WLIFW - Ritu Kumar

Another collection that I just loved from the Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week was the Ritu Kumar Collection. Ritu Kumar has long been a favorite and I have several pieces from her collection in my own closet. In India, every bride must have at least a few clothes from her bridal collection. Of late, Ritu Kumar has become brighter and bolder in her color palette and designs. Designing for decades, Ritu Kumar is largely considered a revivalist in Indian fashion Industry. Her designs have been known to reflect the ancient traditions of Indian craftsmanship with a modern twist. Her new collection was a welcome change from her affinity for muted tones and earthy colors.

Here Ritu went all out with opulent floral motifs on brightly colored backgrounds. The accessories were an all too visible part of the collection, be it the massive handbags, or the very in-your face bangles! The lengths varied… as did the style and seeming inspiration. What remained common, however, was color, color and more color!








Mirror work made an appearance from pieces as varied as this sari with a captivating print and interesting fabric and this lovely poncho with a muted grey background.





The very Indian color, Indigo, found a new expression. My personal favorites were the very Western cuts blended seamlessly with distinctly ethnic motifs! Awesome!





Shiny, shimmery, sequined skirts made their presence felt, through different sections of the collections. Whether with the vibrant florals, or with the fiery Indigo, they made a chic statement.





The fabrics included jersey, silk, satin and indigo Khadi. And the color palette was, well, limitless. Crimson, however, seemed to be the designer’s real muse, appearing on the models’ lips, in the flowers in their hair, in the accessories and the shoes! All in all, a very satisfying collection from one of India’s foremost designers. I am waiting for it to hit the stores.


All images courtesy yahoo.com

WLIFW --- Priyadarshini Rao

Wednesday marked the start of the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week. The autumn-winter edition of the fashion week saw 82 designers showcasing their work over five days. Buyers from London, Paris, Tokyo and Europe lined up to pick and choose from among the best Indian fashion has to offer.

I have been following up the collections over the past few days and only a few really stood out for me. I look for designs that truly say “Indian” and not appear to be inspiration-starved interpretations of “Western” trends. One designer who hit a home run as far as my aesthetic sensibilities are concerned, is Priyadarshini Rao.

This year, the designer presented a very contemporary ethnic collection, with perfectly blended western influences. The highlights of the collection were a range of Kurtas and tops worn with churidars, saris worn with trendy bubble-tops, full length skirts with long jackets and empire line kurtas.





Priyadarshini is not a designer to shy away from color and colors were aplenty in her collection with ochres, olive greens, rusty reds, mud browns, orange, pink and turquoise blue making an appearance.





What I loved about the uber trendy bubble tops were the seamless way they can transition from a blouse to a perfect match for a pair of skinny jeans.





Pleated cuffs on the kurtas were another charming feature of the collection. In fact, the pleats were an integral part of her designs this year. They were there, on the sleeves, on the kurtas , and on the tops worn as blouses with long skirts or saris.





She gave the puffed sleeves a sleeker avatar, adding yet more character to the kurta dresses. I say kurta dresses, because some of them really could be worn as dresses. Priyadarshini has played with fabrics, getting playful now and then with motifs. Like in the kurta below, where a summery motif balances the warm colors of the dress.





Priyadarshini’s designs work on the wearability and minimalism principles. And this collection too was a reflection of her style that has made her one of the better selling designers in India. Her silhouettes are flattering and uncomplicated. And she works well with natural fabrics, creating collections that are a reflection of international trends, but with very Indian sensibilities.

I find her collection complete, with her designs transcending day and night wearability. I can see myself wearing her clothes for just about any occasion, such is her versatility.


# All photographs, courtesy yahoo.com