Global desi

The first two days of WLIFW Autumn/Winter 2011 saw designers focussing on India while remaining international

Global desi

The first two days of WLIFW Autumn/Winter 2011 saw designers focussing on India while remaining international

The season showcasing is Autumn-Winter, but not too many designers seem keen on sticking to the diktats of the season at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Autumn-Winter 2011 which started at Pragati Maidan on Wednesday.

Blue beauty: A model in Monapali's creation Pics/ Subhash Barolia and
Shazid Chauhan

Flowy easy breezy silhouettes, summery colours and more was what a lot of designers stuck to in their collections. While dresses ruled the ramp, a lot of focus was on Indian wear too. Wearability was a key factor with most designers focusing on the buyer rather than limiting collections to just ramps. Also, in a refreshing change, clothes were the highlight with the complete absence of showstoppers. Day One saw 11 designers on the ramp. We bring you the highlights from the shows.

Dancing delight: Urvashi Kaur's show

Geisha Designs by Paras and Shalini: With the earth's landscape as the focus,u00a0 models showed off gowns, butterfly dresses, boleros, applique dresses,u00a0 shift dresses, draped pant dresses, jumpsuits. The colour story was all about mercury greys, lava reds, sea greens and storm violets. The sleeves varied from voluminous to ruffled. Fabrics used include everything from the regular coated lame's, silk tulle, georgettes, chiffons, nets and raw silk to unusual ones grass, bamboo and nettle.

Monapali: The show started with Om chants.There were lots of detachable neckpieces, dresses, multi-purpose belts, jumpsuits, zouaves, capes, kaftans, shrugs, farshi pyjamas, kurtis, churidars, scarves, dhoti pants and saris. Fabrics included silks, kanthas, satins, tussar, chiffon, crepe. the ensembles were jazzed up with basket weaving, prints, panelling, embroidery and kantha work.

Orange: Carol Gracias in Kallol Dutta's outfit

Pankaj and Nidhi: Japan was the inspiration behind their collection. There were silk jackets, shorts, silk pants, draped dresses, leather dresses, jumpsuits, quilted dungaree dresses, grid dresses with wool panels, tweed wraparound jackets. Some models wore headgear and wrist bands made by putting origami boxes together. There was applique-work, quilting and geometric patterns.

Varun Bahl: Palazzos, pleated sleeves, leather pants, draped dresses with slim belts were the hallmarks of his collection. Volumes, curves, trims, ruffles, folds, pleats, applique and patterns with delicate ribbons, tie-ups and grape motifs gave the collection a feminine appeal.

Joy Mitra: Malgudi Days was his inspiration and he brought along yesteryear siren Sharmila Tagore to walk the ramp as his showstopper. There were anarkalis, longu00a0 jackets in fabrics like wools, corduroys, silks, georgettes and cottons.The colour story revolved around blacks and browns mixed with indigos and maroons.

Hum for hat: Model wearing Tarun Tahiliani's outfit

Kallol Dutta: His show was less Gothic than usual. There were 3D pleat dresses, skinnies with clock prints on them, disjointed waistcoats, wide-legged PJs, braided and embroidered dresses, wrap dresses, hooded tops, multi-flap jackets and saris. The first model walked in with her arms tucked inside the ruffled dress. Reds, whites, oranges dominated the colour palette and some had geometric prints on them.

Heading cubes: A model shows off Pankaj and Nidhi's ensemble

Zurkhe: The collection impressed in parts. There were tunics, ponchos, jackets, skirts, dresses in colours like duck blue, indigo, teal, plum, burgundy, crimson, purple, fuschia gold, brown. The fabrics included silks, lycra, tulle with digital prints, floral and silk thread embroidery, Swarovski crystals and jazzed with pearls and crystals.

Flowerful: A model sashays the ramp in Rehane's wear

Akaaro by Gaurav Jai Gupta: High-waisted trousers, capes, shirts, gowns, jackets, dresses and robes, they were all a part of Akaaro's show. The colour palette comprised greys, peaches, beiges, browns and moss greens. His inspiration was 1:1.6, the golden ratio of nature. His collection took off from Greek architechture and he used a lot of handmade fabrics like steel, wool, silk and cotton. Some ensembles were made using a blend of steel with other materials. Lot of pleating and panelling were used in his creations.

Spirals: A model in Paras and Shalini's creation

Urvashi Kaur: Her creations, again, had a very summery look with flowy silhouettes. There were a lot of kaftans, harems, tunics, salwars, saris and more. Moss greens, violets, blues, fluorescents oranges formed the colour story.