The black and white collection that was showcased at the Hari Anand-Patti Stren show at Gokulam Convention Centre drew aahs and oohs from the audience comprising the fashion conscious and the wannabe in-crowd. And there was our Kerala Tourism Department Corporation chairman, Cherian Philip, wearing a short black printed designer shirt and mundu, enjoying the show. KTDC was one among the different sponsors of the show event managed by Studio e.
Called Alphabets 2011, the detailing on the clothes and saris is what impressed. That there was plenty of wearable stuff is the news part. Patti Stren's small prints were used in saris, tops and skirts. Twenty models including Candace Pinto and Rajeev Pillai walked the ramp, showing off the saris, tops, trousers, blouses and men's wear.
The pleated saris and even pants took the cake. A lot of silver and muted gold work borders gave the saris, in linen and silk, their identity as also the tiny Patti Stren prints. Apart from just one or two size zero models, the others were better endowed and two see-through net blouses sat well on the model, with strategically placed embroidery. One black jacket was the cynosure of all eyes as the viewers looked for the skirt in vain. That was no wardrobe malfunction, however. Hah..is this Kochi..you had to pinch yourself to believe it, as the audience sat deadpan. Fitted trousers with tiny bead-worked hangings all over, had a whole new look as they looked like living things, when the models walked, dangling all over. Satin skirts, and a few other colours like pink, blue and deep brown took off the monotony of black and white, as also patch-worked blouses.
Men's wear had brocade jackets, pleated cloth trousers, and bloomer-pants. Scarves and linen shirts in black and off white, with and without collars were shown, though men's clothes were in the minority group.
FTV shot the show. So watch out for Hari Anand's clothes on the small screen.
