Call of coral

The peachy orangish hue is on a high, with ‘living coral’ being crowned the Pantone Colour of the Year 2019

Pleasing, pretty, puckerish. Coral wears an edgy zing about itself, as it elevates you into an upbeat mood pronto, whether it is your pick of cocktail dresses, ravishing lehengas or spiffy shirts. Cue into ways in which you can weave in the bright colour into your wardrobe...

Closet call

The delicious hue of coral spills its happiness into your wardrobe this coming season as well with designers working their collections around it. “Coral is a vibrant colour,” says fashion designer Chandni Sahi, whose latest collection ‘Modern Roots’ plays up the hue in geometrics and abstracts in a superb mix of chanderi and georgette. The silhouettes range from shararas with crop tops and capes, to lehengas and angrakhas.

“The deeper coral looks fabulous on Indian skin and works superbly for the bridal trousseau. You can even bring in diamond and coral jewellery with an all-white ensemble for a fun and upbeat vibe, though the extremely bright coral shade can be given a miss as it simply makes us look a little darker,” adds Chandni.

Play it up

Fresh and feminine, coral is a fabulous and flirty companion to gold. Says fashion designer Krupa Kapadia, “Pair it with intricate gold embroidery and metallic hand block printed motifs for a fresh look. Pick up tassel earrings in the colour, or a belt bag in coral paired with neutrals, or a basic t-shirt in the hue coupled with denim. Clothing in which there is a contrast coral piping, or even buttons, or maybe even earrings can simply visually lift your outfit.” She suggests skipping a dark coloured inner while slipping on a sheer coral dress or a top. “It completely kills the look. When you wear coral, let it do all the talking. Never bring in too many other colours into your appearance,” she cautions.

Bag it

Sonika Tapkire of San Calpa vouches for the versatility of the colour that works well both for evening as well as morning wear. “A coral bag with a white outfit gives an eye-popping edge to your appearance,” says Sonika. The idea is to colour-block using a coral shirt with a pair of well-fitting white trousers or camel pants. “Since the colour is bright, you can avoid heavy embroidery on it. Ensure your make-up meets the coral quotient. Subtle make-up can make you look pale,” she adds. Try a warm coral blush, or a zing of eye shadow for a warm, young feel; or sport a sophisticated, chic look with coral lips.

Contrast call

Says Adarsh Makharia of label Osaa, “Coral looks modern as a primary colour and works beautifully as a secondary colour as well, flattering all age groups. You can wear a coral dupatta with a red or midnight blue lehenga. A midnight blue outfit from top to bottom with just coral-coloured accessories also lends you a rather edgy and stylish look. For a masculine feel, use coral as an accent to navy blue.”