India Fashion Week Highlights – March 2008 – Part 3

ROHIT BAL – Fashion Week Photos | Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week 2008 – Yahoo! India

ROHIT BAL Rohit Bal’s latest collection has been inspired by the tradition of wearing the eight metals together. ‘Ashta Dhatu’ as it’s rightly is complete with metallic hues like Gold, Metallic copper, Silver, Iron and lead. The silhouettes were kept very contemporary and international. The look of the collection is very dramatic and is very wearable. Bal created quite a stir in the last Fashion week with his collection ‘Siyahi’ and of course bringing the designers on the ramp. Some elements from the previous collections have also been incorporated to show a unique fusion.

I thought Rohit Bal designs were the most Theatrical. It seemed he was more into the Show. The Drama.

He showed some hoop skirt that were done in a totally different way. They sure weren’t wearing it this way in the 19th century…LOL

The skirt below looks like it is made out of gum wrappers. You know how we use to make bracelets out of gum wrappers at camp. Am I the only one who did that? I really like the look of it. The texture it gives it.

I like this jacket although I wish there was a closer look at it. I think the jacket and the skirt, although very different, seem to work juxtaposed next to one another. And as I said in an earlier blog about India Fashion week, the mutli layers, in this instance in the skirt, remind me of
layers and layers of colored tissue paper that were cut to make
decorations, like a flower.

Reminds me of the dress Christian created on Project Runway for the Hersey challange. Don’t you think so?

Another dress that reminds me of Christian. This one reminds me slightly of the Dress Christian made for that HIgh School girl in the Prom Dress challange except I like this dress more.

I love the skirt part of this dress. The copper swirls are just fabulous.

I like the sari part of the dress but not the shirt that goes with it. I would have preferred a light shimmering rose shirt, the color of the roses on the sari, to go with it.

VIKRAM PHADNIS – Fashion Week Photos | Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week 2008 – Yahoo! India

VIKRAM PHADNIS The first day first show of the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion week saw designs from Vikram Phadnis. The designs were very contemporary graced with a mix of vibrant blues browns. Dull orange and pastel green were also a fresh change. Phadnis is a popular bollywood designer and is has adorned many big names of the glamour industry.

It seems Vikram Phadnis was the theatrical headdress designer of India Fashion Week. The headress that he seemed to use throughout the show reminded me of a black metal version of Betty Rubble’s hairdo from The Flintstones…..Anyone else agree with me? Or do you have a better description?

I love this shirt/jacket. The pleating. The cinched in waist. I also like the skirt but not as much as the jacket.

I like this dress. But I especially love the inverted pleats and the bold color that peeks out from them.

GAURI & NAINIKA – Fashion Week Photos | Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week 2008 – Yahoo! India

GAURI & NAINIKA Gauri & Nainika offered us a look inspired by the chic that could be found in Paris after the WWII when the Grand Couturiers made women’s dreams come true again. The collection comprised essentially feminine dresses in body curve enhancing dramatic silhouettes. The designers showed slim-fitted pencil cocktail dresses and flowing evening gowns with eclectic folds, subtle drapes and sensual layering of fabrics.The waist was generally narrow and contrasted charmingly with the wide flowing, sometimes even trailing-behind skirts. A colour palette which would have been loved by Grace Kelly contained blushed pinks, acid greens, blood reds and classic blacks.

Dresses seem to be GAURI & NAINIKA’s specialty for this show.

Modern 21st century dress

The two dresses below are interpretations of a dress I could see Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly wearing were they alive in the 21st century.

The three dresses below all use the similar pattern and sheer netting material to give us versions of party dresses. Two cocktail dresses and one evening gown.

Which one of the India Fashion Week March 2008 designers or looks was your favorite?

India Fashion Week Highlights – March 2008 – Part 2

I explored further some of the designers that showed at India Fashion Week. Below I highlighted a few of the designers I liked and some of their designs that really stuck me.:

First let’s start with my favorite designer of India Fashion Week: PUJA ARYA

PUJA ARYA – Fashion Week Photos | Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week 2008 – Yahoo! India

PUJA ARYA ‘Guzel’, Turkish for beautiful – true to the title the Puja Arya’s collection was very feminine. A story of harmonious clothes where Rajasthan meets Turkey is emphasised by abstract motifs set against contrasting rich tones and hues of blacks, tile blue, orange, off whites and subdued gold in traditional bead work and sequence patterns. The garments were made fluid by the flirtatious sleeves in the gowns and dresses. Silhouettes revived the memories of the 60s at the same time were very contemporary as models showed off jackets, dresses in short and long lengths, quilted long skirts and quilted coats. The sarees were gorgeous and the prints from the inspiration along with dull gold and mellowed sequence work made them exotic.

I love this dress and the jacket. I would totally wear this for spring. Look at the great detailing on the jacket. The pleating, the buttons, the collar.

I love the unexpected color combinations used here. I don’t think you usually see this in Western designs. I also like the pattern on the bag and the bag itself is cute.

I am sooo in love with this coat!! The colors used,the silhouette, the inverted pleats…..Will someone buy it for me PLEASE!!

Lastly she showed several different takes on the Sari. On the left I love how she mixed textures and colors in an unexpected way. I would totally wear that Sari.
On the right I like how she used tie dye and sequins. Both of these could be kitsch and together even more so but I think she was able to make both work to create a beautiful garment.

PRASHANT VERMA – Fashion Week Photos | Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week 2008 – Yahoo! India

PRASHANT VERMA ‘Giant’ is Prashant’s tribute to the incomplete yet perfect mythology of James Dean. His work reflected an aggression of the youth yet retained an elegant spirit of a blossoming flower that dies young. The designer showed a multi-coloured, wide expanse of a fusion of style elements and carefully planned detailing. The silhouettes were fitted, baggy, balloon hems as well as floor length dresses. Fitted pants and wide leg pants both blended in the collection. The colour palette was picked from paint splashed on the walls of yesteryears. Blues, greens, orange, reds, blacks were all teamed with embellishments around the waistlines and necklines.

Here he uses the material from the dress, I highlighted in the first blog where I reviewed these shows, to make a coat. I love the explosion of color.

Another example of the technique or pattern he used, that I talked about in an earlier blog, of using a large face on the material. I like how he placed the face and I think it is a different idea which I appreciate. I like how he used it better in the dress on the right.

I like the pattern and material of this dress. I also like the top part but I’m not crazy about the asymmetrical hem.But that is just me. Anyone like the hem?

India Fashion Week Highlights – March 2008

India had a Fashion Week. How out of it am I? I had no idea they had a fashion week as well. I know I should get my head outta the sand or my eyes off of CNN and see what the rest of the world is up to. So here is my chance and maybe yours to look at some of the clothes. I thought some of the outfits were interesting. Then again some were typical of the Indian style ie the sari (the draping and the silhouette), sequins, lots of gold jewelry. What I did like about the Indian style is there use of color. Bold vibrant color. It makes the clothes look alive and inviting. Here are some that I liked:

I just like the Orange Jacket on the right in this picture:

India Fashion Week … pieces from the collections of Nitin Bal Chauhan and Prashant Verma. Photo:Reuters

I REALLY like this dress.

India Fashion Week … Prashant Verma’s collection. Photo: Reuters

I like the one on the right in the back that looks like it was made put
of gum wrappers. Designed in the way we use to make bracelets or
picture frames for out family while at summer camp. Anyone else but me
do that?

India Fashion Week … Rohit Bal’s collection. Photo: AFP

I like the mutli layers sleeves on the dress on the left. It reminds me of layers and layers of colored tissue paper that were cut to make decorations, like a flower.
I also like the Multi color pattern on the dress on the right. Bright colors mixed with earth tones. The pattern reminds me of those optical illusion pictures that draw you in and start to make you cross eyed.

India Fashion Week … pieces from the collections of Rohit Bal and Prashant Verma. Photo: Reuters

The dress to the right was reminiscent of Marion Cotillard’s Gaultier dress at the 2008 Oscars. Mermaid/fish scale look. Don’t you think?

India Fashion Week … Rohit Bal’s collection. Photo: AFP

Here are some more links to other sites that reviewed India Fashion Week:

Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Autumn-Winter ’08

Hindustan Times

Take a look and let me know what do you thought of the fashions of India?

The Black Coats are coming!!…….The Project Runway Season 4 Finale ends with the crowning of a Prince inspired by the 17th Century

Mini Recap* Note -Longer recap to come in a little while

So I’m sure it was no big surprise to anyone that Christian won the Season 4 Project Runway Finale Show. After seeing a few of the looks that were leaked/previewed after the Bryant Park shows of all 5 designers looks I predicted Christian would win. His look was the most creative and dramatic. Although during the show last night I thought Rami gave him a run for his money.

It was funny that for once I agreed with most everything the judges said. Jillian’s collection did look a bit disjointed but I was surprised and took a liking some of her knitwear. Rami’s colors weren’t chic enough for the clothes but he has amazing attention to detail and his evening wear is stunning. Christian’s look did get repetitive and monotonous after a while. I wrote as I was watching it “more black”, “more slim black pants” and finally “CHRISTIAN THERE OTHER COLORS THAN BLACK!!” But Christian knows how to bring the drama. He took the inspiration he got from the Spanish painting by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo of a 17th century military man that he used in Episode 11 when they went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He used it as a starting off point, expanded on the idea and went running with it. Not everyone maybe able to wear his clothing but I don’t think anyone can deny how creative he is.

I think this was the best project runway show so far. These designers so outdid the designers from the previous seasons. There were designers I liked from previous seasons, such as Jeffrey Sebelia from last season, but these guys certainly did take it up a notch. Maybe it was because this designers all had more experience than previous seasons but I could definitely see all 3 of them going on to be major designers.

Rami showed he so deserved to be there. From the pictures in the magazines and online I saw I thought I would be disappointed by him but I really liked his looks. Bravo to you Rami for being able to step outta the box. Christians looks from the magazine and online soooo blew me away so maybe it was anti climactic for me because I had already seen some of the great ones. He really does knows how to put on a show and bring the fierceness and fabulousity (having the quality of fabulousness to an unbearable extreme). Unfortunately, Jillian was my least favorite. Although I was impressed with some of her designs, it was not on the same level I was with Rami and then Christian. Christian did surprise me at the end by pulled a Ricky before he was announced the winner. He started to tear up. Then he balled when they announced him as the winner. Oh just a couple of “Crying Shames“.