Pero by Aneeth Arora presented "Labour of Love" Spring Summer 2014 at Fashion Design Council of India's Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week on October 12th ..... the first indication about the collection appeared on the brands facebook page with a picture of a collection of recycled dolls with the description ...... "She looked to the skies and wished. She remembered all the people that inspired her. The journey had just begun. And by late evening, it started raining. Polka Dots. Gems and Dolls" ..... And that was precisely what happened .... there were polka dots on the runway .... gems in the press kit ..... and living dolls in straw boaters, ribbons and lace, bows and hearts .... merrily gliding out of a Parisian Cafe .... with cupcakes and periwinkles in flower vases ..... to the bossanova strains of The Girl from Ipanema .....
"Tall and tan and young and lovely
The girl from Ipanema goes walking
And when she passes, each one she passes goes - ahhhhh
When she walks, she's like a samba
That swings so cool and sways so gently
That when she passes, each one she passes goes - ahhhhh
That swings so cool and sways so gently
That when she passes, each one she passes goes - ahhhhh
ohhhh - But he watches so sadly
How can he tell her he loves her
Yes he would give his heart gladly
But each day, when she walks to the sea
She looks straight ahead, not at himmmm ... "
How can he tell her he loves her
Yes he would give his heart gladly
But each day, when she walks to the sea
She looks straight ahead, not at himmmm ... "
As supermodel Indrani walked down in a signature Pero anti fit baby doll dress ..... polka dotted ribbon in her hair and red bindi dots on her bare feet ... followed by a bevy of girls in floaty loose sheer layers full of light and grace ..... the frow tried to cheer politely (the front row claps soundlessly while the cat calls, whistles and ovations come from the non front rowers heheh :) ..... while the media pit cattily chinese whispered "Sarojini Nagar" (you gotta be a Delhiite to understand this epithet :p .... Sarojini Nagar market is the most famous flea market in Delhi ..... if you want export surplus summer cotton, lace, knit, hosiery or any kind of summer sheers for an unbelievably cheap 100 rupees or 2 USD .... this is the place to shop .... if you still don't understand the reference, you need to talk to a Delhiite :P)
Herein lies the problem with a label like Pero ..... It's distinctly Indian in its textiles, easily identifiable with locally made and internationally famous Indian handloom textiles and its variations ..... The "look" of Pero is nothing new for the average Indian ...... This kind of shabby chic is what we wear at home or sell to foreigners ...... It is pretty difficult to think of buying Pero at its designer level price point as an anti fit silhouette for an Indian body type ....... So here then is a very brave designer who is absolutely convinced of marrying an International aesthete to local material at a selling price that demands your curiosity ...... To Appreciate Pero you have to understand the journey of Every garment that comes out from the atelier of Aneeth Arora !! .... It is a Labour of Love .... by hands, that stitch every heart, embroiders every dot, closes every lining .... without a machine !! ..... Truly hundred percent handstitched and handcrafted .... in the brands own words .... "‘Péro’ interprets international aesthetic using local material and skills, taking inspiration from what surrounds us, to make a product that connects with people, wherever in the world it is placed. The Indianness of ‘péro’ rests in the textile process, where materials pass through the hands of one craftsperson to the other, carrying forward the Indian tradition of the hand made, and creating pieces that are at once unique. The resulting garment evoke some sense of culture from which it originates, this culture communicates internationally in such a way that the wearer looks equally at ease in the streets of Paris or London, as she does here in India.The look is not about an age group or season, it is about a mindset , a willingness to incorporate the effortless style of the local people in ones attire." ......
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| Indrani Dasgupta for Pero by Aneeth Arora Spring Summer 2014 WIFW |
When Charu Parashar's Spring Summer 2014 collection "A Persian Dream" opened with the track Endless Reverie from the album Elysium For The Brave by Persian singer Azam Ali ...... I shivered with goose pimples at a coincidence ..... Azam Ali, Iranian singer raised in Panchgani, India and resident of Los Angeles and Quebec is also someone who is known for her unique jewellery pieces, specially the Farvahar or winged disc - the national symbol of Iran and the Medallion and vine motif design from the Carpets of Isfahan .... truly unique jewellery and therefore she is frequently featured in Blogger style diaries across the globe ! ..... I have been recently following the sartorial style of Azam .... And then million of miles away in the East, here was Charu Parashar presenting her Persian Dream to a soundtrack of Azam Ali !! .... Co incidence is it not ? .... The Resham embroidery motifs in her persian collection, also reminded me of William Morris's illustrations of the Rubayat of Omar Khayyam, the dome of Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, and the Persian motifs taken from the rich textile culture of the Safavid dynasty of ancient Iran ..... which also gave birth to our own Mughal motifs descended from the Timurid dynasty of Iran !!! ...... CP's romantic sexy sophistication with flowing hemlines and breezy sleeves brought ancient Persia onto the modern red carpet ..... and her finale gowns certainly brought in the whiff of the Bengali Garad and/or Korial saree ..... with its pristine white with red border .... the colour palette was very basic salmon pink to red to white ..... the show was stylized with bandana caps with latkans, gold hoops and disc ear rings, bracelets, with pearl, gemstone, and mesh potli, minaudiere and clutches ...... The make up was subtle and classy with a sharp half winged liner on the eyelids with gold highlights in the corner, and a nude pale pink lip.
"I am really excited about this season. The new reinvented look is inspiring. I have experimented with print and embroidery. This time I tried to create a very classic look. The print is basically inspired by Persian carpets and culture. We have done a lot of resham work," Charu said.
The designer added that through her collection she is trying to create an identity for today's woman with clothes which don't just make style statements but are also classic in appeal.
The ecru coloured garments lend a dreamy feel. She also used a lot of Banarasi chanderi for her white collection. It has sheer bodices in net, embroidered with resham work. The translucent feel to the apparels adds sensuousness. - Post Show Press Meet interview.
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| Sonalika Sahay for Charu Parashar Spring Summer 2014 |
The sisters Gauri and Nainika brings to you a holiday collection inspired by the colourful Amalfi coast, and the charm and grace of vintage Hollywood heroines ..... We loved the collection :) ..... for now enjoy the pictures, we will be back with the review, music and closeup details shortly :)
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| Gauri Nainika Spring Summer 2014 |
Gaurav Gupta presented his couture collection "Lightfall" on the last day of PCJ Delhi Couture Week 2013 ..... by that time we had just seen two back to back couture weeks ... the Bridal Fashion Week preceding DCW by a week .... 12 shows in that one, and 8 shows before GG's in DCW!! .... Even with all the eye fatigue of watching one couture collection after the other ........ The moment we saw the runway set at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi, with the Medusa heads dripping lights on to the runway and the beautiful hourglass with the stunningly worded press kit, we knew we were in for something spectacularly different than the other Indian couture offerings so far !!
"Lightfall" was indeed songs of lace and rivulets of gold ..... a collection so stunning and mesmerising, as befitted the poetic press release crafted by Gaurav's stellar right hand Navkirat Sodhi, who is a published poet in her own right ..... and the superbly crafted runway music by Madhav Shorey of the band "Kohra" .... it started with the tinkling of cathedral bells as we were seated and the runway lit up into flaming medusa hair followed by an Luminiscent apparition in a play of sheer and gold .... a beautiful instrumental piece by David August "Forgive Me if i Bleed" played as points of light intersected and radiated from a stunning black gown .... and segued into the electronic tanpura and the magical vocal droning of Sheila Chandra as super model Jesse Randhawa stunned in an orange sharp shouldered brocade jacket over layers of tulle ... to actress Rekha's song as courtesan Vasantsena voiced by Lata Mangeshkar came on the speakers as Gaurav's famed sculptural drapes floated down the runway in 3Desque yellow flowers blooming on neon sari gowns .... to rain and thunderstorms on the speakers that culminated with the golden gorgeousness of show stopper Kalki Koechlin as the astral princess of "Lightfall" !!
Many were bemused by Gaurav's collection .... it was avant garde, it was scintillating, it was edgy, contemporary, it was Art !! ..... futuristic in design and conception, for an Indian woman fed on the usual trite "bridal wear" that passes off as "couture" .... Indeed the Fashion Design Council of India who hosts the Delhi Couture Week even ran a twitter campaign asking fashionistas about what is considered couture in India .... the question being ... Is traditional bridal couture the denominator for "couture" in India ? ..... Inarguably, the Bridal market in India is the biggest and most voracious buyer in the luxury apparel segment .... every Couturier and Fashion Designer worth his salt would naturally target the money guzzling machinery surrounding the "Great Indian Wedding" .... but oh to see a presentation like "Lightfall", one must have the appreciation for a story, with all the senses of sound and sight aflame ! .... A most beautiful representation of what a woman can be ! .... and i was reminded of the James Cameron movie "Avatar" and its "Tree of Souls" and the luminescent neurons connecting the universe of Pandora where every single organism is connected so radiantly into one supreme consciousness !! .... From the extreme vintage to the future light years from now ..... a woman draped with the luminescent brilliance of Gaurav Gupta's soul of imagination !!! .... Its our pleasure to record all that we felt through our camera ..... So here is Lightfall through our eyes ..... our biggest photo presentation till date !!
"Once upon a checkered dream
Of songs in lace and rivulets of gold
Silence became the song the theme
By light the tale of its falling was told
somewhere she said an eye would blink
And somewhere a cave will stall
Night would be the torch to everything
On the day light falls "
- Press Kit, Gaurav Gupta
Many were bemused by Gaurav's collection .... it was avant garde, it was scintillating, it was edgy, contemporary, it was Art !! ..... futuristic in design and conception, for an Indian woman fed on the usual trite "bridal wear" that passes off as "couture" .... Indeed the Fashion Design Council of India who hosts the Delhi Couture Week even ran a twitter campaign asking fashionistas about what is considered couture in India .... the question being ... Is traditional bridal couture the denominator for "couture" in India ? ..... Inarguably, the Bridal market in India is the biggest and most voracious buyer in the luxury apparel segment .... every Couturier and Fashion Designer worth his salt would naturally target the money guzzling machinery surrounding the "Great Indian Wedding" .... but oh to see a presentation like "Lightfall", one must have the appreciation for a story, with all the senses of sound and sight aflame ! .... A most beautiful representation of what a woman can be ! .... and i was reminded of the James Cameron movie "Avatar" and its "Tree of Souls" and the luminescent neurons connecting the universe of Pandora where every single organism is connected so radiantly into one supreme consciousness !! .... From the extreme vintage to the future light years from now ..... a woman draped with the luminescent brilliance of Gaurav Gupta's soul of imagination !!! .... Its our pleasure to record all that we felt through our camera ..... So here is Lightfall through our eyes ..... our biggest photo presentation till date !!
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| Gaurav Gupta Lightfall Delhi Couture Week 2013 |
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