Amazon India Fashion Week: Homage to Victorian era, craftsmanship on Day 2

The Victorian era-inspired but urban independent women ruled day 2 of Amazon India Fashion Week Autumn-Winter 2016. From leather, laces, faux fur to traditional weaves and organic clothing, the runway celebrated craftsmanship and its different techniques.

Designer Anaikka opened the day with her “Lock, Stitch & Gothic Twist” collection. The ensemble celebrated the heritage and essence of Victorian fashion and showcased a range of beautiful designs by amalgamating the old with the new. The line included tailored vintage numbers with leather, lace and herringbone details. To add more drama to it all, the designer covered models’ eyes with black lace. This was the first time she showcased a men’s line as a part of her collection. “The line has an elaborate use of French lace, metal, leather and vintage prints, showcasing a perfect balance between the Yin and Yang. The collection takes you back in time when fashion was a form of art and I have tried to give it a contemporary modern and edgy twist,” stated the designer.

Representing the modern-day goddess, Bollywood actress Shriya Saran walked the ramp in a black and gold cat-suit inspired sari with a huge gold and ruby headgear for Anaikka. Celebrating handloom, craft, heritage, folk and fusion, next came the designer-trio Ashish, Viral and Vikrant under their banner Virtues with “From Gujarat With Love”. There were traditional lehengas and sherwanis in mashru textiles with Patan Patola weave (a unique double ikat technique). The designers tried to give an Indian touch to steam-punk fashion by adding subtle embellishments with zardozi, mirror and resham. Opening her show, with an interactive walk-through of artisans showcasing various weaving techniques was designer Rimzim Dadu, who made a comeback at the AIFW after two years. Before her show, she called upon the audience to explore and understand the different kinds of embroideries. Models walked the ramp wearing wire dresses, crop jackets, kurtas and saris along with faux leather tunics and twin sets. “I have used different weaving techniques in various textiles and surfaces like plastic, metal wire and leather in this collection to create a mix of structure and flow,” shared Rimzim. Inspired from the Victorian era, designer Dhruv Kapoor chose the theme of celebration of women for his collection. The silhouettes were a mix of evening wear and sports wear made of materials like plastic, nylon, polyester besides faux fur. According to the designer, the fur element was added to show luxury in his line. The colour palette was synonymous to the season with blues, mustards, blacks and maroons.

On the other hand, Samant Chauhan undertook a journey from Nepal, Tibet and China covered with wide and exotic landscape in his collection “Silk Route”. This autumn’s Rajputana collection takes the audience back to middle ages where travellers along the Silk Route were attracted not only for trade but also art and culture. Malini Ramani’s “Supernova” collection was inspired by modern-day confident women. The silhouettes ranged from saris, sari gowns, off shoulder dresses, ponchos, dhoti pants and sheer blouses in fabrics like silks, chiffons and stretch jersey. This time, she used peacock motifs prominently in the ensemble.

Ace-designer Anita Dongre showcased earthy blend of prints fused with comfort-defining contemporary separates. Titled “Earth Song”, her collection paid homage to nature through flawless design, supreme craftsmanship and sustainable fashion. The line presented an amalgamation of versatile separates through classic clinched shirt dresses and shifts, wide-legged jumpsuits and pinafores, structured jackets and draped overlays. The colour palette reflected the natural hues of autumn consisting of cream, pearl, fawn, granite, black and pure white blends with an array of indigos. The day ended on a high note with designer Rajesh Pratap Singh showcasing his collection “Gold Rush”. His designs were inspired by the ghats of Banaras and Varanasi. The designer wooed the audience with his clean and contemporary silhouettes. The collection included variation of samurai pants, shirt dress, pajama suits and trousers suits. Rajesh used numerous shades of gold in various fabrics, presenting a different characteristic of the colour.