A baseball cap teamed with a flowing gown, frilled bikinis, outfits that are a cross between kaftans and jumpsuits, deep-slitted jumpsuits, Cubist art forms on teeny tiny monokinis, asymmetrical sherwanis… with around 30 designers drawing from inspired by myriad influences, one never really knew what they’d see on the ramp at the India Beach Fashion Week in Goa.
It is the visual nature of most fashion shows to glorify the impractical. To have one that emphasises the wearability of the clothes while not compromising on their uniqueness is an achievement in itself. Organised by UVAR Global, the first edition of this fashionable event showcased an assortment of resort, beach and destination wedding wear — a mind-boggling mix of interesting fabrics, vivid colours and innovative cuts and drapes. What was flaunted on the ramp was something clients could conceivably slip into, sacrificing neither comfort nor sartorial style. Anupama Dayal opened the show on Day One of the three-day event. Harsh Agarwal, Vidhi Wadhwani, Nachiket Barve, James Ferreira, Babita Malkani, Raakesh Agarvwal, Anjalee and Arjun Kapoor, Pria Kataaria Puri, Jatin Kochhar were some of the other participating designers. In addition to the established names, the fashion week also gave an opportunity to upcoming young talent from The Rachana Sansad School of Fashion and Technology and Talenthouse to display their work on the same platform.
The clothes were drool-worthy and looked even more exquisite on the perfectly shaped models. The shows choreographed by Lubna Adams, Shakir Shaikh and Allison Karuga were far from monotonous with each show having a unique sequence. And then there was a smattering of celebrities adding to the glamour quotient — Amrita Arora, Ali Fazal, Gauhar Khan, Anusha Dandekar, Shriya Saran, Zoya Akhtar, Adhuna Akhtar… This was also one of the first instances where clothes displayed on the ramp were retailed out of pop-up stores at the venue. Here's what caught our attention:
Asmita Marwa Shimmer…and a lot of it reigned supreme in Asmita Marwa’s collection. Titled Bela Alma, which means beautiful soul in Portuguese, her clothes fused a free-spirited attitude with a touch of Bohemia and is a tribute to the laid-back destination of Goa. Golden shimmery pants, silver tops with checked pyjamas, virulently yellow capes, sparkling shorts, striped drawstring pyjamas, bikinis, crop and ruffled tops comprised the collection for women. While sculpted, scruffy men in printed pants and see- through shirts made quite a few women drool. Shriya Saran was the showstopper and she made an appearance in a one-shoulder scarlet toga with a thigh-high slit and a bedazzling gold belt.
Nautanky by Nilesh Parashar Polka dots and funky prints of fragrance bottles found themselves in a majority in this collection. In slim, fitted and fluid silhouettes, Parashar's collection was quirky. Brilliantly teaming pastels with bright contrasting colours his clothes grabbed quite a bit of attention. The dangerously high-slit maxis added oomph to his otherwise rather chirpily cute collection.
We loved what he created for the women. Our only grouse — the ankle-length pants for men that looked like Wee Willy Winkie’s night suit.
Nachiket Barve At the risk of sounding gushy, Barve’s collection was nothing short of art on fabric. What he showcased was part of his spring summer 15 collection with more resort wear pieces added to it. Inspired by the African tribes and culture, the colour scheme too largely reflected the shades of the Kalahari and Namib Desert. As a result there were a lot of reds, coppers and bronzes.
Glittering bikinis and capes, breezy pants, tops with intricate detailing, sheer skirts, capes and evening wear dresses in varying silhouettes with striking dragonfly and shell motifs completed his collection. He also recreated the traditional Shoowa and Kuba textiles of the Congo region by using beading and hand embroidery.
Pria Kataaria Puri The gorgeous designer's show was most certainly high on spunk as the slender models paraded onto the ramp dancing, high-fiving, air kissing, clicking selfies and enjoying themselves like they were at a pool party.
“Haute Hippie represents today’s glamorous and free-spirited modern women who are passionate, adventurous, and independent. But their true essence lies in simplicity,” says Puri.
To highlight the gypsy vibe most of the creations were teamed with turbans. There were jackets, kaftans, bejewelled maxis, cut-out wraps, skirts, high waist pants, cropped tops, and beachwear with big bold Persian prints in shades of sunshine yellow, cherry red, mandarin orange, soothing turquoise with neutral off-whites and black.
Falguni and Shane Peacock Green grass, open sky, twinkling stars, white frames, roses and pretty lights…it was the setting for a fairytale wedding. And the clothes had to match the expectations. Who better than Falguni and Shane Peacock for the finale of the fashion week. With Goa becoming a popular destination wedding choice, the designer duo presented a bridal collection titled Runaway Bride. “It is an amalgamation of Indian old-school charm and Western influences,” says the duo.
Sleek gowns, embellished crops with printed skirts, delicate lehengas, embroidered jackets and breathtaking dresses in subtle shades of pink, grey, blue, white and aqua green, tone on tone embroidery in a mix of floral and geometric patterns marked the collection.
Interestingly teamed with printed monokinis and high-waisted bikini bottoms some of the ground-grazing sheer gowns fused traditional with the sexy.
