Tarun's Trails

Last weekend i watched Alque Padamsee's adaptation of the Bard's 'Macbeth'.

Not a great fan of the senior Padamsee's work, what drew me was the promise of seeing costumes fashioned by couturier Tarun Tahiliani amongst the action on stage.

While the production had its high points, i was quite taken aback on seeing the costumes.

The ensembles bore the appropriate period look with capes that secured around the neck, faux leather fashioned into breast plates and thigh grazing tunics worn over leggings (hose) for the knights. Even the suede footwear was detailed with rivetted straps that ran up the calves. The maid servants' garb appeared charming and feminine to the eye, and in the case of Lady Macbeth, appropriatly dark, mysterious and sensuous.

But something kept bothering my eye.... And it took me a moment to figure what that discordant note was. And lo and behold clarity presented itself. The garments were badly constructed!

And not i'm not talking threads hanging loose..... but puckers and bad bad draping and construction!

Lady Macbeth's gown looked flat. One could tell it was a Tarun from the flow of fabric and the twists and turns of the drape, but the execution was plain horrid!

Post show, i spoke to a couple of friends in the know and pieced together the story.

Those were indeed designs from the Tahiliani stable, but in trying to keep production costs low, the sketches had been interpreted into fabric by Padamsee's costume people.

From what i hear Tarun himself was aghast at the final effect and asked to not be enlisted for such projects again.

Just goes to show, that quality and technique are as much a hallmark of a classy design label as the creative content.

What does it take to be a world renowned designer?

by Merril Diniz for Rediff.com

This question was one I was hoping to tackle here on the blog, and as I hopped over to Rediff.com, I found they'd gotten Didier Grumbach, Chairman of the Fédération Française de la Couture (French Association of Couture) to reveal all.

The Fédération Française de la Couture, du prêt-à-porter des couturiers et des créateurs de mode was established in 1973. It derives from the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture created in 1868. So to say that Didier Grumbach is a prominent figure in the world of international fashion is putting it lightly. And it is key to note that he was present at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, that commenced in Delhi the other day.

So it doesn't get much better than this. If you aspire to someday be the toast of the fashion cognoscenti, with an empire to call your own, then listen up and listen good as Didier Grumbach reveals some gems about what works in the international market and how to build your brand. This is what he had to say…

Let your personality shine

A designer must not be influenced by anyone else. "He has a message that is totally his own. He creates something that doesn't exist in the world, which becomes international." Didier quotes the example of French designer Jean Paul Gaultier who didn't sell a piece from his first show. "He was weird. Of course, he thought his clothes were very wearable. In a year or two, it became a trend and he built a repertoire. Because of such a repertoire, the brand survives even after the departure of the designer."

Didier also mentions designers like Chanel and Balienciaga, whose brands live on even today. He calls Gaultier an artist, whose designs brought out his own personality. This is one approach to designing.

Designing for an audience

The other approach is to adjust designs to a specific territory and with a target audience in mind. He stresses that being a world-class designer is not just about how many orders you get. "You can be very successful in selling. You can also make a fantastic impact and get few orders. To build your brand, these two things are complementary."

India on the international ramp

According to Didier, there are no nationalities in the world of fashion and India must be shown to the world in the right way. "The way we will look at fashion with your Indian culture is something that will add tthe world community the way Japan has succeeded in changing the way we work and feel. We dress in a Japanese manner without even knowing it, thinking it is part of the everyday world," says Didier.

He quotes the examples of Japanese designers Kenzo, who opened his first boutique in 1970, and Issey Miyake, who first showcased his collection in Paris in 1973. Eventually, both went on to make a mark on the international map.

Photograph: Jewella C Miranda

Little Red Riding Hood Goes to Tokyo via India

That's how designer Manish Arora describes his collection at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week that got off to a rocking start in Delhi yesterday. Renowned as the enfant terrible of the Indian Fashion circuit, Arora also ably sports the tag 'King of Kitsch'.

This collection was infact the same one Arora showed at London Fashion Week earlier this year and stayed true to Manish's hugely flamboyant style. His clothes take over the room and certainly aren't for the faint of heart. Looking back on the past few years, it appears that Manish is on a journey of excess, quite like the one the world witnessed a few seasons ago with Galliano.

Manish's is a roving eye. He allows all manner of visual stimuli to end up on his clothes. A million colours burst forth with each ensemble, with as many fabrics and embellishment techniques visible in each garment. The effect is nothing short of striking psychedelia.

Arora's world is a stoned man's paradise. A fantasy world where Lil' Red Riding Hood sets off on a journey to Tibet, taking the meandering scenic route. She finds herself in India meeting with Gods and animals. Elsewhere exploring forests, snow capped moutains, the streets and skylines of cities and taking many a detour along the way.

Yours truly on BBC World Service Radio

Thanks to the post I wrote on the wardrobe malfunction issue, I was asked by the kind people at BBC World Service Radio to participate in a live discussion on their show 'World Have Your Say'. The topic of discussion was the reaction of the Indian media and politicians to the incidents. It was broadcast last night around 11.30 pm IST.

They sent over the link to the online audio file as it went online today. You can listen to the program here. You'll find the audio link (labelled 'Listen to the programme') on the right hand side bar. Let me know if you have any problems accessing it. You need to have either Windows Media Player or Real Player to listen in.

There are a bunch of issues discussed during the show, ranging from Kuwaiti women going to the polls, to the reaction to the news that Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is stepping down, reaction to the news that Zacarias Moussaoui is eligable to face the death penalty and the political reaction to the wardrobe malfunctions at Lakme Fashion Week. The the style editor of the national daily Indian Express, Namrata Sharma Zakaria was also a guest on the show.

So go hear out our opinions, and share your own. Here's to the the power of blogging!

Sonam Dubal's Cosmic Romance

While Anshu Arora looked to Japan, couturier Sonam Dubal ventured closer home. In this collection titled 'Cosmic Romance', Dubal brought alive visions of Tibetian and Sikkimese textile traditions.

The austere landscape and traquil elegance of the region were the essence of this very wearable collection. Dubal's strength lies in creating silhouettes that are pan-Asian in style.

The designer has long been a promoter of the traditional Tibetian raw silk colloquially termed burrey or tsen which is handwoven in south Assam. His fabrics are layered and embroidered both by hand and machine, with surface embellishment through silk-stitched stripes and floral embroidery explorations in resham (silk yarn) to create a carpet weave like quality reminiscent of Western Asia.

Tsen along with crepe de chine formed the basis of this 55 ensemble collection, while colours ranged from muted tones with touches of gray, black and cream, broken with some rust, burgundy, deep red, orange, cobalt blue and black.

Seen alongside is a sublime ensemble, carried by model Bhavan Kapoor. I simply love the refinement of line, and balance of shapes, contrast, embroidery and stripe. Take away the kimono style jacket and the resulting look is very street chic.

For contemporary chic Dubal had a rust embroidered Nepalese top worn with a circular embroidered bakhu skirt. Subtle drama was generated with a black coat with black honju dotted pyjamas and striped obi belt.

Trend Tip: Interestingly, obi belts are all the rage for Resort wear with international designers like Dries Van Noten showing the sensuous Japanese accessory over soft, unstructured and feminine blouses. Source: Guise

With this collection at Lakme fashion Week, Sonam Dubal succeeded in reminding us that there is indeed much beauty and romance in rustic threads.

The Bakhu and Honju

The Bhutias are people of Tibetan origin that migrated to Sikkim perhaps somewhere after the fifteenth century. In Northen Sikkim, where they are the major inhabitants, they are known as the Lachenpas and Lachungpas. The language spoken by the Bhutias is Sikkimese.

The traditional dress of the male member is known as the Bakhu which is a loose cloak type garment with full sleeves. The ladies dress consists of a silken Honju which is a full sleeve blouse and a loose gown type garment. The ladies are very fond of heavy jewelry made of pure gold.

Source: www.sikkim.nic.in

Anshu's Oriental Connection

Designers often allow art and craft elements from exotic lands to permeate their collections. This time around Anshu Arora Sen drew inspiration from the Japanese art of Origami, birds and the different times of the day for her collection of 45 ensembles at the Lakme Fashion Week.

Anshu is one of the most creative designers we have here in India, known as much for the esoteric quality of her clothes as their innovative garment construction. From her first foray onto the fashion scene in 2001 at the Lakme India Fashion Week, Anshu Arora Sen has always drawn critical appreciation. Post an introspective silence of two years, Anshu's voice resounded with more clarity than ever before.

Her storytelling was simultaneously crisp and concise, poetic and lyrical. With a whimsy reflective of the designer herself, the models sat by the edges of the ramp, dangling their feet and looking around curiously before walking down seemingly entranced by the deeply soulful music.

Colours moved from silver grey to acid green, orange, shocking pink and brown in short silk and organza. Garments were structured with draping, folding, pin tucking, pleating and cutting. The effect was very nearly sculptural and timeless.

Perfectly tailored pieces with the occasional contrast lining for skirts and dresses were breathtaking, while skirts wound their way around the body, to be held in place with tie-ups or pins. Halter dresses were given a new dimension as they plunged dangerously below the back waist and oversized collars held the garment together.

Trousers were skin tight but with enough detailing to remain eye catching. Anshu chose to keep embellishments minimal - beaded motifs, strings and beads, floral appliqués, smocking, quilting and hints of embroidery at neck, sleeve or blouse closures.

For Fall, she added in some vibrant jackets with overlapping closures and knee length coats. Here was a collection that was not only high on creativity but commercial viability as well. It gave one a sense of Issey Miyake's style, but Anshu's soft, dream like sensibility made it all her own.

Surily's Trans-continental Journey

If one were to take away the stars from Surily Goel's debut Lakme Fashion Week show, there were few moments that really made an impact.

Her collection titled 'Roses Are Forever' was inspired by the many moods of a woman in love, from shy and flirtatious, to sultry and passionate. While the collection had a lot of colour and glamour, it tended towards a lack in innovation, with certain shapes like the flounced panelled skirt appearing too often and the Rose theme not often enough.

The sequence was divided into four parts each representing a different mood, each with a romantic title. I'll just walk you through the ensembles that represent each.

Here you see Neelam Kothari in an ensemble from the line 'Wild Temptation', which was a printed cotton resort line with African tribal prints on halters, skirts, minis and tube dresses in vibrant hues of red, turquoise, mustard and sunshine yellow. An interesting line, but one which doesn't quite fall within the Rose theme.

Paisleys ruled on kimono-inspired silhouettes in the second line titled 'Sweet Sensation'. With a definite Oriental flavour in all-over prints on muted tones of grey/blue satin, this line consisted of blouses, dresses and tiny tops as well as long slim skirts with crochet lace insets.

'Tender Love' the third collection replete with charming English touches such as this lacey parasol, had elements of an ecru crochet base with bright georgette insets.

Finally, 'Pure Passion' with abstract rose inspired prints in red and blue on a black satin ground, brings to mind the sensuality of the Spanish dancer, as can be seen here on the lovely Nina Manuel.

One came away with the impression that the designer was attempting to explore roses in their pale English softness, as also their vibrant Spanish lusciousness, their dramatic Oriental avtaar, and not to miss their sub-Saharan African quality, but the final effect appeared fragmented thanks to these very varied points of reference. And while I concede it's no joke putting together a collection, somewhere along this journey across continents, Surily left us feeling a tad disoriented.

Photos: Rediff.com, Reuters.