Simple and elegant

Fashion week

The best designs were kept for the last and the shows were rather rushed. Somehow, the organisers seemed to be in a hurry to finish it all off. However, the show gathered momentum towards late evening with more people pouring in.

The fashion was not really high and the style quotient jarred too. It seemed too soon but the razzle- dazzle and hype settled down, making it easy for a dispassionate evaluation of the event.

The collections on show were stunning. And unlike the last few BFW shows, the collection showcased by each of the designers this time were practical and wearable. It had less of embellishments and heavy work.

They had consciously kept it simple and elegant.  

Among the designers, the collection by Gopa and Sajda Rahmani, titled, Jharokha which was inspired by the Mughal era with a slight finish of British colonial period. There were skirts, lehengas, anarkalis made of fabrics with Indian textures and embroidery. The motifs used were inspired by the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal. “We have used a lot of block printing in our outfits along with hand-made embroidery. The fabrics used are mainly silk, georgette and brocade. The idea is to liven up an era gone by,” says Gopa.

Delhi-based designer Jyothi Sharma's Bhanuni, meaning a charming girl, is a neat blend of modernism and femininity. Her work is the winter festive collection. “I have based my collection on the black and white colours because I believe that amidst all that is black and white, the only hope left for us is ‘green’ and hence you will see a shade of green with black and white,” explains Jyothi.

Michielle Salins’ work titled, Jewel Tones Of India includes gowns, cocktail dresses and cocktail sarees. Silk has been used in the entire collection — mainly velvet, satin silk and crape. “A lot of beads, sequins, pearls and Swarovski crystals have been used in the outfits. Jewel colours have been used in the outfits. I have generously used a lot of pinks, purple, sapphire blues, fuchsia in the collection,” says Michielle. 

Aslam Khan stole the show with his variations of off whites in the outfits. The designs might seem a little heavy but they’re wearable and truly elegant. Every outfit is textured and no hand- embroidery has been used. He has concentrated on piping, finishing, texturing and silhouettes. It had a blend of maroon and mustard along with off-white in the collection.  

The show also had the models walk the ramp wearing the best of diamond designs. Diamond designs of various jewellery designers were showcased during the show.