trend spot- wills india fashion week, autumn winter 2014
TRANSCRIPT
TREND SPOT: WILLS INDIA
FASHION WEEK, AUTUMN-
WINTER 2014
Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Autumn-Winter 2014 celebrated its 23rd edition
on the runway from 26th to 30th March, 2014 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. WIFW is
undoubtedly Asia’s biggest fashion and trade event, that beautifully helps in taking
Indian fashion to a bigger and larger global audience. Not just this, it gives a strong
platform to both established and upcoming designers to showcase their work along
with defining impactful trends for the coming season. We are sure all you
fashionistas have already browsed through the fashion week footage over and over
again. So, today at Findable.in, we are simply laying out our top designers from the
Fashion Week and picking trends for fashionable times to come.
Day 1: Opening Collection- Tarun Tahiliani
Let us start with Day 1 of the fashion week. Master Couturier Tarun Tahiliani opened
the show with a bang. His collection brought in a confluence of cultures. It had all the
elements of posh success- star power, foot-tapping Rajasthani folk music and
elaborately traditional yet new-age designs that took one to a dreamy heaven.
Conventional ornaments like satlada and various traditional Mughal and South Indian
jewels formed the backbone of his showcase. He also played around with his ever-
favourite drapes to create spell-binding results.
All in all, a celebration of colour, drape, jewels and a true synthesis of modernity
overlaying tradition was curated for a dramatic symposium. With this one show,
Tarun gave us all a lot to lust for- knot detailing, short dupattas, corset-like belts,
lungi dresses and skirts, kedeos with pencil silhouettes, strappy juttis with
drawstrings, ornate kaftans, mukaish work skirts, kalidar kurta tunics, pencil and
thigh- high slit skirts, jackets, monochromes in chikankari, ombre, prints and pleats
and mature winter shades like scarlet, oxblood, emerald green, navy and teal. The
asymmetrical ensembles and power-packed line-up definitely had our pulse racing
and our hearts soaring for more.
Day 2: Rahul Mishra
Post the safe and subtle start to the fashion week, we got extremely fascinated by all
that Rahul Mishra had in store. The hype had already been created given that Rahul
had won the prestigious International Woolmark Prize (Milan) for the collection that
he further exhibited at the WIFW. And we have to admit, he truly lived up to it. Rahul
has always given the country great work; he believes in meticulous craftsmanship
and thorough research and development, and this collection had it all.
The silhouettes were contemporary and chic, the style was simple yet urban and the
fabric unique. He had laid out zardozi embroidery with wool on a specially crafted
fabric that combined 80% of Merino Wool with Chanderi Silk. His collection was
called ‘The Lotus Effect’ and was inspired by Lord Buddha’s philosophy that lotus is
found in the womb of the world; it attempted to portray the journey of the human race
and the process of metamorphosis that earth has undergone in the last century. We
saw a revival of bullion knots, aari embroidery and thread work on sheer, silks,
cotton and woolen jersey and the gorgeous usage of Bandhani on Merino Wool.
Refreshing and rejuvenating- this collection was a super pleasant change for all the
fashion sore eyes.
Day 3: Archana Rao
Taking photographs of clotheslines in people’s balconies and lawns helped build a
wonderfully talented designer, Archana Rao who debuted with the WIFW this time.
Her inspiration has been a father’s gingham shirt, a mother’s handkerchief and a
child’s frock, all hanging together on a clothesline. The flimsy, delicate and innocent
collection is the coming together of all these opposing elements on a clothes line that
despite being different somehow come together and create a beautiful symphony.
We saw vintage prints, ginghams, overexposed florals, 3D florals and rosette-
embroidered handkerchiefs that made for swaying skirts and short jackets. If you are
a carefree soul, this collection will definitely strike a chord with you and ripple
nostalgia.
Day 4: Pankaj and Nidhi
Pankaj and Nidhi made heads turn, cause havoc and stir magic. The collection was
rightly called ‘House of Cards’ inspired by card games in Imperial China that made
their way to Spain and Portugal and had wonderful pattern work comprising of
Spades, Hearts, Flowers and Diamonds. Most of all, the way they exhibited it was
grand and tasteful. The set-up was something like this- two Flamenco performers
danced their way to thumping Spanish music and as the performance came to a halt,
models walked in with a backdrop of cards booming throughout the space.
The duo wanted to capture drama and the act of bull-fighting through the medium of
dance and their presentation generated that feeling perfectly. Their forecast gave
thumbs up to intricate motifs and card-inspired graphic prints on modern structures-
bolero jackets, flared dresses, capes, high-waist shorts, draped pants, gold
embellished evening dresses, Jodhpur pants, royalty jackets and high-waist matador
trousers. The collection also highlighted their signature hand-made appliqué work.
We were left gasping for air- the theatrical ambiance and the flamboyant vibe did
quite some wonderful damage.
Day 5: Grand Finale- Namrata Joshipura
The final day saw Namrata Joshipura taking a bow in style. She presented the Grand
Finale collection titled ‘Electron’- the collection had elements of space-age, futuristic
glamour and forward silhouettes with artisanal embellishment techniques. Inspired
by the next revolution in human science and intense research in neurological
connects, the collection was build on new and interesting exploration.
Namrata dressed up models in metallic fabrics, sequin surface textures, leather
palettes, twisted fabrics woven into surfaces, sexy sheer panels, long and short
dresses, bodysuits, shorts and jackets, Mohawk head gears and sassy colours. She
hand-picked bright blue, onyx, red and molten gold to lighten up her collection.
As for the music and presentation, a disc jockey and a drummer played in sync and
right before the entry of the models, a few dancers in reflective suits, belted out a
mesmerizing performance. Also, Kangana Ranaut took the center stage as the
show-stopper. All in all, the collection defined edgy and definitive trends that are here
to stay.
So, now that we have given you the highlights of the fashion week along with a solid
fashion direction for the coming times, do pick up your favourite essentials, combine
them with your personal style and come back to Findable for regular updates. Have
a stylish year ahead!
Reference Link: http://blog.findable.in/trend-spot-wills-india-fashion-week-autumn-
winter-2014/