05 March,2010 10:17 AM IST | | Shweta Shiware
Starting today, Lakme Fashion Week is in town for a bi-annual visit, with a brand new agenda to showcase resort wear. shweta shiware lists five shows to watch out for
Life in technicolor
For the creatively-driven, inspiration hits from unusual quarters. Besides, designer Shilpa Chavan has made a career out of putting the quirk back in fashion.
Watch out for: Tribal influences with fluorescent colours that collide with the city,s penchant for mohawks and wings.
Can & Able
Last time when this London-based design whiz got fed-up of florals, he presented a successful resort 2010 line-up with images of nuclear test explosions. Christopher Kane will make his debut in India with TIGI,s Anthony Mascolo on March 9.
Watch out for: An assault of roaring prints and colours over seemingly simple silhouettes.
Bal's blue-eyed boy grows up
JatLand.com (website for natives of Punjab) is mighty pleased that one of their own is making his design debut. We,ll reserve our comments and emotions until we watch the show.
Vijay Balhara, one half of the model twins, will showcase the VJB collection in the Emerging Designers category on March 7. Ajay and Vijay were Rohit Bal,s favourites when they used to model for the designer, almost four
years ago.
Watch out for: A modern collection using ubiquitous cotton and rural Indian blockprint motifs.
More than swimsuits
Contradictory to popular belief, resort wear extends to more than stringy bikinis and sarongs. Thankfully, resort wear doesn,t change according to the seasons, and can be worn throughout the year.
The easy-to-wear option caters to warmer climes since it,s created from lightweight fabrics like linens, cotton and silk. This specialised clothing style includes kaftans, tunics and sundresses for women, and lightweight shirts, trousers and jackets for men.
Veteran Indian designer Monisha Jaising is a recognised name in this segment. The "princess of bohemian luxe" has metamorphosed the drab kurta into a desirable kurti -- her winning invention that,s hot stuff in Selfridges in London and Scoop in New York and Miami.
All about textures
Rimzim Dadu is a nervous wreck. Applauded for an engaging design story in her collection last season, which was secured by clever editing, the Delhi-based designer hopes her show on March 8 will live up to expectations.
Watch out for: Mysteries tucked away under folds and in between weaves, as textures play dreamcatcher.
New York,s black 'n', yellows spotted on Mumbai,s roads
Zebra crossings never looked this hip. Especially if one were to get hold of Shantanu & Nikhil,s exclusive range for Adidas, called S&N. Labelled Moto Chic, the duo will showcase this collection on March 7. S&N blends the
original Shantanu & Nikhil style of drapes with a sporty influence, incorporating Adidas, iconic 3-stripes. "We,re one of only three designers in the world, after Stella McCartney and Yohji Yamamoto, to do this," says Nikhil Mehra.
He continues, "We haven,t used sportswear fabric. Our collection usually centres on edgy evening wear. For this line, the prints, fabric, silhouette and drapery are intact. Moto Chic is a mix of the 3-stripes. We,ve seamlessly merged piping, appliquu00e9, and introduced pockets."
The duo was contemplating a black and yellow scheme, which urged them to draw inspiration from New York -- its hustle and bustle, its taxicabs and zebra crossings. The colours influenced them to create Moto Chic.
Nikhil elaborates on the reach that Moto Chic will have on India,s urban cool, "It,s for the 18-24 audience; very cutting-edge, chic and affordable. Anybody who aspires to wear an S&N can stop by an Adidas outlet. The doors of opportunity have opened with this hugely scalable and accessible collection."
Watch out for: A heavy mix of prints, Swarovski crystal elements; logo formats apart from canvas-inspired accessories including shoes and bags.
