Designers we love

Maximalism has been sweeping the fashion landscape for many seasons now, however, only a few brands in the menswear space, have dared to venture into the high-octane territory. This season, Amit Aggarwal forayed into menswear with a manic mash-up of textures and shine. White, grey, silver and black sporty separates came kissed with AA’s signature surface texturing invoking an instant — OMG-I-Want-To-Wear-It lust. A graphic and dotted pocketed trench was paired with a pair of cropped cuff pants and a ribbed knee-length top coat was layered over a sheer appliqued turtle-neck jumper. A silver striped jacket teamed with a pair of sheer pants which had inbuilt boxers was the high-point and so was a beaded jumper paired with a pair of metallic pants. A double breasted trench with tone on tone texturing lent this glittery line-up a sense of totality. The womenswear complemented the menswear stunningly, especially a sheer pantsuit and a holographic halter teamed with a pair of tailored high-waist pants.

(Pics: Yogen Shah/Ashwini Sawant/dna)

It was a soul-searing alchemy of the eco-friendly Tencel™ and Indian crafts such as Chanderi, Banarasi, Jamdaani, hand block prints at Rajesh Pratap Singh’s showcase. A jungle jamboree with foliage visuals which came alive with peppy folk music. This season, Pratap referenced the epochal William Morris (an English textile designer, poet, novelist, translator, and socialist activist) interpreting his art works and designs. The white-heavy line-up was a modern interpretation of Indian silhouettes like the Poshak from Rajasthan and the Angarkha. Besides white, there were pastel blue, pink, slivers of gold and silver peaking in luscious brocades woven in gleaming hues. The offerings had a sense of duality when transparency had a conversation with opacity and fluidity flirted with structure. The high-points were the kimono style pleated kurtas and Pratap’s signature micro pin tuck dresses. One could easily picture the panelled maxi teamed with a sheer bolero and the sherwani-style coat becoming Red Carpet scorchers in the coming weeks. 

(Pics: Yogen Shah/Ashwini Sawant/dna)

Monisha Jaising has always been the one to look into the future. Look at any of her campaign and there’s a sense of now and an of-the-moment youthful zest. Season in season out, she’s evolved and so has her customer. For her winter festive line, she took her Baroque-marries-rock-n-roll narrative ahead by infusing it with pearl-like iridescence resulting in rainbow-shine-reflector minis, shimmery micro shorts and sparkly dresses sheathed with her signature lattice work. This time, she scaled her surface appliques to new levels toying with butterfly motifs, shattered glass-inspired beads and jaal-work mesh. She also added new neck lines and silhouettes to her oeuvre — like a metallic midnight blue tiered, ruffled dress and an ice blue one-shoulder kaftan which came with a sari drape. The shimmying black chain-mails were made even more alluring with sharp gold accents running across them and solid off-shoulder gowns were accented with the bow detail, which has been her leitmotif in her last few collections. Her Pali Hill client looks for an achingly glam evening wear and she’s dishing it out with aplomb!    

(Pics: Yogen Shah/Ashwini Sawant/dna)

In a fashion space stymied with post-millennial nonsense and ugly chic frivolity, it’s heartwarming to see a section of designers initiating a dialogue about the significance of slow fashion and wearer’s conversation with their clothing. Designer Rina Singh of Eka has been the champion of understated cool for many season now and this time, she took that story ahead with a push on layering, styling techniques and a mix-and-match wearability. Transparency, fluidity and lightness were the three pillars of this multi-sensorial carnival, which redefined the idea of contemporary minimalism. Her creations speak for themselves and celebrate the thinking woman, who continues to fall for their season-less appeal hook, line and sinker — be it the tea-length, tiered dresses with neon accents or the gingham twin-sets or the colour blocked sheer trench or the tartan maxis. We loved her take on the reverse layering and mixing stripes and florals like a chic cocktail. Needless to say the Eka woman is confident, bold and sexy.

(Pics: Yogen Shah/Ashwini Sawant/dna)