Glitzy lights, peppy music, smoky interiors and a young vibrant crowd made for a perfect Saturday evening at Fashionooze 2017, the fashion show exhibiting pret-a-porter collections designed by the outgoing students of Fashion Design of Dream Zone institute. Over 100 garments designed by 25 girls and four boys were showcased on the ramp put up inside the big PTR Hall at Chokkikulam. Fashion models brought in from the metros carried off the elegant ensembles with élan and attitude, setting the mood right for a fashion extravaganza.
The annual fashion show by Dream Zone has only grown bigger in the past five years and this is by far the biggest, says Thangarajeshwari, the centre head. Aptly named as Fashionooze, the show oozed with passion for fashion. “This is a good platform for the students who are fresh in the industry. It gives them an opportunity to exhibit their creative talents. Our aim is to give students from small towns the same kind of exposure they might get in a metro city. Belonging to Madurai shouldn't become a reason for them to get relegated in the fashion world,” she says.
Themed as 'ethnic wear', the show had a large spectrum of ensembles from saris, salwars, Indo-western outfits and experimental and innovative silhouttes and designs. From embroidered silk saris that are ready-to-wear with pre-stitched and Velcro detailing to midis made from Bandhani on cotton fabric, there was no dearth of innovation. Apart from the colour combinations and certain gaudy embellishments, the collections were appealing and compelling for prospective buyers. Asymmetric silhouettes, bold hemlines, prominent surface detailing and pastel colours marked a lasting appearance on the stage.
“Every student designed at least four ensembles working on it for more than three months. The fabric and materials were sourced from wholesale markets of Bangalore, which they designed to meet international standards.” says Thangarajeshwari. K Devi, 38-year-old home maker, pursuing fashion design at Dream Zone showcased four layered garments with slits, overlapping coats, cloak-like long sherwanis. She says, “The show is a great opportunity for a middle-aged small-town woman like me. I was always interested in fashion and dressing-up is my favourite pass time. My theme was silk that’s pocket-friendly. I designed four ensembles with the shimmery fabric that gives the same rich and elite look as silk but comes at a much cheaper rate. I sourced materials from Coimbatore and took nearly two months to come up with the collection.”
M Shanmugapriya, a student of MCA at Fatima College, says, “I believe fashion is an expression of one’s personality. My love for fashion started from my mother who sports a refined sense of dressing up. I aspire to become a model but to become a design is the first step to that. My theme was bridal wear under which I designed one menswear and three womenswear. I used a lot of surface embellishments and bright colours reflecting the mood of the theme.”
Some of the ensembles were totally out-of-the-box. Sari with an overcoat, different styles of drapery and a range of flouncy dresses, frocks and skirts formed the line-up to a whole collection designed in colours of gold and silver. Shiny fabrics and bling embellishments characterized some collections while simple elegant floral motifs were also seen in few ensembles. A lot of the ensembles were variations of ethnic wear styles like anarkali, lehenga and patiala. Interesting style detailing like gauze capes, crochet sleeves and frilly cuffs added drama to the outfits.
