When autumn comes

Is winter fashion merely about warm woollies tumbling out of the cupboard?  Wrong. The cold season is not only about well-knit sweaters and cardigans, declare contemporary designers who like to offer  a choices galore to dress up in for the fashionistas this Fall-Winter.

A burst of contrasting elements, drama, exuberance, unisex characteristics and a riot of chromes are likely to dominate the fashion scene with the onset of imminent autumn festivities and the Yuletide fervour later in December. A breed of forward looking, upwardly mobile and innovative couturiers have geared up to hog the limelight in the forthcoming fashion weeks.

Stricter silhouettes with structured looks and masculine suits for women would determine the fashion diktats in the impending seasons, they say. Since winter also hails in the big fat Indian wedding season, the designers are also ready torejuvenate the bridal trousseau and the grooms’ wardrobe. There are funky designs too for donning during red carpet events, at parties and on social occasions as well.

GenY draper Bengaluru-based Ajay Kumar is participating in the  current year’s edition of Lakme Fashion Week with his exclusive ‘Consonance & Dissonance’ theme that punctuates the eternal aspect of dichotomy in life. Print is the main essence of his collection and the style is intricately ornate. Kumar has meticulously picked up Indo-Persian motifs to appear in a paradox of living and non-living; geometric and florals; birds and beasts. His choice of an elaborate surface is deliberate as it aims to catch the eye immediately. The silhouettes are strikingly well-structured yet flowing, conventional yet contemporary, with multiple layering; this heightens the aura of glitz and glamour around an otherwise traditional garment.

Kumar predicts the autumnal tones as the ‘in-thing’ for the near future. “These hues will ripen, mature and grow more intense in the shape of a luxuriant lotus pink, cranberry and parrot green with a dash of lipstick red to create a vivid, bold and concentrated Indian shade card,” he foresees. For example, green would progress into khaki green while other darker shades of chestnut tints would be accentuated with radiant rays. The autumnal range is specially developed and constructed with 100 hundred percent cotton, linen, silk and digitally printed fabric with a finished uber-cool look.

Delhi’s Charchit Bafna is another rookie on the ramp who declares his debut with a vibrant set of designs. He is inspired by the kind of winter that India usually experiences. His work evokes a playful mood and the palette turns unexpectedly zesty and flirty, keeping the season of shedding in mind. Titled ‘Elakka Ice’, the idea is to spice up the usual sombre winter by streaking it with an element of drama and a certain richness. “My primary objective is to upend the common metaphors and imageries associated with a dull winter and make it more celebratory in context,” Bafna says. Echoing Kumar’s line of thought, he asserts that “the beauty around us lies in that discord and slight imperfection.”

Fiddling with the concept of androgyny, Bafna comfortably creates an array of gender-neutral pieces, thereby questioning the preconceived notions of both masculine and feminine styles. He is more at home with duskier tinges like blues, greens and gold. The silhouettes are more straight-lined with simple cuts and crafted out in distinctively powerful yet versatile pieces. “I have used a banana leaf print and floral hand- embroideries in my collection with a varied range of fabrics including the men’s suiting material, cotton poplin, leatherite, cotton mesh and organza,” he reveals. Shirts, suits, bomber- jackets, dresses and trousers would adorn his festive oeuvre, this autumn-winter.

As to the colour-code this end of season, he sees “earthy pigments reigning supreme with a nature-themed palette unveiled on the ramp.Gold will be integral to the haute couture,” as per his analysis. “There will be a trait of fun, fantasy and spunk on the fashionscape in the upcoming months. Also, the return of the retro era with 1960s’ inspired dresses and coats would rule the roost.”

Keralite Jebin Johny dubs gingham as a classic print and permanently in vogue. “Black checks on white base or vice-versa is the numero uno combo for me. It looks best both on men and women,” he feels. Celebs like David Beckham, Imran Khan, Hollywood star Jake Gyllenhaal,  French actress Lea Seydoux, Chinese actress and fashion icon Fan Bingbing, and India’s very own Kangana Ranaut, he feels, should fit the gingham to the tee and carry it off with a faultless panache.

Seconding Johny, Kumar also feels that checks (gingham prints) never go out of fashion. “The pattern is eternally trendy,whether in east or west, with a casual wear bend though, chequered shirts, trousers, tees and shorts may look hot on the ramp, too depending on how we use them and with what,” he says. 

Capitalising on this effervescent palette of festivity are the wedding bells which are ready to ring soon as winter comes calling. Designer duo Sujata and Sanjay unwraps their bridal collection ‘Apsarasa’ aka Apsara — The Ethereal Beauty. Keeping the needs of new-age brides in mind who now look for fuss-free silhouettes, where cut and style are given more prominence, the elegant line doles out a casket of floor kissing, breezy gowns and placement thread embroideries mixed with daring cuts.

“Our garments speak the language of today’s bride,” speak the designers in unison. The luxurious collection thrives on a broad spectrum of influences ranging from western vintage to Indian heritage — be it the hand-crafted brocades of Varanasi or the fine French Chantilly lace. “We design to compliment the innate beauty of every woman and believe in celebrating life as an expression of fashion. Our clothes are embellished with mirror work, fine zardosi, resham (silk) and enhanced with sequins and diamantes. We have used soft shimmering fabrics mixed with delicate laces and intricate needlework, thus giving the output a very celestial grace,” the duo inform.