#AIFWAW 2017: Day 2 Highlights

With Day 1 focusing on traditional weaves and handlooms, Day 2 of the AIFWAW 2017 was an eclectic mix of the dressy and the casual, the ethnic and the contemporary, the bold blacks and the bolder colourfuls. Here are the highlights:

The handloom theme of Day 1 continued a little bit even on Day 2, especially with Samant Chauhan’s collection, which was a collaboration with Golden Threads of Assam. The collection consisted of contemporary reimaginings of the Muga Silk of Assam, usually associated with the Mekhla-Chadors of the state. This project aims to help the weavers of the state while illustrating that this fabric is beautiful even on western wear.

Dynamic duo Hemant and Nandita presented a strong collection that represented the feminine and it’s strength. Soft colours and feminine prints have been juxtaposed with strong silhouettes, sharp cuts in outerwear to represent the opposing yet cohabiting forces of power and delicateness in a woman. They also used a lot of vintage colours and motifs for an overall timeless feel.

Anupama Dayal presented a vibrant collection inspired by the forests, folktales and wildlife of Mangar. Featuring a lot of bright colours, floral prints and light flowy fabrics, this collection aimed to produce designs that are feminine, easy enough to wear but significant enough to pass on to the next generation. Kind of like the culture of the forest dwellers of Mangar.

Vineet Bahl tried to propose a new dress code for the modern Indian woman, with his collection, simply titled ‘CODE’. This collection was made for the assertive woman who knows her personal style and will not bend it to impress anyone. Featuring organic fabrics and minimal decoration, the collection has a boho-luxe feel with lots of layering made possible. Perfectly interesting enough for a woman who loves to start conversations

Another interesting collection was by Patine which attempted to bring to the stage the folklore and lifestyle of the nomadic tribes of Kutchh. The collection features a lot of tribal motifs, vintage colours and textures that altogether give off a very bohemian feel but with quite a bit of luxe.

Rina Dhaka dipped into the mysterious with her collection Dark Romantics. Filled with vintage flower motifs, luxurious fabrics like velvets and laces and furs and fishnets to top it all, this collection was reminiscent of the 1920s but with an obviously modern, moody edge to it.

Black and white still rule the roost as shown in Pankaj and Nidhi’s monochromatic collection, Telefunk. Presented by Honor, this collection played with geometricity and optical illusions and was sort of inspired by the television test patterns we don’t see anymore. We love how the collection plays with fabric and texture and the splash of blue added so much to the classic black and white colour palette.

One of the most intriguing collections was by Aneeth Arora for her brand Pero. For this year, she opened up her travel journals and took us on an international trip with all the inspiration she has collected on travels to corners of China and Latin America. The collection was truly international with accents of China and South America but also clearly had a certain Indianness to them. Handcrafted with love as Aneeth Arora calls them, these clothes were more than just clothes, they were stories.

Another notable collection to mention would be HUEMN who launched their line of denims and raincoats and casual clothes that celebrate fierce individuality in the face of today’s turbulent socio-political environment. The collection by HUEMN aims to celebrates diversity and the voice of the individual, that leads and influences in today’s world.

If we were to sum up Day 2, we’d say the highlights did feature a lot of love for culture and a whole lot of vintage feels. We’re feeling nostalgic and inspired for the year. Can’t wait to see what Day 3 unravels. Follow us for more updates!