By Shivani Nirula
The Capital city is abuzz with fashion designers scurrying about, fashion bloggers strapping on their cameras and most stylish outfits, tall models putting last minute touches on their make-up, choreographers averting crisis situations.. Yes, it’s most definitely that time of year again; Fashion Week is here!
Delhi is all set for the 20th edition of India’s biggest fashion event- Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2013! Fret not, to make sure that you stay well informed and up to date before the fashion madness takes over, we have compiled a list of ten exciting trends you should watch out for at WIFW 2012.
1. Ethnic Wear takes the Spotlight
India seems to have been a favourite source of inspiration this season for designers such as Marchesa, Roberto Cavalli and Karl Lagerfeld. Bright is right, and bling is big! Watch out for our Indian designer brigade to wow us with their beautifully crafted and embroidered ethnic collections. And call it perfect timing- what a treat for us too, right before wedding season starts!
{Marchesa | SS 13 | Indian silhouettes take the runway!}
2. Celebration of the Female Silhouette
This Spring Summer will be all about celebrating feminine curves, and you’ll probably see the hourglass silhouette making a comeback. Think peplum dresses, cropped delicate blouses, and draped maxi dresses- this season will see designers going easy on androgynous pieces, instead focussing on pieces which are more delicate and flirty. In fact, very recently, there were references towards the peplum silhouette in Manish Malhotra’s ethnic creation for Shabana Azmi’s fashion show ‘Mijwan’ – and we look forward to seeing more of these modern yet feminine silhouettes on the WIFW runway.
3. Fashion from the North East
Designers from North-East India have been given a special platform to showcase their designs, thanks to a joint effort by the Ministry of Textiles and FDCI. This promises to be a collection full of fresh talent and new ideas. Watch out for well known designer Atsu Sekhose’s collection, and be sure not to miss the stalls at the venue showcasing crafts from the North-East including, Manipur, Shillong, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
{Atsu Sekhose}
4. Seeing Stripes
Who said stripes are passé? This year has seen a comeback of stripes, be it vertical or horizontal, wide or thin, stark or pastel- this trend is strictly for the more brave hearted souls! Marc Jacob’s entire collection showcased stripes in all their glory, and even DKNY, Alexander Wang and Diane Von Furstenberg striped up their designs this season. Will this trend find a home on Indian runways? I think yes!
5. Grand Finale by Ritu Kumar
Known for her timeless and exquisitely crafted creations, Ritu Kumar is the chosen one to close WIFW this season. The two-part show will see a blend of modern and historical, as her younger and trendier line ‘Label’ will show its designs first, inspired by Art Deco and Europe circa 1940. The second, more traditional collection is inspired by ‘mid-20th century India’. All this definitely makes this a finale to look forward to!
{Ritu Kumar}
6. A Pop of Neon
Discovered by accident in 1898 by two British scientists, the chemical Neon has come a long way in terms of pop culture and fashion. Be it shocking pink, electric yellow, hot pink or citrus, these neon brights have been making a serious statement, and you can expect it to continue this season. Rather than creating an entirely neon look from head to toe, expect to find designers accenting their collections with neon accessories and color blocks. Some of the recent Spring Summer collections across the globe which reflect this trend have been those of Rodarte, Jason Wu and Peter Som, and here’s hoping our Indian designers take on this fun trend will be just as exciting!
{Louis Vuitton | New Collection of Mens handbags, SS13}
7. Paint it Yellow
Last years it color was tangerine, and it made splashes in collections all over the world. This season, we can expect yellow to be the color of Spring Summer 13! Yellow takes on the shade of a lovely summer lemon flan, and makes its presence in flowing fabrics like chiffon, jersey and satin. It adds a perfect touch of freshness and at the same time, a nostalgic reminder of the past seasons. Canary yellow, lemon yellow, and Taxi-cab yellow- we can’t wait to see this colour on our home turf!
8. Quirky Summer Prints
Lots of quirky prints along with bright and bold floral prints are slated to adorn the runway this Spring-Summer. Fruit and botanical prints may make a comeback as well, along with our traditional paisley motif which was seen in the collections of Stella McCartney and Jil Sander. Closer home, designers like Kallol Dutta and Masaba are recognized for their innovative experiments with quirky prints inspired from daily elements, pop culture and architecture, so we’d love to see this trend emerge in even more interesting forms this season!
{Masaba}
9. Nude, Sheer, and Lace
Fashion is all about being comfortable in one’s own skin, and this trend comes dangerously to mimicking the real thing. Sheer fabrics and layering are what it’s all about this season, with body-skimming fabrics like chiffon, georgette, tulle and loosely knitted summer jerseys. A slightly warmer colour palette to compliment the natural nude is new this spring, with hues of earthy browns, corals as well as neutral tones of beige and off-white. Lace should return in different versions, like the vintage broderie anglaise, and ombre dyed lace in fresh summer colours.
10. Designers, Designers, Designers
My favourite part of fashion week is seeing all the debutants collections, and also seeing some of India’s top most creative and established designer’s latest collections. A few of the at the top of my must-see list of designers shows are Aneeth Arora for her aesthetic use of Indian textiles, Jenjum Gadi’s for his gota inspired collection, Malini Ramini for bringing fun resort-wear to the ramp, and also Samant Chauhan for featuring Bhagalpuri Raw Silk in his collection.
{Malini Ramani | Resort Wear SS 12}
That wraps up the list for things to look forward to. Knowing our incredibly creative Indian designers, we’re sure they have a surprise or two up their sleeves, and we can’t wait to find out what they are! Here’s to a truly innovative Fashion Week 2012.
Wills India Fashion Week, Spring Summer 2013 | 6th -10th October, 2012 | Pragati Maidan
Click here to see the full schedule.
