Fashion is all ebony and ivory

From Lady Gaga-esque structures to traditional angarakhas, there was a variety of silhouettes on display in the Spring-Summer 2011 collections, though there was no burst of colour on the ramp, with most designers favouring shades of ebony and ivory.

Wendell Rodericks stuck to his trademark pastel shades and flowy asymmetrical designs with his collection, ‘The Kunbi Tribe’, where he showcased the “re-invented” Kunbi saree, nine yards of white hand spun cotton adorned with stripes of colour on the borders.

Central theme

“The Kunbi saree was the central theme running through the collection, but I decided to include dresses and tunics in the collection to give it a contemporary edge,” said the Goan designer.

While most designers infused Indian inspirations into their collection, Amit Aggarwal chose to go the other way, combining latex and metal with cotton to create structured dressed with over-the-top sleeves and bustles.

The grey and beige dresses were shot with accents of fluorescent red and yellow along with metallic pipings.

Kavita Bhartia’s collection ‘Trans-Global’, began on a sober note with nude chiffons, which gave way to psychedelic colour and gowns in jewel tones teamed with printed tights. “The line has influences from different cultures and places, so it’s all about a bohemian woman who travels a lot and experiences life,” said the designer about her inspiration.

Designer Anju Modi’s collection however was far from bohemian. Anarkalis were a staple in the collection which was dominated by a colour palette of white, blue and black.
Anand Bhushan’s collection called ‘Gridlock’ was a western line for women. Tone-on-tone texturing with linen is the dominant fabric and a pastel colour palette marked the collection.

Aneeth Arora, who was the first designer to showcase on Day 2, is known for working with traditional textiles and this time her collection will feature jamdanis from West Bengal and Sanganeri block prints from Rajasthan, in a colour story principally set in white, grey and black.