JOIN USThe ‘Whites and Pastels’ collection recreates the regal splendour of ethnic clothes, using elaborate chikankari work on contemporary designs. The kurtas have intricate detailing, elegant patterns and a gossamer feel. The predominant fabrics which have been used as part of the collection are cotton and a blend of cotton and silk.
A unique blend of ethnic and contemporary, this collection offers an exciting, summery-fresh range of Indian and western wear.
The range of clothes includes tunics, tops, spaghetti tops, dresses, short kurtas, jackets, skirts and long kurtas with interesting details such as bell sleeves, crochet-edging, noodle straps and mukaish work.
“The craft of chikankari, one of the most popular traditional embroidery techniques in India, is beautifully highlighted in this collection along with other craft such as applique, kalamkari or khari print. The response that we are getting is great, especially since the collection has a wide range of choices. With the onset of the summer, I am sure many people will want to pick up clothes that are light and refreshing,” says Renu Kalevar from Fabindia.
The collection is inspired by several styles and handicraft. Chikankari is not the only style of work that has been incorporated into the collection — there are also traces of the ancient art of origami and ceramic work. Fabric textures have been created using inverted pleating and pin-tucks. The colour palette for the collection explores beyond the quintessential white — there are also touches of pale, neutral colours like off-whites, ecru, grey, peach tones and other natural hues.
The kurtas for both men and women can be teamed with dupattas and stoles — with fine chikankari jaals and placement motifs — in white. For special occasions, one can pick from a variety of chanderi khari print dupattas accentuated with a touch of gold or silk dupattas with chikankari and mukaish work.
This summer collection offers a wide variety of choices for the entire family. But the highlight would be the beautiful range for women. The collection has long and short kurtas with classic chikankari patterns for men, along with kurtas, dhoti sets, dresses, tops and frocks for children.
Manjula, Final Year, BSc Fashion and Apparel Designing, Vogue Institute of Technology, wore a white U-neck chikankari anarkali with a yoke. She teamed it with a sea-green knitted churidar and a sea-green cut-work dupatta.
Punchline: “I like the fact that this outfit is so elegant. The dupatta is gorgeous and the delicate work on the kurta makes it all the more appealing. It can be worn for a traditional occasion — since it is white, it will be the perfect choice for a nice evening party.”
Price: Anarkali (Rs 2,390); knitted leggings (Rs 530) and dupatta (Rs 2,990).
Harshith, Final Year, BSc Fashion Designing, Vogue Institute of Fashion and
Technology, wore a cotton mangal-print super short kurta. He clubbed it with a
silk sleeveless waistcoat , black linen pants and jootis.
Punchline: “The linen pants fit me well and the jacket adds a lot of edge to the entire look. The jacket can be worn both casually and formally. The colours suit me. I will definitely come back to this shop.”
Price: Black linen pants (Rs 1,290); mangal-print kurta (Rs 460); silk waistcoat (Rs 1,930) and jootis
Chetan, Final Year, BSc Fashion Designing, Vogue Institute of Fashion and Technology, wore a printed kurta in silk, which he teamed with a ready-made dhoti and a burnt-red silk and khadi stole.
Punchline: “Wearing a pair of jeans everyday can get monotonous — a dhoti is a welcome change. Teamed with a nice kurta, it looks very stylish. I really like my look, it is very different.”
Price: Silk kurta (Rs 1,890); silk khadi stole (Rs 2,290) and cotton dhoti (Rs 530).
(Rs 1,290).
Aakansh, Final Year, BBM, Jain CMS, wore a white chikankari long kurta, a white churidar and teamed it with a cotton stole. The look was completed with a pair of
kolhapuri slippers.
Punchline: “The work on the kurta is breathtaking — it is delicate and adds a whole lot of volume to the outfit. Since it is white, it can be teamed with churidars and stoles of various colours.”
Price: Chikankari kurta (Rs 1,760); cotton stole (Rs 390); cotton churidar(Rs 490) and leather
kolhapuri slippers (Rs 830).
Chandana, Final Year, Electrical engineering, JSS Academy of Technical Education, opted for a long cotton kalamkari-print skirt, a red-quilted jacket in muga silk and a bandhni silk dupatta.
Punchline: “It is extremely elegant and has an ethnic appeal to it. The skirt is beautiful and very comfortable. I have never worn a jacket with a skirt before but
it looks very trendy.”
Price: Cotton kalamkari skirt (Rs 1,160); red quilted jacket (Rs 1,690) and silk bandhni dupatta (Rs 1,230).
Athira, First Year, BSc Fashion Designing, Vogue
Institute of Technology, wore a sleeveless cut-work silk-cotton peach dress with a square neckline and polka dots.
Punchline: “The dress is simple and extremely comfortable. It can be teamed with some nice jewellery. Summer dresses are very common now, but this one is better than the rest — it is light and summery.”
Price: Dress (Rs 1,890)