Of cut, colours and contours

fine collections

Every designer at the sixth edition of Blenders Pride Fashion Tour in the City dared to create something different, especially for the show.

The extensive advertising in terms of hoardings drew a large number of people who chose to spend their Saturday night at the show.

All the designers played around with colours, cuts and designs. It was unlike the usual Western or even the Indian line. The finesse and imagination of most designers shone through their collection. They spoke very little but they'd said whatever they had to through their collection.

The first day had four designers – Ashish N Soni, Surily Goel, Nandita Mahtani and Wendell Rodricks. Most of them had also designed keeping in mind that it was the festive season. Barring a few regular Bangalore models, most of the models were roped in from across the country.

The evening opened with Surily Goel's Indian collection titled, Psychedelia. The calm of the designer was reflected in her designs. She's known for her bling but this time she'd thought she would keep the collection light and subtle. The saris, lehengas, cholis… were all given a different twist. She used a lot of bright colours such as gold, aqua, emerald green, red. “These colours suit the Indian complexion. I make sure I focus on the cuts and styling to give the garment a different feel. And my collection is meant for the festival season," says Surily.

Ashish N Soni's collection was meant to be loud, hard-hitting and glamourous. That the Indian men and women must look hot was what Ashish had in mind when he designed the line that comprised evening wear. There was an off white tuxedo that really stole the show, One would never have seen an off white tuxedo here in India. I attempted to break into that mould. I don't like categorising clothing as Indian and Western. I create for a global wearer,” Ashish reasoned. He adds, “It's all about designing for the new age wearer. They're smart and very choosy. Catering to their taste is a challenge in itself,” says Ashish, who played around with gold woven on leather, bright colours and a few dark shades as well.

Nandita Mahtani's collection was based on resort wear. Off shoulder Kaftans, short Kaftans with fun cuts and designs ruled her collection. The collection is in bright colours restricting the fabrics to georgettes, crepes, satins and lace. “I have made a conscious attempt to stick to the colour story with shades such as black, blue, emerald, tan, skin and a dash of white. And I give a lot of  importance to detailing, without which no garment is complete,” says Nandita.

 The best is always kept for the last and it was Wendell Rodricks' chance to scorch the ramp with his collection aptly titled, Eye Candy for it had loads of colours, funky cuts and designs. His work comprised crisp linens, soft jerseys and silks. “It’s a Western collection which has specifically been created for parties and night outs. Well, this time I have concentrated on creating something more for the boys. It's the cuts, style and the combination of colours that make it different," reasons Wendell.

   Those gathered at the event were more than impressed with the collection of each of the designers. “It's so colourful and the best part is that it's practical and wearable," said Nandita  Rao, a socialite.