Innovative themes grab attention

The second and third day of the ‘Bangalore Fashion Week’ focussed on femininity and saw designers thinking out of the box.

Many new and up-and-coming designers showcased their collections on the second day but looking at the confidence on their faces, no one could make out they were debutantes.

The day started with Mahnaz Noorani kickstarting the event with her latest collection ‘Festive Indian Touch’. As the name suggests, the collection had exquisite anarkalis and lehengas in bright colours.

Trying to woo the college-going crowd was designer duo Shubhangi Pandey and Mandeep Litt with their collection ‘Typography’. The duo took inspiration from the English alphabet and the collection revolved around the story of a child suffering from dyslexia.

It was all about shocking pink for designer Pallavi Mahindra. Interestingly, she made the colour work on the semi-formal line, which she called ‘Arc’. Daniel Hechter was the international designer for the day and his line showcased very elegant European formal clothing.

The second day ended with Abdul Haldar and his latest ‘Summer/Resort Wear’. The chic designs for men and women saw a lot of jump suits, slinky dresses and buttoned pockets shirt, silk jackets and trousers teamed up with smart waist coats. He was the only designer with a celebrity showstopper. He had swimmer Rehan Poncha walk for him.

On the third day, two Bangalore-based designers, Neema Kumar  and Ramesh Dembla, showcased their collections. South African designer Mustafa Hassan Ali brought in the African flavour with his vivid designs, which were inspired by the 50 years of independence in Tanzania.

Debutante designer Sandeep Mukherjee from Kolkata wanted to showcase natural fabrics in his latest collection. Showcasing just khadi, the designer said, “It’s the most beautiful garment and the most challenging one. People just look at khadi and think of long kurtas and waist coats. But I want to change that perception through my collection.”
The highlight of the third day was actress Kulraj walking the ramp for Ramesh Dembla. “I was a model before and after a long time, I am returning to the ramp. It feels good and the excitement of getting closer to the audience is undescribable,” said Kulraj.

Mumbai-based designer Swapnil Shinde ended the show with his latest collection, which was inspired by sound waves. He candidly admitted that it was VJ Mia, who was the inspiration and muse for this collection. “Mia was the showstopper for my first show. So it is kind of obvious that she had to be my showstopper today,” he added.