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Five Fashion Week Must Have Accessories

Fashion week is one of my favorite times of the year. With all of the amazing sartorial inspiration, unbelievably beautiful models and dozens of parties, what is not to love? The fifteenth edition of Lakme Fashion Week (Summer/Resort 2015) is upon us. The festivities begin next Wednesday, the 18^th of March, and continue until the end of the week – a truly fashionable fiesta, if I may say so.

Glitz and glamour aside, fashion week can be exhausting after the first two days of late nights, running around in high heels and skipping lunch. This year, keep these five accessories on your person at all times to make fashion week more fun and less frantic.

Oversize Sunglasses

Nothing screams chic like a pair of oversized sunnies, but this accessory has a greater purpose too – it is the best thing in your handbag for covering those dark eye bags after a night of partying. Plus, it saves you the hassle of having to apply intense eye makeup before an early morning show. Pair your sunglasses with a bold lipstick and you are good to go.

Bottled Water

In the midst of running from show to show and making friends with the who’s who of fashion, we often forget to get our daily dose H2O, which is an essential all year round. Instead of scouring around for water once you are absolutely parched, carry a small bottle of this magic potion in your handbag so that you can stay hydrated from morning to night.

Multipurpose Stain

If you have a passion for fashion, you know that the week is going to keep you on your toes from morning till night. How does a girl find the time to apply and reapply her makeup in the midst of all of the mayhem? The trick is to keep it as simple as possible. Stick to products that are as compact as possible and can be used for more than one thing. I love a good cheek stain because it lasts for hours on end and can also double up as a lip colour. I definitely recommend that you purchase one, pronto!

Portable Charger

To my mind, the only thing that is worse than runny lipstick is having your mobile phone run out of juice when you really, really need it. And let’s be honest – we always need it and even more so during fashion week. I mean, how are you going to update your social media feeds, save numbers and squeeze in a quick blog post if you phone has died on you? Invest in a reliable portable charger before the week begins. Bonus points if it is designed well, ladies!

Comfortable Shoes

High heels might look fabulous in photographs, but they are not the most practical footwear for fashion week. You might even be able to pull it off for the first day or two, but I guarantee that by the time you reach day three, your poor feet will be crying. If you think that flat footwear cannot be stylish, think again. There are so many great options available – patent ballet flats, wedge sneakers (Isabel Marant, anyone?) and studded summery sandals that are both chic and comfortable.

Once you have all of the essentials checked off your list, you are ready to have an absolute blast. Soak up all of the goodness that fashion week has to offer whilst being at your stylish best from morning until night.

PCJ Delhi Couture Week Review – Series 2

Day 4

The 4^th day of the fashion week saw some sizzling collections presented by ace fashion designers Ritu Beri and Manish Arora.

Ritu Beri

True to her sensibilities, Ritu Beri, presented a collection inspired by her culture. Being a Punjabi, the colours and magnificence showcased in her collection were truly a treat to the onlooker. Titled aptly Punjabi Rock and Roll, Ritu Beri took the traditional attires to another level. The choice of colours ranging right from pastels, whites, dark and metallic with Swarovski’s, satins, silks, nets, rich brocades, etc. was ornately presented by Ritu Beri through the different ensembles. The fashionable look ranged from gararas, long jackets, gowns inspired by Sarees, Patiala Salwar, Kurtas and voluminous Ghagras.

Manish Arora

The last segment on Day 4 was presented by ace fashion designer Manish Arora through his traditional Indian collection. A combination of colours inspired by the baroque period and Buddhist temples along with his exquisitely designed jewellery; the fabrics and textiles ranged from chiffons, silks, crepe to beautiful hand-woven silk brocade. Georgettes were used to design the ornate display of ensemble that included Lehengas, Saris, Churidars, Anarkalis, etc. Each costume had a unique amalgamation of zardozi, metals, leather, stones and crystals beautifully fitted into them. A true delight to the viewer, the collection of Manish Arora ended day 4 with panache and grace.

Day 5

Day 5 was marked by the presence of world-class fashion designers Gaurav Gupta and Manish Malhotra.

Gaurav Gupta

The red carpet presentation of ‘Lightfall’ by Gaurav Gupta kept the audience captured with his exquisite designs and applique ensembles. The collection spoke for itself with beautiful gowns and offshoots of Lehengas and Sarees. The colour palette consisted of neon to moon grey to dust gold to teal and ecru with a collocation of variety of techniques of Indian craftsmanship.

Manish Malhotra

The Grand finale of the Fashion Week was by none other than ace designer Manish Malhotra. His collection inspired by the era of royalty- 1930’s, left the audience captivated. The colour palette was a combination of mustard, royal blue and beige, red and ochre all creating a vintage look. The Lehengas, Anarkalis, Sarees were beautifully crafted with ornate embroidery, zardozi, velvets, silver and gold thread work along with Chantilly lace that was used during that period were gracefully presented by Manish Malhotra. A finale with élan and opulence, Manish Malhotra truly brought the Indian Couture Week to a perfect end!

PCJ Delhi Couture Week Review – Series 1

Delhi Couture Week 2013 kicked off with style and panache on 31 Taj Palace Hotel. The first day saw two stalwarts of the fashion industry – Anju Modi and Sabyasachi Mukherjee – displaying their respective collections. Glitz and glamour were intrinsic elements of both the collections and it definitely lived up to the reputation of the opening day.

Anju Modi

Inspired by the mythological figure of Draupadi from the ancient Indian epic of Mahabharatha, Anju Modi’s collection epitomized grandeur and opulence. The main idea behind the collection was to portray Draupadi as a strong woman and this was made evident through the collection that featured warrior style blouses along with creatively draped dupattas, lavish ghaghras and strikingly bold makeup. The designer’s intention of portraying a woman’s strong character was beautifully displayed through the ghaghras that made a bold statement with their volume, tiered kurtas and one-shoulder draped dupattas. Anju Modi did manage to bring alive her tale with a rich amalgamation of bold colors, styles and fabrics laced with a dash of creative uniqueness.

Sabyasachi

Day one also gave the audience a beautiful glimpse of one of the finest designers in the country – Sabyasaachi. His collection named Opium was a fascinating combination of glitz and simplicity. He combined rich Indian aesthetics with the charm and panache of the flapper era, the 1920’s. The sarees and the voluminous skirts looked gorgeous with their combination of intricate lace and appliqué designs. The quilted sherwanis for the men along with the elegant golden embroidery and pagdis did create a royal effect. He deftly used Khadi to depict simplicity while relying on sequined detailing to add bling and glitz to the collection.

Day 2

While the first day was a representation of India’s rich heritage, the second day featured an amalgamation of Indian and western sensibilities.

Monisha Jaising

Monisha Jaising focused on featuring exclusive bridal wear for beach weddings and shades of aqua including lime green, blue, navy blue and ink blue were extensively used. She used a lot of velvet, lace and silk to design a complete bridal wardrobe ranging from bathrobe to bridal finery.

Anamika Khanna

Anamika Khanna also showcased bridal collection that was infused with Indian elements. Two were the main highlights were Lucknowi chikankari work and sari draped in Maharashtrian style.

Day 3

Varun Bahl

Varun Bahl named his collection as ‘Flight’ to epitomize India’s rich heritage of embroidery techniques, hand crafted embellishments and opulent textiles. This ace designer’s collection was a beautiful fusion of traditional and modern where chiffon, silk, wool-crepe and canvas were combined with silk net, gauze and organza to create gorgeous garments. He combined his signature embroideries with modern silhouettes to create a collection that would cater to the tastes of the modern contemporary woman.

Satya Paul

Satya Paul along with Masaba showcased their first ever demi-couture collection on the third day of the couture week. Masaba Gupta debut collection was about making a statement through bright, bold and beautiful prints. Furthermore, to add to the glamour and glitz of Satya Paul’s capsule collection, the glamorous models and stars were also adorned with PCJ’s sparkling diamond and polki jewelry.

India Bridal Fashion Week 2013- Delhi Edition Review

Here is a quick review of the collections that stood out to me at India Bridal Fashion Week 2013 – Delhi Edition

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Shantanu & Nikhil
Shantanu and Nikhil’s titled “To Die For” in India Bridal Fashion Week, 2013 lived up to its theme.
This collection was all about delicate grace and elegance, everything that a new age Bride needs to look chic but still create flutters in hearts. I loved the use gold leaf booti embellishments and the pastel colors giving the whole collection a very dreamy look.

Jyotsna Tiwari
Jyotsna Tiwari’s ‘ELOHIM’ rocked fashion week with her collection inspired by the fun and festivities associated with weddings. Fun, vibrant colours, flirty cuts and prints all made an appearance on the runway. This collection was perfect for those brides who want a modern look with a pinch of culture.
Jacqueline Fernandez was the star of the show as she graced the runway wearing a strapless hot pink gown with detailed embroidery on the skirt and a flirty slit down the middle to reveal black-cropped trousers with pink fringing.

Kotwara by Merra Muzaffar Ali
‘The Mughal Bride’ by Meera and Muzaffar Ali was a mix of detailed classic nude colours, finished with some traditional bridal bling. The traditional gold plated frocks and long kameez showed elegance and beauty and made for a crisp and clean collection.

Rohit Bal
Designer Rohit Bal showcased a regal collection with cream coloured lehenga choli’s with gold embroidery and kundan jewellery. His ‘MulMul’ collection had simple yet majestic designs with emphasis on full-length Indian Silhouettes.
Actress Sonam Kapoor looked great in a gold and white lehenga with a dupatta along with matching accessories. The plain colors worked beautifully together giving her a look of seductive indulgence.

Adarsh Gill
The collection showcase from Adarsh Gill was a vision of glamour and fusion were displayed on the catwalk along with geometric patterns, bold colours and statement motifs.
The gold plated corsets and simple trousers, which wrapped around the models and held together with a large motif showed a strong and empowering woman who wanted something very modern yet glamorous.

Suneet Varma
Suneet Varma’s collection was inspired from ancient Roman Empire with traditional headpieces and embellished lehengas. The collection was a regal mix of golden embellishments and was right fully called ‘The Golden Bracelet’.
I liked the silhouettes in this collection as it was a refreshing change from all the anarkalis, and flared lehengas in other collection, giving a bride to change to experiment with other dress forms.

Tarun Tahiliani
As the grand finale show at India Bridal Fashion Week in Delhi, Tahiliani’s show was epitome of elegance and understated bling. The collection mainly consisted of pinks, ivory, beige’s and understated reds, as well as a few modern ensembles.
Bride-to-be model Lisa Haydon closed the show. I Loved the usage of veil in last few ensembles which was a mix Indian and western influence.

All in all a great week with lots of new trends for the coming wedding season and lot of new ideas for all the brides-to-be.

Lakme Fashion Week 2012- Day 5

Day 5 of Lakme Fashion Week 2012 was a mix of everything, from Prague inspired collections to an Indo-Western blend, the swinging 20s, chunky accessories and a whole lot more. While the finale was reserved for Rohit Bal, as is the case most of the times, there were plenty of other highlights of the day as well.

The swinging 20s by Sougat Paul

Sougat Paul drew inspiration from kites and the funky 1920s for his collection titled “Flyaway Kites.” Generous use of vibrant hues and the right amount of pastels was seen in his collection, as was garments with dropped waistlines. Flapper dresses were the highlight of his collection.

Chunky accessories are in

Going by Malini Agarwalla’s collection, chunky accessories seem to be the trend this season. There was plenty of bead work to be seen in her handbags apart from large pendants with hand painted masks.

The gypsy look by Payal Kapoor

Payal Kapoor showcased a collection titled “The Wanderer” which was inspired from the architecture of the Mughal era and that in South Asian countries. Her collection had gowns and dresses with geometrical designs, sequin work and a mix of chiffon and georgette. Ruffled saris were the highlight of her collection.

Of braided buns and harem pants

Archana Kochar’s collection “Kathputli Kathak”, was inspired from just that- the puppet shows. Her collection included harem pants, pleated dhotis , kurtis and kameez apart from an interesting combination of lehengas with jackets. The color palette consisted of bright hues of orange, blue, lime et al. The braided buns sported by models in her collections were another highlight of her show.

Feminine is a trend too

Apart from certain bold style statements, there were feminine silhouettes to be seen too on day 4 of Lakme Fashion Week 2012. Jatin Varma used it in his elegant and formal collection of gowns and dresses which had sequin and cutwork.

Arpan Vohra’s collection too had body hugging garments, with corsets that accentuated the waistlines and highlighted backs with sexy halters and strands in place.

The finale by Rohit Bal

Rohit Bal is known for doing lavish finales to fashion weeks. The finale of Lakme Fashion Week 2012 was no different. With an opulent setting in the lawns of Grand Hyatt, Mumbai, Bal’s collection was inspired from the modern Indian woman. His collection consisted of opulent embroidery in crystal and zari on most pieces, apart from bold jackets and bandhgalas for men.

Lakme Fashion Week 2012- Day 4

Like the other days of Lakme Fashion Week 2012, day 4 too saw quite a sizeable turnout of Bollywood celebs, which included A-listers such as Kajol apart from other known faces. Showcasing on day 4 of Lakme Fashion Week were designers such as Payal Singhal, Siddartha Tytler and Swapnil Shinde apart from young names such as Nupur Kanoi and Ruchika Sachdeva.

Trend which was seen across collections

Much like the other three of the event, day of LFW 2012 too saw a combination of neutral shades such as whites and grays with vibrant hues such as yellows, greens and oranges. Tranquil blue, inspired from ocean life, was also seen across collections, that by Nupur Kanoi being the best of all.

The unusual factor by Ruchika Sachdeva

Ruchika Sachdeva was one of the four young designers showcasing her collection at Day 4 of the event. While she drew inspiration from marine life, her collection consisted of a mix jackets, dresses, tops as well as jumpsuits. What caught our eye were the drop crotch pants which were definitely unusual as well as chic.

There as bridal collection too

One of the highlights of day 4 of Lakme Fashion Week 2012 was Payal Singhal’s show. Payal showcased bridal wear, which was a blend of resort style clothing and Indian bridal wear. There were lehengas, saris as well as salwar-suits on display. And they were designed in a whole color palette, ranging from green to purple, navy blue, pink et al.

Patchwork ruled too

On day 4 of the event, patchwork and appliqué was also seen in generous doses. Young designer duo of Shashank and Prajwal used it in their collection, which had an interesting 3D feel to it. Patchwork and cutwork was used against the backdrop of white and black, which combined with angled silhouettes, created an interesting style statement.

Patchwork was used by Siddhartha Tytler too, who did the finale on day 4. Siddhartha’s collection was about his signature style, use of colors and appliqué. The highlight of his collection was the printed lace which was noticed by all.

Eclectic and individualism by Rimi Nayak

While there were far too many good collections to name any one stand out of the day, it was Rimi Nayak’s collections which drew the most stares. Her collection was inspired from insects. The clothes had insect motifs and digital prints on bugs which almost brought them to life. There was interesting use of silhouettes too, with a mix of layering and structure.

What else was there?

Apart from all that, there was the Karmic Show on day 4 of Lakme Fashion Week 2012. The show had celebrity designers such as Rina Dhaka, Falguni and Shane Peacock, Ranna Gill, Neeta Lulla and several others walk the ramp in their own collections.

The show was a part of the effort by designers to make designer clothing accessible and affordable for a large population.

Lakme Fashion Week 2012- Day 3

Day 3 of Lakme Fashion Week 2012 was about subtlety and paying homage to Indian textiles. The day opened with collections from Purvi Doshi and Vaishali Shadungle. And the collections of the two were in complete contrast to each other. While the former’s collection was more about whites and greys, the latter’s collection was more about bold greens, golden and other bright shades.

Stealing the show

While most collections throughout the day were interesting, it was Anita Dongre’s collection which stole the show. Her collection titled Waves was about laidback comfort and a very resort feel. Using Indian fabrics such as Benarasi silk, brocade, hand painted silks etc., her collection comprised of comfortable silhouettes and bright colors like yellow, oranges and pinks teamed up with shades of pastel.

Her collection had a retro feel to it, with flowing silhouettes, cinched waistlines and bustier style blouses.

Flared pants were there too

Like the first two days, flared trousers were seen on the third day too of Lakme Fashion Week 2012. While most collections had certain pieces in flared silhouettes, it was Debarun Mukherjee’s collection which showcased the silhouette the best. The designer created flared trousers for men as well as women, along with short tops, churi pants and draw string trousers.

The designer’s collection was predominantly white with subtle hints of gold, green and other colors. His showstopper Shahana Goswami stole the show in a beautiful white sari with a golden border.

Silk was the most used

While different designers on the third day of the event used different Indian fabrics, it was silk which ruled most of the day. Farah and Fridos’ collection used Bhagalpur silk in white, red, brown and other colors. Their collection used silk as a base for creating textures and weaves.

On the other hand, Sashikant Naidu made use of ahimsa silk along with khadi and ikkat to create a very folksy collection. Other than that, Matka silk and Benarsi silk was seen too in some collections.

Paromita’s street magic

While other designers’ collections were about laidback luxury, Paromita Bannerjee’s collection was high on wearability and street fashion. She worked with a combination of Indian muslin, khadi, ikkat and other fabrics to create a bohemian collection with a blend of indo-western culture.

Colors to look forward to this season

Going by the third day of Lakme Fashion Week 2012, the color trend for the coming season is likely to be at two opposite ends of the spectrum- subtle in whites or grays on one side and bold in oranges, yellows and greens on the other.

Lakme Fashion Week 2012- Day 2

While Day 1 of the event saw seven promising designers showcase their collection at the Gen Next show, Day 2 of Lakme Fashion Week 2012 was more about experienced designers. Here is a sneak peak about the highlights and trends that emerged from Day 2 of the event.

Washed denims

Washed denims clearly emerged as the trend of the day with Nitin Bal Chauhan catching everyone’s attention. His collection titled “Disney Couture” had plenty of washed denims for men as well as women.

Bhibhu Mohapatra had it all

Bhibhu Mohapatra, a designer of international repute, had it all in his collection on Day 2 of Lakme Fashion Week 2012. His collection had a total of 36 garments, ranging from gowns to skirts, dhoti pants and dresses. What stood out in his collection though were polished dhoti-pants with their wide legged silhouette.

There was layering too

Considering that it was the Autumn/Winter show, layered garments showcased by Payal Khandwala seemed to interest everybody. Her collection comprised of free flowing garments and breathable fabrics such as linen and khadi which added an interesting element to the skirts and the dresses.

The bohemian chic

Pia Pauro showcased a boho inspired collection which was full of vibrant hues, mischievous silhouettes and bold prints. Officially inspired from Ibn Batuta, one of the great travelers of the world, her collection was about energy as well as a sense of laidback luxury.

Mix of vintage and modern

Komal Sood, who opened Day 2 of Lakme fashion Week, had a blend of the vintage and the modern in her collection. Her collection largely depicted a youthful grandeur combined with interesting cuts and “assorted” embroidery.

Wide legged pyjamas are definitely the trend

On Day 2 of the event, wide legged pants definitely emerged as a trend seen across collections. While Bibhu Mohapatra did it with his wide legged, comfy dhoti pants, Suhani Pittie did it too in her largely black and white collection.

Earthy tones were the order of the day

Given a few exceptions, most designers stuck to earthy tones in their collection on Day 2 of Lakme Fashion Week 2012. Shades of pastel were seen across collections.

Lakme Fashion Week 2012- Day 1

The recently concluded Lakme Fashion Week’s high energy opening day was directly in contrast to its Delhi counterpart- the Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week which was also recently held. There were plenty of Bollywood stars to grace the event, including some A-listers such as Sonakshi Sinha. And there was quite a lot of fashion to look forward to on the opening day of Lakme Fashion Week 2012.

Let’s take a quick look at the highlights of the day.

Drashta Sarvaiya not so stuck to the theme

Unlike the rest of the designers on day 1 of the event, Drahsta Sarvaiya presented an autumn winter collection. An element seen across most his collection was the use of jeweled collars and the element of gold on the waistline, apart from metallic embroideries. Also seen in his collection was the use of different fabrics- chiffon, satin and even crepe being just a few of those. Drashta played with a lot of colors, from the vibrant purple to the subdued mustard and rose.

In terms of silhouette, the collection largely consisted of coats and jackets with long sleeves.

The hair trend

Almost all the designers on day 1 of Lakme Fashion Week 2012 had their models walk in “huge” hairstyles. Right from James Ferreira to Drashta, Kaushali Kumar etc. were seen following that trend when it came to hair.

Plunging necklines

Another trend that emerged on Day 1 of the event was deep necklines with plenty of cleavage on show. Most of the designers had a few pieces in their collection with plunging necklines, but two designers that stood out for it were Rajat Tangri and Sailex. And the trend was not just seen on the ramp but off it too.

Color blocked jackets

A style that really caught everyone’s eye on Day 1 of Lakme Fashion Week 2012 was the color blocked jackets showcased by Shrivan and Narresh. The jackets had a comfort fit to them and were meant more for flaunting the chic quotient rather than provide warmth in winters.

The Bollywood actor

Being the Mumbai Fashion Week, how could Bollywood be far behind? While Prateik Babbar walked for Masaba, Arbaaz Khan and Malaika were seen as showstoppers for Vikram Phadnis. In fact, Arbaaz Khan took it a step further by appearing in his Dabangg 2 look, with that heavy moustache. Farhan Akhtar was seen at the event flaunting his beefed up look for “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.”
A style that caught my eye
The funky cow print by Masaba.

Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week 2012 Review – Part 2

Day 3 – Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week

Day 3 of the Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week saw 13 designers showcasing their collections. While the previous two days were largely about ramp shows, day 3 saw activity around the stalls as well. In terms of clothes, day 3 saw a few stick to the theme of autumn/winter while a few others swayed a tad bit from the theme.

Manish Malhotra’s show garnered the maximum attention with a host of celebrities flying down to cheer the ace designer. Seen in the front row at Manish’s show were politician Shashi Tharoor, actresses Urmila Matondkar, Kangana Ranaut and Mahima Chowdhary and a few others. Manish’s collection comprised of his trademark use of bright colors, teamed with darker hues. What was interesting to see was the use of Anarkali dresses with pants instead of churidaars. Although the show did not have a wow factor to it, most of the collection was pretty decent.

Trends of the day:The day was largely about bright hues and colors. But what really caught the eye was the show by the duo of Pankaj and Nidhi. Their collection as inspired from the Polish art of paper cutting and comprised of interesting patterns and silhouettes.

Star of the day: Although Manish’s show attracted the maximum attention, it was Pankaj and Nidhi’s show which was the standout performance of the day. Their use of cross stitch leather coupled with a varied range of fabrics viz. wool, silk satin, georgette etc., and the use of deep colors created a very wearable collection.

What else caught attention: Apart from clothes, Day 3 of Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week 2012 was also about a social cause. Twelve designers got together to create collection around the theme of “human trafficking.” The show saw Subi Samuel showcase his photographs titled “Alice in Wonderland.” The photos were a series of pictures taken by Samuel of a little girl Alice who was rescued by You Can Free Us NGO, an organization supporting the cause.

Day 4: Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week

Day 4 of the fashion week was largely a day of experiments. While Rahul Mishra experimented with two different families of yarn in his “Similar Opposites” collection, Charu Parashar experimented with silk dresses, leggings and floral appliqué. And although the day saw quite a few experimental collections from designers, it was nevertheless high on wearability.

The day also saw star power with actor R. Madhavan and actress Bipasha Basu walking the ramp for designer Rocky S.

Star of the day: Star of the day was undoubtedly Rahul Mishra with his “Similar Opposites” collection. Hand woven fabrics were used with other kinds of fabric to make for an interesting collection. The highlight of the collection was jackets where handloom wool was used. The jackets had a young feel to them and had an interesting combination of the modern and the traditional.

Color trends: The day largely saw use of black and gold with some bright hues such as pinks and greens thrown here and there.

Day 5: Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week

While the opening day belonged to Rohit Bal, the ultimate day of the event belonged to Meera Ali. Although she didn’t do the finale, her collection titled “Sense of a Woman” was high on fashion and wearability. The finale of the show was done by JJ Valaya, Kangana Ranaut being the showstopper for the finale. The designer did an Ottoman collection with his signature couture collection. A standout trend of his collection was the calligraphy done on his signature jackets and kaftans, mimicking the royal times. What also caught the eye at JJ Valaya’s show was denim bandhgalas teamed up with printed shirts.

Trends of the day: The trend of the day was definitely the subdued and feminine collection of Meera Ali. Her collection largely consisted of subdued colors in blacks, greys and browns. She played with asymmetrical cuts in dresses as well as skirts and experimented with different fabrics as well. There was suede, wool, chiffon, crepe as well as velvet to be seen in her creations. She did away with the usual bling, presenting a muted collection high on fashion and wearability.

Star of the day: Definitely Meera Ali. The finale done by JJ Valaya was good too, looks like the event picked up more and more pace everyday. In fact, the finale was an end diametrically opposite to the start of the event in every sense.

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Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week 2012 Review – Part 1

The 19^th season of the Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week ended last week with the finale done by JJ Valaya. Although the ending was spectacular, this edition of the Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week was a mixed bag in more ways than one. To start with, the week was pre-poned by a month in order to match international fashion events of London and New York.

The pre-ponment of the event was one of the plausible reasons for low turnout of international buyers this year. Designers were seen cribbing about the rescheduling of the event, which definitely hit their business. In fashion terms too, the event was a mixed bag.

Day 1 – Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week

Day 1 of Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week 2012 kicked off with Shantanu and Nikhil’s creations. The duo was fashionably late by half an hour to get things underway. They showcased their collections of some modern evening gowns inspired from the Indian sari, some wearable cocktail dresses, and some short dresses as well. But what was most surprising to see was the use of chiffon and sheer fabrics for most of their creations.

In fact, sheer clothing was the norm of the day on the first day of the event. Given that it was supposed to be an autumn/winter collection, the use of transparent clothing really came as a surprise.

Trends of the day: Apart from the use of translucent clothing, another trend that was noticeable on day 1 of Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week 2012 was short skirts and figure hugging dresses.In terms of colors, Deep reds, purples, greens and golden ruled the day.

Star of the day: The star of the day was definitely Rohit Bal, for his presentation style. He showcased his collection offsite, on installations rather than models, which made for pretty interesting viewing. Of course, the trademark collections in white were there to grace the occasion.

Day 2 – Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week

Day 2 of Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week 2012 saw a majority of designers put up a strong show. While Day 1 was about sheer fabrics, Day 2 was largely about a mix of Indian and Western silhouettes.

In fact, Nachiket Barve was one of the standout performers of the day, with his funky saris and some cool accessories. Contrary to most other designers, Barve played with the cut and length of the fabric than the colors. And while others played largely with figure accentuating clothes, Barve kept the attention away from the hips and shoulders, but still managed to give his collection an international feel.

Trends of the day: There was no one particular trend that stood out on Day 2 of the Fashion Week. While on one hand it was about fusion clothing, with designer Vaishali S doing the best of the lot, on the other hand, it was the subdued collection of Barve that did the talking. However, compared to Day 1, Day 2 saw much tighter waistlines, which of course looked better than the “comfort fit” showcased a day earlier.

Star of the day: There were quite a few stars on Day 2 of Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week 2012. Tarun Tahiliani managed to stand upto his reputation by doing an offsite show in a posh restaurant near Qutub Minar. He showcased a diverse collection comprising of shirts, tunics, kaftans, dresses etc. Largely, his collection was for the street-fashionista. There was also the fusion line done by Vaishali S and the mastery of Barve to applaud on Day 2. Rakesh Agarwal did a good job too with his sexy evening gowns and dresses in sensual colors such as midnight blues, greens and pinks. The sexy stage act of Anushka Manchanda added to the element of the show.

Image Source : http://blog.bestylish.com/tag/wifw-2012/