TREND SALADS

RAMP RHYTHMS New Delhi. Thursday December 5, 2013. Pages 4.

REINVENTED SARI’S The sari is an eternal garment which is ageless and timeless. However, over time this traditional silhouette has been evolved by Indian designers. The sari’s trending this season were the digitally printed saris by Yogesh Chowdhary, polka dots printed saris by Aneeth Arora, scarf style sari drape by Anupama Dayal, saris draped on pants and jeans by Krishna Mehta, Sari with a cape by Rahul Mishra, sari with doriwork by Poonam Dubey, hand woven sari by Rahul Mishra and saris with sporty blouses and Amitabh Bacchan printed blouses by Nida Mahmood and Masaba.

Anupama Dayal Krishna Mehta

Nida Mahmood

Rahul Mishra

SPOTTING STRIPES This season we saw a comeback of stripes. It was a huge trend and almost every designer incorporated it in their designs. This season it was not only about stripes tees but stripes on sarees, skirts, trousers and dresses. Vertcal, horizontal,wide, thin, colorful, black and white; all types of stripes were seen on the ramp. Masaba’s design had bold horizontal stripes on the sleeves of the dress, Shivan and Naresh used stripes on high waisted bikinis, Amit Aggarwal had stripes on an opaque skirt, Krishna Mehta went traditional with hand woven stripes and Dolly J in her collection had a high waisted striped trousers. Other designers who nailed this trend were Pallavi Singhee, Rajdeep Ranawat, Niket and Jainee, Urvashi Kaur and Ruchika Sachdeva.

Masaba Dolly J

Pallavi Singhee

Gaurav Gupta

SPRING SUMMER 2014

Siddhali Doshi

FLORAL REVIVAL Fashion’s ongoing love affair with florals continued this season on the Indian ramp. It is a trend that never goes out of fashion and returns every spring summer. Florals are about enjoying and embracing the romance of spring summer. This season florals were seen on a mix of dresses, tunics and jackets. Large floral prints by Anumapama Dayal, cutwork floral motifs by Am:pm, floral motifs in applique work by Nikhita, floral 3D motifs by Pankaj and Nidhi, block printed florals by Pratima Pandey and embroidered florals by Hemant and Nandita were trending this season.

FAIRY TALE WHITE Amongst the pastels and bright colors, the classic white was also trending this season. The color looks sophisticated and accentuates the curves perfectly. This season some designers had designed white from head to toe like Amit Aggarwal, Mrinalini and Nikhita. Then there was woven white kurta by Rahul Mishra, white 3D motifs shirt by Pankaj and Nidhi, white bodysuits by Garav and Nainika, white lace by Aneeth Arora, white applique work by Hemant and Nandita, white wrap dresses and jumpsuits by Pratima Pandey and white pleated flowy dress by Namrata Joshipura.

KEEP IT CROPPED The 1970’s style of bare midriffs came back this season with the fun and quirky crop tops. Many designers had crop tops in their collections paired with palazzo pants, shorts, skirts and even as saree blouses. Kanika Saluja paired a cutwork crop top with a full length A- line skirt, Nachiket Barve paired an embellished crop top with a high waisted pencil skirt, Nida Mahmood’s collection had a madhubala printed crop top, Masaba had a crop top with kimono like cuffs paired with shorts, Shivan and Naresh paired a linen crop top with loop knotted shorts and yogesh chowdhary designed a sweatshirt style crop top.

ASYMMETRIC HEMS The Indian ramp this season was flowing with asymmetric hemline designs. The asymmetry is bold, experimental, classy and timeless. Some of the asymmetric hemlines trending this season were jagged hemline by Gaurav Jai Gupta, diagonal cut hemline by Niket and Jainee, handkerchief hemline by Rahul Mishra and high-low hemline by Samant Chauhan and Vedangi Aggarwal.

Aneeth Arora Dolly J Anupama Dayal

Samant Chauhan Rajdeep Ranawat Gaurav Gupta

Wendell Rodricks Shweta Kapoor Amit Aggarwal

Yogesh Chaudhary Kanika Saluja Niharika Pandey

NECK ORNAMENTATION Rather than accessorizing with neckpieces, ornamentation around the neck was more commonly seen on the ramp this season. Neck emphasis adds beauty and effectiveness to the actual garment. Keeping the outfits minimal and making the necklines bold makde the garments look classy. Some of the designers who adopted this trend were Masaba, Vaishali S, Rabani and Rakha, Kanika Saluja and Pallavi Mohan.

CUTOUT SWIMSUITS This summer is all about showing off your perfect curves the right way. The edgy trend of cutout swimsuits had taken over the ramp. Swimsuits are sensual and feminine and cutouts add instant glam. The designs that nailed the trend were the beaded cutout swimsuit by Pia pauro, Geometric patterned cutout swimsuit by Yogesh Chaudhary, Monochromatic cutout swimsuit be Malini Ramani and the bold and exciting cutout swimsuits by Shivan and Naresh.

SERIOUS SLITS Slits arnt new, but this season, they were dominating the ramp. It is a great trend to flaunt those toned legs without showing off too much. Rajdeep Ranawat showcased a knee length dress with a side slit, Ritesh Kumar showcased a skirt with a zipped slit, Am:pm showcased a long gown with a front slit and Nikarika Pandey showcased a really high slit long dress with shorts underneath. Other designers like Nikhta, Pankaj and Nidhi also had long gowns with thigh high slits in their collections.

PANELLING Panelling has been the most flattering trend this season. The trend gives you the freedom to play with different colors and fabrics on a single garment. Few of the designers who did panelling on dresses were Rajdeep Ranawat, Niharika Pandey, Nachiket Barve and Josh Goraya. Few of the designer’s coolections had panelling on long gowns like Shivan and Naresh; Paras and Shalini. Soltee decided on a little bit of skn show by doing sheer panelling. Urvashi Kaur experimented with colors and fabrics through panelling on a mini length dress, Vaishali S experimented with sheer and cutwork panelling.

Malini Ramani Pia Pauro Shivan and Naresh

Kanika Saluja Vaishali S Rabani and Rakha

Niharika Pandey Am:pm Nikhita

Urvashi Kaur Nachiket Barve Vaishali S

Rendezvous with Designers Ramp Rhythms

Sufiana on Ramp

•When did you first start designing? I developed an interest in fashion designing during my college days. The first major step I took to pursue my dream of becoming a designer was that I interned with a few established fashion designers and got a thorough knowledge of the industry. I then went to Paris to pursue further education. Getting a masters degree in fashion designing was my second major step. Then the third step was to make a mark in the industry, which I am still working on.

•Tell us about your latest collection? The theme of this season’s collection was ‘Sehma’, which means ‘a state of trance of body, mind and emotions’. For this collection, I used organic fabrics like kota cotton and malmal. The fabrics had been sourced from Gujarat, Andhra and Rajasthan. My collection is prêt and western, however it is inspired by traditional silhouettes. The ambarkha inspired tunic of this collection is an example of western clothing inspired by traditional silhouettes. I also love working with Indian traditional techniques and have experimented with them in this collection. I have used techniques like pleating, roosching, hand beading and hand block printing. Most of the garments in the collection are also hand spun and hand stitched. The collection is very earthy and warm. I strongly believe in the concept of ‘less is more’. Hence, my garments are clean and simple. They have a zen like quality. This season I have created separates which are easy, comfortable and stylish. The garments are very light and the silhouettes are flowy yet structured.

•Where did you get your inspiration for this collection? Turkey. It is a beautiful and inspiring place. The vibrant and eclectic mood really influenced me. I had already started visualizing my pieces. The blue mosque and the Sufi aura there influenced me the most. I was in love with the Sufi tradition. The Sufi dance, music, literature, architecture and heritage really allured me.

Fashion Designer Urvashi Kaur talks to Ramp Rhythms about her collection and inspiration.

•How long did it take to come up with the collection? The inspiration for the collection and the ideas were already setting free in my mind for quite some time. About six months prior to the fashion week, I started to pen down my thoughts which then lead to the sketching and fabric sourcing. Once that was done, it took us around another two months for the collection to be finally ready.

•What are your favourite colors and fabrics you like to work with most? I really like to work with Indian textiles, especially handloom fabrics. When it comes to colors, I prefer natural dyes and earthy colors. I also admire the European sensibilities of color.

•What do you like best about designing clothes? The idea of being able to create something from nothing; the idea of being able to turn a vision or a dream into reality; the idea of each day being exciting. Designing beautiful pieces and making people feel confident and look beautiful makes me feel empowered.

•What is the most challenging part about designing? It is quite easy to come up with an idea and to sketch something beautiful out of the blue. What is difficult is the customer research. Finding out if the clients will like and admire the collection; if the silhouettes will be accepted and if the collection will fit the price points. However, as long as you enjoy what you are doing, no challenge is big enough.

•What are your plans for the future? I plan on opening a store of my own in the near future. I have already started working on it. I also wish to reach out to a larger audience and have a larger presence. •What style tips would you like to give our readers? The thing that is the most important to look fashionable and stylish is to be yourself. Know your personality, because it leads to more confidence. Realize your body type; create your own individuality and a distinct style statement.

Leading designer Samant Chauhan, has created a name for himself in the Indian fashion scene with his beautiful creations. His sub brand, Inspired by Rajputana, debuted three seasons back. This season at wills lifestyle India fashion week, he showcased his fourth collection inspired by the rajputana tribes. We could see birds, skull, feathers and other abstract tribal motif in his collection this season. Tell us a little about your journey since the brand was debuted and how the brand has grown since then. It has been an extraordinally extravagant journey. It is a bliss to be to able to do what you enjoy. Over the years, I, as a designer along with the brand have really grown and reached a higher platform. Each season, I have tried to bring a new concept of Rajputana through my collection and the theme this time was tribal. My collections have become more refined and polished. The garments have become heavier and a lot of detailing is now done on my pieces. The brand has also become more value added. What signature elements define Samant Chauhan collection? Well, first of all, is my belief in sticking to the traditional roots. Nowadays, most people are going firang, but I strongly believe in preserving and following the traditional Indian cultures. This is also evident from my collections. The fabrics used for my garments are all weaved in the district of Bhagalpur. The textures, techniques, embroidery and zari work is all done in Bhagalpur. Infact, that is the core of my brand. I also encourage eco-friendly, organic colors. Using natural and subtle colors is my brand philosophy that will never change. What about designing do you enjoy the most? The whole journey of coming up with a concept, dreaming of the final collection, sketching to finalizing is enjoyable. Designing is an adventure. You find new things everyday to get inspired by. However the most pleasing part is that all the fashion devotees and my customers are able to feel the fashion through my pieces. What are your future plans? I plan on keeping my sub brand of rajputana ongoing. I see my brand as almost established in the market. I will be showcasing my collections for two more seasons at will lifestyle India fashion week. This will hopefully make my brand fully established in the market. After these two seasons, I plan on looking for another platform to showcase my collections, probably at couture week.

Conversing with the Bhagalpur weaves Samant Chauhan who showcased his collection on day 2 of wills lifestyle India fashion week talks to Ramp Rhythms about his inspiration and his love for the Indian traditions.

The edgy and innovative designer Kanika Saluja, is driven by an innate passion for individual style. Her pursuit for excellence, design and innovation coupled with wearability and affordability makes her an affluent designer.

After having studied in the Philadelphia College of textile design and engineering, she started with her own brand named ‘Nikki’. She achieved much success in the states but then eventually decided to come back to India to be closer to her family. In India, she then started with a new line called ‘Annaika’. Her leading brand, Annaika is all about making a woman comfortable in her own skin yet fashionably experimental. Her collections are edgy yet feminine and beautiful. Kanika Saluja through her designs has redefined punk chic. She makes women appear sensual yet powerful. “A women must always be the best of herself and must love and embrace her inner self. My brand is all about celebrating the empowerment of women. The grand designs and too many embellishments on the outfits are my way of celebrating womenhood”, says Kanika Saluja. Annaika’s spring summer 14 collection which was showcased at wills lifestyle India fashion week was titled ‘Shivohum’. The designer did Indian ethnic wear this season. When asked the designer about the inspiration she said, “Today the society is more conscience about their thoughts and mind. They are aiming at being more aware of their inner being. Shivohum is all about feeling and exploring the body, mind and soul.” Her spiritual inspiration was clearly evident through her silhouettes, drapes and colors. When asked Kanika Saluja, what advice would she give to all the fashion lovers, she said, “Be confident and be close to your inner self because what you think is what you wear.” She believes that we are the creator and destroyer of ourselves. Our journey inside our souls decides our lives. Hence, we must create our thoughts and make our lives beautiful.

Individualistic Obsession

Accessory Salads Ramp Rhythms

CLUTCHES In the fashion world, clutches have become a majorly important accessory for any outfit. They add a finishing touch to any look, may it be formal, party or casual. There is no need to carry large bags around to keep your much needed things in; clutches are just the right accessory. On the Indian ramp this season, clutches got an entirely new look with rich fabrics, ethnic detailing, vibrant colors and traditional motifs. The designers who decided to pair their garments with this big trend were Aneeth Arora who had vintage style clutches, Charu Parashar with embellished gold clutches, Niharika apandey with quirky cross body clutches, Rajdeep Ranawat with bird shaped clutches and Ruchika Sachdeva with portfolio style clutches.

CUFF BRACELETS The fashion from ancient Greece has found its way back on ramp this season. The trend of modernized classic cuff bracelet made its appearance during many designer shows during the wills lifestyle India fashion week. It is a great trend and adds a touch of style and edge to any outfit. One bold cuff is enough to make a statement. These bracelets can be studded, jeweled, textural or sleek. The variations of the cuff bracelet seen on ramp were beaded cuffs by Gautam Gupte, heavily embellished cuffs by Kanika Saluja, bright colored geometric print cuffs by Rajdeep Ranawat, tassesled cuffs by Rinku Sobti and timeless gold cuff bracelets by Charu parashar and Priyanka Kakkar.

SUNGLASSES Sunglasses have always been a top trend during spring summer, however, this season we saw sunglasses going retro. Along with wayfarers, aviators and round glasses, it was cat eye glasses that were big on the ramp. A pair of sunglasses is a must have for summers. May it be from retro looks to aviator styles, sunglasses can complete your look. Designers like Ashinshn Soni, Paras and Shalini and Virtues opted for cat eye framed sunglasses. Designers like Jenjum Gadi and Ruchika Suchdeva opted for round sunglasses. Niharika Pandey settled with aviators, Shantanu Singh with transparent frame rimless sunglasses and Rajdeep Ranawat customized round sunglasses to fruit shape framed sunglasses.

STATEMENT EARRINGS Statement jewellery has been in fashion for a long time and after this season we can conclude that the trend of statement jewellery is here to stay. However, in the past seasons, more attention was given on statement neckpieces, but the focus of spring summer 14 was statement earrings. These are a timeless, modern and an ageless essential. Teamed them with any outfit, they can just as easily turn your casual look to evening wear. A lot of designers has large statement earrings paired with their garments. Charu Parashar had gold jali earrings, Dolly J’s collection had double hoop earrings, Joy Mitra had jhumkas, Malini had gilded earrings, Pia Pauro had beaded thread tassel dropped earrings, Shantanu Singh had dangling earrings with circular drops and Yogesh Choudhary had long dangling earrings in geometric shapes.

Niharika Pandey Ruchika Sachdeva

Yogesh Chaoudhary Pia Pauro Mailini Ramani Shantanu Singh

Shantanu Singh Virtues

Kanika Saluja Priyanka Kakkar Rajdeep Ranawat Rinku Sobti

Niharika Pandey Radeep Ranawat Radeep Ranawat Ruchika Sachdeva

HEADGEARS Headgears were a huge trend this season. Afterall, there is nothing like braving the sunny weather in headgears. This season we saw many designers following this trend. From tropical to futuristic, from tribal to sporty, all variations of the headgears were seen. The baseball caps was widely favored by designers. Josh Goraya, Sanchita, Niharika Pandey and Shweta Kapoor were some of the designers who showcased baseball caps. Niharika Pandey opted for demin baseball caps whereas, Shweta Kapoor went with studded baseball caps. As florals, were a major trend this season, the designers also had floral headgears. Anupama Dayal, Paromita Banerjee and Rajdeep Ranawat went floral with the headbands. Another trend in headgears which was seen was hats. Surendri’s futuristic larger than life wide rimmed hats, Aneeth Arora’s and Hemant and Nandita’s straw hats created quite a flutter. Some designers like Charu Parashar, Gauri and Nainika, Aneeth Arora and Paromita Banerjee used printed scarves to be tied as turbans and headbands. There were many other headgear variations seen on the ramp like Rehane’s metallic studded headbands, Crochet caps with danglers and beaded hair bands.

Anupama Dayal

Aneeth Arora

Paromita Banerjee

Rehane

Shweta Kapoor

Yogesh Chaudhary

BAREFOOT THONGS This season, on the Indian ramp, we saw foot wear replaced by foot accessories. Foot thongs were the hottest and trendiest piece and atleast one designer on each day followed this trend. Summers are all about showing off your pedicured feet. Foot thongs will make you look chic no matter what they are paired with. The designers who nailed this trend were Anupama Dayal who showcased foot thongs made with ribbons, Paromita Banerjee showcased crochet foot thongs and Zubair Kirmani showcased foot thongs made with bright colored threads.

BROGUES In the category of flats, brogues are a great alternative. This classic style of shoes have been borrowed from men. Brogues are comfortable, simple and chic and are an ideal day shoes for women. They make any of your outfit look appealing. Brogues can simply be paired with anything, the styling options are endless. One can contrast the masculinity of the look by wearing flowy dresses and skirts or one can embrace the androgyny look. The designers who followed this trend were Aneeth Arora with glittery brogues, Sanchita with bright hued brogues and Nida Mahmood with tan colored brogues.

Sanchita Aneeth Arora Nida Mahmood

Zubair Kirmani Anupama Dayal Paromita Banerjee

Hair and Makeup

Fashion weeks is not just about clothes, but also about makeup, hair and accessories. This season on the wills lifestyle India fashion week ramp, we saw a lot of innovative makeup trends. Right from dark smokey eyes with a hint of colour at Akaaro and Paromita Bannerjee to sleek, simple almost naked cheeks and lips with shimmering eyes at Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna to deep-deep scarlet red lips and defined brows at Ashish Soni to Pankaj & Nidhi's super glossy eyes and nude lips, everything was gorgeous. Ramp Rhythms interviewed a professional makeup artists regarding the trends that were hot thi season and some tips. •Which makeup trends were 'in' this season at wills? This season was all about nude makeup. The makeup was kept minimal with focus on either the eyes or lips. The matte finished red lips were commonly seen on the ramp. For the eyes, winged eyeliner was the big style. Even smoky eyes and colored eyeshadows with shimmer on the inner and outer corner of the eye were seen on the ramp. •Which hairstyle trends were 'in' this season at wills? As it was spring summer season the hairstyle were simple and hassle free. Pulled back hair or sleek straight hair was in. When talking about pulled back hair, the styles that were seen on models were messy low bun, middle parted low bun, side bun, top knots, curled updo’s, chignons and braids. •What are your opinions on the hair and makeup styles seen on the ramp? Minimalism is what this season was all about. The makeup was very natural and subtle. The hairstyles were trendy as well as the perfect styles for summers. No makeup or hairstyle was overly done. •What is the most important beauty advice you would give? Follow the trend of ‘barely there’ makeup. It is important to let your skin breathe. •Can you give a brief tutorial on any one of the makeup trends seen this seen at wills? One of trend that made waves on ramp this season were the smoky eyes. One can play with the different shades of black to achieve the perfect smoky eyes look. Choose the lightest shade of eye shadow and apply on eyelids. Then move onto darker shade. Work at the top of your lid. Use finger to blend. Use dark eyeliner for the top lids. Blend it into the bottom lid for a smokey look. Conclude it with voluminous mascara. • Can you give a brief tutorial on any one of the hairstyle trends seen this seen at wills? The design brand Romance was born pulled off the wet look. These are the tips to achieve that look. Use a mousse, gel or a styling cream with a bit of hold in it so it creates the shine and piece-y-ness that resembles naturally wet hair. Towel-dry your hair before you work a styling product into it, to rid locks of excess water. The mousse or gel already has a certain amount of moisture built in, you don't need more. Create a side part and tuck it behind the ear so that it frames your face.

Ramp Rhythms