The mood was electrifying at the AU Convocation Hall as models, with smouldering eyes and sensuous smiles, sashayed onto the ramp. The evening was filled with creativity, artistic talent and fashion extravaganza on Saturday as students of Queenz Institute of Fashion displayed their work in the annual designer show. Organised in association with Kanchi Kamakshi, some 32 students of the advanced diploma and diploma courses in fashion design offered by the institute showcased their collections which were uniquely themed to reflect the rich handloom and handicraft tradition of AP.
Creating a line that caught everybody’s eye the young designers added the much needed oomph factor to city’s fashion calendar. The event created a platform for aspiring fashion designers to think out of the box, come up with their own label and make a smart entry in the fashion circuit.
This year, the students had their fashion pulse on exploring different traditional weaves and crafts of the State. Right from spending time with the weavers and craftsmen of villages like Mangalari, Machilipatnam, Dharmavaram and Chirala to creating a fusion of styles that brings out freshness in the fashion scene, the young designers have gone a step further in their pursuit of capturing a different fashion essence.
“The students have spent more than six months in designing the creations. The main purpose of the show is to provide them a platform to innovate and tell the story of a rich textile and craft tradition of AP through the creations. Showcasing their work in the public domain gives them exposure,” said D. Satyaveni, faculty of the institute. The collection was showcased in groups which included cocktail wear, street wear, western party wear, indo-western, traditional drapes and saris. The Indo western collection designed by Sandhya, Padma and Deepti Patnaik was an ode to Dharmavaram silk. Draped in a bright orange and maroon ensemble, actor Pranita was the show-stopper of the sequence.
The team of young designers Sravani, Nilima, Nirisha and Anisha brought out a cocktail wear designing dresses with the traditional Uppada fabric and crochet. Designers Manisha, Sirisha, Jai and Shanti Priya took the Kalamkari prints of Machilipatnam and designed it in Khadi. Street wear got a fresh look with a fusion of Khadi and Venkatgiri. The collections were fused with Kondapalli toys in handbags and footwear, which are worth a mention.
