The rest of the GenNext show was mediocre (and I’m being lenient). Some of the garments displayed took our breath away by the sheer lack of design sense while some others comprised such cheap fabric and surface ornamentation that we were left appalled (and slightly irritated). Ok, to be fair, there was a tiny part of the show that did feature wonderful style trends that had a lot of potential to be tapped. Let me take a quick moment to mention two designers (not GenNext) who not only showed fabulous collections but also were a pleasure to interact with after the show. Warm, welcoming, humble and extremely patient with all the questions and small talk we put them through…I’m kidding! Clandestine Cigarettes make for wonderful company‼ Anyhoo, I hope they remain the same a few years down the line when they’re hotshot designers showing in Selfridges.
So Ankyra by Priyanka Kakkar was a treat to the eyes starved for fine design sensibility. TEAL TEAL TEAL! She took the hottest colour of the blue-green palette and used it in stunning fabric to retain (and nourish) the richness of the colour. Velvets provided the classic touch to an already royal collection and there was an interesting combination of surface ornamentation and draping, of creative pattern making and play of seams in simple shift silhouettes.
She made a smart decision to avoid accessories altogether. The garments were left to speak for themselves and that’s what was required!
Two thumbs up to Priyanka Kakkar! I guess the NIFT language spoke loud and clear (errm yeah I forgot to mention the tiny fact about her being a NIFT Delhi alumnus).
Raman Vij was an absolute darling! Shy and humble, and one of THE most brilliant knitwear designers we’ve met (and we know what we’re talking about, as ahem…we’re knitwear designers from NIFT Mumbai ourselves :D) His flat knit structures had us wondering what commands he used on the knitwear machines to have them belt out such mindblowing knit-purl designs. He combined knits with woven fabric to create stunning patterns in (again) simple silhouettes. Get the drift guys? Keep the silhouette simple‼ Anyway, three cheers to Raman Vij.
Some of the other labels on display were Soltee (wannabe exquisite), Timsy (wannabe western…why Timsy, why?), Arti Vijaygupta (Nice garments, no cohesion in the collection..ergo, not a “collection”) and Mohit Dochania (Kitsch! Manish Arora! Mohammad Ali Road fabric! Bhendi Bazaar trims! But an honest effort...:-D)
Soltee, IPLFW May 2010
Left: One of the looks from Timsy's collection.
Above: Spotted a HOT footwear trend at the same show.
ArtiVijay Gupta and Mohit at IPLFW, May 2010
I wanted to write so much more! I wanted to write the quintessential fashion critique analysing in detail the designs, the shows, the models, the music, the style trends spotted and the merchandise on display. I wanted to talk more about the guests, the organisation of the fashion event and the general management of the event held in what is considered one of the fashion capitals of the world. I wanted to tell you more about the designers and their inspirations and ideas. There was so much I wanted to share with you about Clandestine’s day at the IPLFW but the one fact that stood out from the rest and blurred my objectivity toward the rest of the event is how Indian fashion is still struggling for an identity amongst all the so-called “evolved” fashion leaders of the global industry. We went to the IPLFW and saw some marvellous talent and some who were trying to make a mark. We saw some who were proud of their roots and refused to buy into the “When in Rome” syndrome, and then some who tried their hand at western tailoring and ended up in no-man’s-land with neither western nor Indian construction/elements of design/fabric/styling/design interpretation and execution. We couldn’t help shake off the feeling that the Indian fashion industry should stop trying to fight for acceptance in the western world. We have all the talent and resources we need (probably more) and we can definitely hold our own in the global fashion industry.
TD*DG
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