doing it."
Tough femininity rules
Nachiket Barve says, "Economy is bleeding globally and workwear inspired fashion is a reflection of that. Also, we read about the atrocities on women in the papers so there's a new trend of tough feniminity. At WIFW we saw a lot of toughness in the form of zippers, leather and sheer. A safari jacket in nylon would be crass but in satin can look amazing and also depends on who's wearing it."
Fusing utility with style
Designer Sidharth Sinha of N&S GAIA says, "In my British-inspired LFW collection, I created the coin clutch or pouch where there was a design element and at the same time utility. I think the safari jacket has a smart silhouette - it's simple and clean. But you can't accessorise it with a huge bag. You should accessories depending on the silhouette."
Designer Dev of the label Dev R Nil says, "Fashion is becoming more approachable and more everyday wear than just being occasional wear. Designers are doing separates which are easy to pick up and mix and match. For instance, Abraham and Thakore paired saris with jackets."
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