End of the empire

Newbies stole rave reviews while good old grand-daddies were busy creating a fuss

Newbies stole rave reviews while good old grand-daddies were busy creating a fuss

It was insecurity, said our instincts, as the otherwise good-humoured Gudda claimed, 'I'm the king of fashion' when Varun Bahl left him out of his after-show party two days ago. When fresh faces like Jai Parvesh, Dhruv Pallavi, Ankur Priyanka Modi and Preeti Kapoor steal the show, reactions from the 'kingdom' are but expected.
Others, however, see no reason to retort. "Of course, there are designers who feel insecure, but you've to rely on your work to pull it through. Building a brand takes as many as 10 years, and it remains to be seen where these new designers will be, after that kind of time," said Leena Singh of Ashima-Leena, who's been receiving flak of late. Hemant Sagar responded to the matter with a somewhat restrained sarcasm. "The more, the merrier." Rahul Jain, on the other hand, suggested setting a limit. "It's great that there is so much new talent coming in, but there should be a limit. Of course, mutual admiration and a healthy work culture is needed to curb the ill-will." Another prominent point of contention was Sanjana Jon's inclusion in the list. Many wrote her off instantly as someone who's enchashing on controversy.

But the younger lot had a different take. "It's the work that counts, not the label," said Priyanka of the Ankur-Priyanka pair. Others from the new school seconded the stance. "We know what we are doing. We are very serious about our work. If a buyer comes in, he buys a garment, not a designer. Everyone has his own place," stressed fresher Nandita.

Being one who falls in the in-between category, Charu Parashar held that there's no place for insecurity when it comes to taking fashion forward. "No two designers work on similar lines. So, there's no reason to be jealous.

There is a need to explore talent regardless of age or experience." Meera Ali, too, had some motherly advice.

"It's important that the younger lot takes this as a serious career option, and not a frivolous pastime. Fashion is serious business, and it's important it stays that way."

Rumi on the ramp


Jaya Rathore's poetry mesmerised many
Jaya Rathore had a rather offbeat inspiration behind her line. A book called Rumi's Daughter by Muriel Maufroy. She turned the pages into georgette, satin, crepe, net and Benarasi silk, and wrote on them poetry in romantic saris and lehengas. Ornate oranges, ivory, ochres and beige coloured the print. Her creations exuded an old world charm and enchanted with their Sufi streak. Age-old fabrics tari and cutdana, in graceful cuts and pleats made for a wondrous wedding wardrobe. Urmila, for one, looked resplendent in it.

Gudda, better, best
Rohit chose to close the other day's Bal-Bahl conflict by asking Varun to walk for his grand finale, other than Katrina and Ranbir. What Arjun Rampal did backstage, is, however, another story


Saving the best for last

Fab picks from the finale

Dhruv & Pallavi made it all rosy while Rohit Mittal was Singh-ing

Wills Lifestyle Look of the Day

Jungle Jane: Charu Parashar's wildflower wonder wooed everyone with its carefree chiffons and cottons, flowery flows and fun, fresh greens

In tantrum town

Summer bummer: Lecoanet-Hemant broke the rules

With a fake showdown between two men, an AW collection for the SS season and not-so-noticeable nun wear, Lecoanet-Hemant's show defied all norms
Here's a duo that chooses to do clothes for the now, not then. "It's winter, so you've got to shop for it," joked Hemant when inquired about the bizarre behaviour. The range for both women and men showcased boots, jackets, free-flowing dresses and a whole lot of drama. Titled 'Re love ution', it was all about smart sleeveless jackets, Pashmina drape skirts, leather coats, low crotch trousers, cashmere tops, satin slim-pants, cocktail dresses and jerseys, among others. Colour schemes were everything that you can imagine u2014 from bright yellows to pinks blues and blacks. Simmar Duggal looked stunning in an evening gown designed by the duo, while other models followed the cue. The nun number, however, stood out like a sore thumb. Seasons, after all, don't have a reason.

When EGO's good


Prashant Verma's collection by that name was mean, sharp and sexy
If selfish is stylish, Prashant Verma's the heights. His repertoire included shift dresses, leather jackets, denim shorts and such with a goth grandeur in the first installment, called Ddominque Francon. The second one, called Machines, included greased line-printed jackets and trousers while the third, based on phallic architecture, was about dark satin dresses. The final category, Howard Roark, saw sequined tops and trousers. Prashant made heavy use of fabrics like taffeta. With loads of attitude, monolith sequences and clock prints, the collection was high on sensuousness. We adored the style that stemmed out of the asymmetrical cuts, blues, blacks and purples. And he sure did 'mean' it.

Footnotes that caught our fancy

Ritesh Kumar Ridzyn (left) and Tanvi Kedia redefined the term 'ankle-length'

There's class, but where's the sass?

It's a different drape, but who wants it like a hangrope?

Meera-Muzaffar Ali's pieces were poignant but painfully predictable
Meera and Muzaffar Ali's Timeless Geometry took you on a trip to Lucknow, but alas, the holiday turned out dull. Their characteristic Mughal magic failed this time over, even as the feminine flows twirled and swirled. Of course, there was some experimentation, like a bra-top worn underneath a
see-through kurta, or the creative chunni drapes, but the feeka feeling lingered on. The hues: orange, green and blue were predictable, too.
The yellow phulkari ensemble, however, was an elegant exception. Overall, they scored poor at the math.

Blue and lovin' it


Swapan-Seema's simple blue and black blends were both ethereal and elegant
Swapan and Seema made use of traditional techniques that brought out the best in design and colour. The range included saris, suits and short dresses in bright to blunt blues, greens, pinks and oranges. Nethra Raghuraman and Tina Chatwal, in particular, added to the awe in their dainty outfits, as others walked about in LBDs with a twist.

The showstopper sari an orange wedding winner donned by Nethra u2014 married class to sophistication.

How Hideous

Is this fashion? Only Abhishek Dutta can answer!