Paranoia mingles with Arabian Days at Wills India Fashion Week!

Ananya Bhattacharya

Delhi: After a much-admired walk by the sensuous Tannishtha Chatterjee, designers Pratima Pandey, Ritesh Kumar, Vaishali S, Kallol Datta, Anand Bhushan and Rimzim Dadu showcased their exquisitely carved and extremely diverse range of clothes. The Spring Summer 2013 collections of each of the designers were nothing less than a delight for the eyes. Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring Summer 2013, that sees its end on Wednesday, has managed to cast a spell on people till now! Designer Pratima Pandey`s collection, termed `Arabian Days`, explored the Persian story of coincidence and self-fulfilling prophecy. The richly layered texture of Chanderi and cotton acted as the perfect bases for the designer to portray her simple and austere range of clothes. Understated elegance in the clothes was lauded beyond measure and Pandey`s emphasis on natural fabrics, natural dyeing techniques and encouragement of craftsmanship were - simply put - superb! Ritesh Kumar, whose Spring Summer 2013 collection is termed `Paranoia`, flirted with the eponymous mental state, and his clothes embodied the same perfectly. A bricolage of complex emotions where fear and conviction find ample representation, Ritesh`s clothes were nothing less than a tactile and optical experience. The attires presented on the ramp combined linen, cotton, satin, jute, flax, faux leather and silk organza and 3D textures, washed over colour blocks and understated pearl embellishments on linear silhouettes presented a mesmerising effect on the viewers.Vaishali S` Spring Summer 2013 collection had models walking about the ramp in chanderi and khand fabrics. Layered black and white tunics, single shouldered asymmetric overlapped tunic, chanderi front pleated dresses, long overlapped dresses were all worn by models and displayed on the ramp. Black, white and grey were the colours that found prominent recurrence in the designer`s work. Kallol Datta had his models have their eyes smeared with silver, and thereby presented a purely different sight on the ramp. His Spring Summer 2013 collection, inspired by the grotesque and insanity, had clothes mainly in black, white and silver, and made for a hypnotising show. Long dresses, tunics, pants were all seen in his collection. Anand Bhushan`s collection, titled `Hero`, saw the celebration of the real `superhero` of them all - Superman. The ramp came alive with snippets from comic strips and films, and Superman, in various avatars, entertained the on-lookers on the penultimate day of the ongoing Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring Summer 2013. Embroideries and surfaces looked all strong and graphic, and all bore Bhushan`s signature style. Diamond motifs and heavy metal were prominently visible on the eveningwear that the designer presented on the ramp. Laborious and assertive textures had been intertwined with precision constructions and Anand Bhushan`s brainchildren were adequately felicitated at the show – with thundering applause from the viewers! `My Village`, designer Rimzim Dadu`s Spring Summer collection for 2013, had textual stories and rooted, earthy references embedded in the clothes. Floral motifs were a recurrent theme in the designer`s work, and painted sequins to marble dyes and monochrome blooms to vivid colours - were all splashed in various doses up on the ramp. With an idyll, rustic undertone, Rimzim`s Spring Summer collection can easily be termed pretty - as much as it is in his village! Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring Summer 2013 has a lot more in store, for sure... Keep returning here for more on the event! Follow @nanya116