Istanbul on the ramp

If day one of Gitanjali Tour de India Fashion Week 2011 was a rocking do, then day two definitely merits more points. Riyaz Gangji had the guests applauding his new Summer Collection,u00a0 whereas Lina Tipnis got catcalls for putting together an interesting show. Both the designers showed off collections that have been inspired by different aspects of Istanbul.

And, the jewellery from Giantti and watches from Morellato, both a part of Gitanjali Lifestyle, added sparkle and class to the respective sequences presented by these designers. Riyaz Gangji's summer line had a wide spectrum of floral silhouettes and styles. It consisted of Indo-western wear for men, which included stylish pants in soothing bright summer colours, and ethnic wear for women.

The collection saw a variety of velvet, rich brocades and soothing textures too. Adding charm to this collection was the famous artist, tailor and an active participant in the Indian freedom struggle, A K Hangal, who also promoted non-polluting bicycles.

This was later followed by Lina Tipnis' collection which was an invitation to celebrate Istanbul with its glorious heritage at different phases of time, thus bringing out splendid jewels of the Topkapi palace, the serenity of the Turkish deverishes, the intricately detailed Iznik tiles, and the energy of the 14th century grand bazaar and other historical aspects.

The Turkish influence can easily be seen in the way the summer dress collection was showcased. Trapeze and tent silhouettes, cocktail dresses in sheath, shift and contemporised caftans along with low fork trousers in nudes and skin tones juxtaposed with deep colours of semi-precious stones along with ivory and mahogany that complemented as neutrals.

Providing a perfect match, in terms of their geometry, precision, engineering and refined aesthetic sensibility, were watches from Morelatto. Thus was the success story of Tour de India 2011 fashion week sponsored by Gitanjali Lifestyle.