Woody Allen inspires designer duo Shantanu-Nikhil

Woody`s portrayal of women in his movies was the inspiration for designer duo Shantanu and Nikhil`s Autumn/Winter 2010 collection.

New Delhi: Oscar-winning filmmaker Woody Allen`s portrayal of women in his movies was the inspiration for designer duo Shantanu and Nikhil`s Autumn/Winter 2010 collection showcased at the Wills India Fashion week here."We were watching Manhattan and were influenced by the way Allen portrays his heroines. Even `Vicky Christina Barcelona` has the same kind of philosophy. We immediately knew this was what we wanted to do," Nikhil told reporters.

Their show, titled `Play Right`, unfolded into three acts with the Swarovski embellished clothes changing the mood of each as scenes from Allen`s film played in the background. The first act was for the woman who is idealistic and ingenue yet naive. Act two painted a mature picture of a woman who understands that life is not liveable in clear strokes of black and white. The third act was about surrender and realisation, where the woman is assertive of her identity. "Woody Allen is a man who has reached out to a lot of people and our show was really about putting together a story," said Nikhil. The designers restricted themselves to the classic red, black and off-white for the and caught the essence of the fifties with evening gowns with ruched capes, cowl necklines, draped off shoulders and halter necklines. "The eveningwear collection is aimed at the Indian women who want to make a statement at the red carpet. Black and red are classic colours which never go out of fashion," said Nikhil. PTI