Kitsch, quirk add dash of colour on Day 1

As spring made way for summer, the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week kicked off its 21st edition in the city. The “queen of quirk” and the latest creative helmer of Satya Paul, Masaba Gupta opened the week with her kitschy prints confirming that there could not have been a better start to the five-day long fashion jamboree. Masaba, whose signature camera and cow prints have a cult following and who counts Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Kalki Koechlin, Alia Bhatt, Neha Dhupia, Sonam Kapoor and Mandira Bedi among her clients, has brought youthful energy to Satya Paul’s sophisticated design sensibilities. The resultant collection is a glam hybrid of the classic and the nouveau. This time Masaba turned her attention to the lipstick and splashed it all over to construct maxis, saris, blouses, floor-length gowns, tights and shift dresses. Whereas the palazzo pant sari remained the highlight of her collection. Moving on to the second segment, she let ink drip and blot to create an intriguing impression on maxis, saris mainly in black and neon. It was soon followed by abstract and telephone booth prints strategically placed on kaftan-style gowns, blouses, trench dresses. Neon which stood out in the beginning played hide and seek with black and grey towards the end of her show. “This collection is for girls who love colours and want to have fun. It has an earthy and quirky feel to it. Whereas the abstract prints show the various phases of our life,” said Masaba. During the second show of the day designer Anupama Dayal took the audience to the past. The rich Islamic art and the Mughal traditions insp-ired the designer to create sharara-inspired trou-sers, lehenga-inspired ski-rts, angarakhas in summery and lovely hues. She clubbed long mulmul kurta with chiffon trou-sers; poncho with palazzo pants; chanderi dresses with matching bandana; Asian tunics with silk shorts while the dramatic eye make-up only added appeal to the look. In the later part of the show she showed bridal wear in happy colours for the unconventional bride, who wants to go beyond the staple scarlet, maroon or wine. There were ornate kurtas, velvet embellished waistcoats, phirans with antique ribbon work and appliqué. Calling designer Kanika Saluja of the label Ann-aikka a pint-sized wonder won’t be wrong. Her quirky style and “heavy duty” garments demand attention. Her intelligent use of metal make her different from her contemporaries. From structured and raised shoulder dresses, peplum-style business tunics to mullet tops and off-shoulder gowns, her collection is a perfect blend of edge and elegance.