One of the most awaited fashion weeks on the Indian fashion calendar, the Amazon India Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2017 got kick started at its new venue, The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, at the capital on 15th March, 2017. This season’s fashion week aims to celebrate the pride of the Indian textile industry, the ubiquitous handlooms and the opening day was a testament to the fact that Indian designers take a lot of pride in their indigenous textiles. On the ramp were 71 designers from all over the country showcasing beautiful ensembles from different parts of India.
The opening show was a special collection spearheaded by Maheshwar’s Pride, The Handloom School, in association with the luxury home décor retailer, The Good Earth, where 13 Indian fashion designers- Akaaro, ANTAR-AGNI, EKA, Neeru Kumar, NICOBAR, PERO, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Rohit Bal, Sanjay Garg, Suketu Dhir, Urvashi Kaur and 11.1 came together to create stunning, minimalistic ensembles from chic fabrics woven by the students of the Handloom School. The ramp was turned into a luscious garden complete with flowers where the models flaunted contemporary ensembles in oversized boxy silhouettes, barefoot. The colour palette was very earthy with pinks, creams and navy providing a hint of colour to a collection dominated by blacks, whites, yellows, and grays.
The second collection of the day was by Novita Yunus, a premium brand of Batik, to showcase the traditional Indonesian textiles and techniques, and to promote the Jakarta Fashion Week. Titled ‘Bami- Langit’ which means The Earth and The Sky, the collection had striking separates in hues of the fallen autumn leaves and the cold winter sky. The highlight of the collection was the wispy, almost ethereal aura that the kaftans, sarong-style skirts, culottes, traditional embroidered kebayas, and palazzos had created with the shades of burnt orange, mint greens and browns, and they were paired with boho accessories.
To celebrate her 30 years in the industry, designer Madhu Jain paired up with Krishna Mehta to showcase a collection that paid homage to crafts and textiles. Done in Maheshwari fabric, Krishna Mehta’s designs were classy and mischievous all at the same time. Consisting of ombre separates, dhoti pants, patchwork and stencil print lehengas, and 52-kali anarkalis, the collection was designed for the modern women who wore passion on their sleeves and fashion in their stride.
Designer duo David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore of Abraham & Thakore presented their work wear collection ‘Back to Work’ in The See Now Buy Now Show for Spring/Summer 2017. Oriented towards the modern Indian women, the collection had simple separates, striped saris, straight-cut kurtas and robe jackets done in androgynous styling to give a twist to the Indian silhouettes. Functionality being the key feature, the whole collection was done on pure hand-woven and hand-printed cotton in shades of ivory, indigo, black and red to provide relief from the summer heat.
The next collection of the day was by Jharkhand Silk Textile (Jharcraft), the partner state for the Fashion Week this season. Paying an ode to the famous Tussar and Kuchai silks of the state, the collection had wonderful creations done in these rich textiles with the characteristic style of the designer at the helm. Rina Dhaka chose to go the separates way with stripes and tasseled details while Pinnacle by Shruti Sancheti had gorgeous knife pleat skirts, jackets, and capes, in charcoal and earth shades. Dabiri by Divya and Ambica had dazzling white-and-metallic lehengas, long jackets and anarkalis and Shana N.C experimented with the drapes of the exquisitely-hued saris.
Amazon India Fashion Week Autumn/winter Day 1 ended with Vogue India’s Sari 24/7 show, a celebration of the Indian drape as Vogue India completed its 10 years. Done in five themes – Blues, Pretty Florals, Tribal, Gold and Gothic, the show showcased 60 amazing, innovative ways to wear a sari by distinguished Indian fashion designers. It just goes to show that a sari can never be boring!
Let us know how you liked the first day of the Amazon India Fashion Week and tune in to get the updates on the rest of the days of Amazon India Fashion Week.
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