JOIN USIndian Institute of Fashion Technology (IIFT), Bangalore, showcased the works of 125 graduating designers of the college at Chowdaiah Memorial Hall recently, with choreography by Gautam Pavate.
What was most striking about the ensemble was the sheer number of colours, cuts, themes and designs seen at the show.
While some went for a bold, unconventional look, others stuck to more familiar terrains and played around with simple patterns and fabrics. There was no shortage of sources for inspiration — themes included masquerades, the streets of Paris, tribes from various parts of the world, kalamkari, mermaids, historical figures, dark goddesses and Pharaohs among others.
The idea was to allow the garment to tell the designer’s story. “After creating the design, I took two days to source the material and three to four days to stitch the outfit and put it together. My inspiration was lord Shiva and I wanted to place him in today’s world. So, the dress is of a contemporary Shiva, with a few traditional trademarks retained,” informs Allwyn Issac, a third-year BSc student of fashion and apparel design.
His batchmate, Ashwini K V, shares her perspective. “I’m deeply interested in stone sculptures and the temples of South India and for my graduation project, I took inspiration from the Shilabalika temple in Belur, Karnataka,” she says.
“I’ve portrayed the sculptures using georgette, pearls and embellishments. The entire process, from conceptualisation to execution, has taken me two months and it’s been the most tense but interesting period of my college life. It was exciting to see my creation being showcased on the ramp and watching the audience respond so positively,” adds Ashwini.
Faculty members and staff of the college also expressed their pride at seeing the outfits created by the students they themselves had trained.
“This is the result of the hard work of our students during their time in the college. All that they have learnt has finally culminated into this presentation and it makes us proud to send them out into the industry to establish themselves and set new trends,” notes B Vedhagiri, director, IIFT.