Dazzling hues in focus

Day three of ‘Blender’s Pride Bangalore Fashion Week’, held recently at Hotel Lalit Ashok, saw many young designers of the country showcasing collections that were full of life — playing around with colours, fabrics and designs in both ethnic and western wear.

As is the case with most fashion shows, the evening began two hours late with Chaitali Biplab’s ‘Charcoal’ collection. This comprised a stunning mix-and-match of outfits to create Indo-western formal looks, using Indian weaves and motifs. ‘Thread Craft’, a combined effort of Vatsala, Avinash and Rupa G, followed; it showcased a bridal collection for men and women that embodied contemporary royalty. The peacock headgear worn by showstopper Sindhu Loknath as an ornament was interesting but confusing.

Susanta and Soumik’s ‘Cinderella’ was full of flowing tunics and dresses in shades of rust and off-white, a trendy take on the appeal of clothes that aren’t perfectly fitted. This was followed by the bright range of dresses, tunics, bikinis and halters from Lalita and Amit Gupta’s ‘Sheer Delight’ collection, that made most of the audience members want to throw away their winter clothes and prepare for summer.

Neha Modi’s collection, ‘The Classic Palette’, stuck true to its name and comprised a glittery and well-embellished collection of dresses, lehenga and ghagra saris in light shades of pink, green, yellow and orange. Each model walked with a big flower on the head, an interesting feminine touch to the look. Pastel colours, zardosi work and corset-like blouses made her designs appealing.

On this collection, Thoshna, a visitor, remarks, “I don’t know if the models were prettier or the dresses. It really reflected Indian grandeur and we got to see a lot of her work in 20 minutes.”

Khushboo Nirmal Chhadwa’s bridal collection, Aariana, saw some very unique drapes for the saris, slits in the anarkali and blouses with plunging backs, which created a bold and glamourous look. Abhishek Dutta’s earthy works transported one to Kolkata, with the models sporting red bindis on their foreheads and neatly-cut outfits in shades of white and red. A daring collection, it saw men wearing churidaars, lehengas with frills and even bikinis worn under open jackets.

The cherry on the cake was the evening’s finale — Rina Dhaka’s designs, which were inspired by the tribal community of India. Body paint, traditional motifs used freely on skirts and kurtas and intricate embroidery and mirror-work made this a visual treat for all present.     The audience members, especially the young girls of marriageable age, were very impressed by the collections of the day.

“In general, most of the clothes showcased today are nice. The colours are very pretty and the designs are heavy enough to wear to formal occasions. My personal favourite was the ‘Threadcraft’ collection because of the gorgeous work done on the saris,” notes Neha Goyal, an audience member.