The second and third day of the ‘Blender’s Pride Bangalore Fashion Week’ seemed more organised than the first day. Some of the designs that stood out on day two and three were that of Australian designer Dianna Marjana Kovacevic, whose label Sarikini, gave new meaning to the traditional sari. One of the designs of Sarikini is a mini-sari, where the fabrics used are Indian but the cuts are western.
“It is meant for women who have a tough time wearing the sari. You don’t have the trouble of wrapping it around or tucking it in. You have clips that will hold it in place. The second line was short dresses in leopard prints, velvet with sequins and lace,” explained Dianna, whose idea to design a mini-sari was born out of her own experiences of wearing a sari.
Another catchy line was the resort wear by designer Pria Kataaria Puri. Titled ‘Luxury Resort Collection’, it was an attempt to get the wearer to reinvent themselves. The inspiration is Oriental and tropical flowers like cherry blossoms, azaleas, and camellias. “It’s a luxury resort wear and the clothes are perfect for a bright sunny day by the beach. The colours range from neon greens, sunny yellows and tomato reds to monochromatic black and whites. The idea is to feel one with nature,” said Rhea Puri.
Designer Shallabh Mittal presented a range of western dresses under his label ‘Shallabh Radhika’. Each piece and design was unique in its own way, in terms of design and cut. “The highlight of the collection is the hand embroidery and the weaves. There’s a lot of work around the neckline and the border,” observed Shallabh.
Hyderabad-based designer Sagar Tenali’s fusion wear aimed at changing the dressing sense of the Indian male. “My collection has a lot of fusion sherwanis and I think it’s high time men get over their monotonous style of dressing and try out something new. I’ve lavishly used ikat and zardosi work, which are available in plenty in Hyderabad,” he says. Sagar added, “For women, my focus is Parikene lehenga and the half-sari.”
Designer Ramesh Dembla said he consciously underplayed the bling in his latest line of traditional Indian wear.
“The collection is wearable. I’ve toned down the bling and the colours are
subtle. There’s a lot of practicality packed into the collection,” he said.
Designer Chandni Kumari Singh worked around organic material to create a line of off-white traditional wear. Chandini explained, “The clothes that I make are not fitted, they are suitable for all shapes and sizes. It’s always nice to wear something organic, light yet attractive. That’s what I have to offer.”
By the end of the last show on day three, it seemed like people had shifted their Saturday night party to the venue of ‘Bangalore Fashion Week’ for one had to literally elbow one’s way out of the venue.