Flames of fashion

Call it a crossover between orange and red or a red-fused orange, a shade from the sunset or a hue stolen from the Flamingo’s vibrant feather — flame — is one of the fashion’s favourite colours at the moment. Christian Siriano sent out models wrapped up with this gregarious shade vis-a-vis sunglasses, headwear, elegant gowns and even killer heels. At Oscar de la Renta, models strutted the catwalk in flame-rich cocktail dresses and eveningwear. And at Sportmax, drawstring jumpsuits were spotted bursting into flames.

“Globally speaking, the ’70s trend which has cascaded over onto 2017 promotes this shade of orange mixed with red,” says designer Varsha Wadhwa, adding, “I think, we’re finally embracing our wild sides and going on an adventure with the fiery flames. The once avoided tone has now gone from a fad to a permanent fixture in the world of fashion.”  

“Fiery flame is a mood elevator,” says designer Gautam Gupta. “It can boost confidence and make you feel more in control. While it’s not for the shy but the sharp-edged colour will please those drawn to making a strong statement.” 

Designer Aditi Somani agrees. “This red-based orange embodies love, fun and other fervent feelings. Whether you match it with  neutrals or vibrant shades, be prepared to make a splash around. Bright and easy, it nearly goes with everything. It would look great with gentler hues and perfect for athleisure outfits. This is a gregarious hue with lots of heat and is a failsafe option when you want to make a dramatic entrance,” she adds.

What’s the best thing about this shade? Well, it works for all skin tones! Suggesting different shades of the flame according to skin tones, Varsha explains, “The flame is available in myriad shades. It looks great on olive skinned, who can go for a neon-rich variant of this shade whereas for a tanned skin tone, a more muted shade of garnet-firestone is recommended. For the lighter skinned, shades of sorbet tangerine suit the best.”

Designer Aashima Behl explains, “This colour is especially good for women with warmer skin tones, as it brightens up their complexion and makes them shine even more. However, if one has a cooler skin tone, one can still wear this colour and look amazing. There are many ways to wear it.  If you don’t want too much of this colour in your dress up then to neutralise you can always team it up with white. Adding a third colour to the flame and white combination can also allow you to make a great style statement. Add a hint of blue, it will create a marine-inspired look.”

Accessories of this colour add a focal point to the outfit so be careful to underplay the rest of the outfit, a fabulous way to wear the colour would be with an all-white outfit paired with a statement bag in flame-rich colour, says Varsha, adding, “A safe way to let the bold tone stand out without competing with any other colour, is to pair it with neutrals. If you are in the mood to go bold then try pairing it with purple or a bold print with blood orange elements.”