#AIFWAW17 Day 1 Highlights
2017 is a good year for handlooms with so much focus being drawn to hand-woven textiles through the works of many prominent designers. With growing interest in ethnic and sustainable fashion, our traditional weaves are being celebrated once again at the FDCI organised Amazon India Fashion Week A/W 2017, that kicked off yesterday at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi. Here’s a look at what happened at #AIFWAW17 Day 1 of the fashion extravaganza:
One of the most interesting collaborations of this year’s Amazon India Fashion Week is with Jakarta Fashion Week. The headlining designer for this collaboration is Novita Yunus whose brand, NY is a premium brand endorsed by the Batik Chic project started by the Jakarta Fashion Week to promote traditional Indonesian fabrics or Wastra Nusantera in 2014. Her collection, Bumi Langit (Earth and Sky) was a grand success at the first day of the AIFW 2017. Novita Yunus is an active advocate of indigenous textiles and uses them beautifully in her designs. Her collection this year is inspired by the colours of autumn set against a winter sky.
The first day of the AIFW 2017 opened with a show hosted by luxury lifestyle brand ‘Good Earth’ which featured collections made in collaboration with the Handloom School. This show included a demonstration by the weavers and also collections made by 12 prominent designers like Rohit Bal, Rajesh Pratap Singh etc. The Handloom School is based in Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh.
Krishna Mehta had a notable show with his Parted Lips collection that celebrated the zest and energy of a woman. Known for his delicate marrying of the traditional with the new, Krishna Mehta’s collection this year too featured interesting fabric choices, daring silhouettes and bold colours that made the looks stand out. There were a lot of feminine elements in his work with cinched waists and figure-enhancing cuts. We loved how the clothes flowed on the models.
Veteran designer Madhu Jain broke age stereotypes with her timeless collection that celebrated her 30 years in the fashion industry. Having been a fan of traditional textiles all through her long career, Madhu Jain’s celebratory collection showcased Ikat motifs which are a dying art that she wants to help conserve.
The partner state for this year’s A/W show of the AIFW is Jharkhand because of its rich textiles. Designer Shaina NC curated a show in association with Jharcraft in which the collaborating designers focused on interpreting the traditional Tussar fabric. Featured designers in this collection include Pinnacle Shruti Sancheti, Rina Dhaka and Dabiri by Divya and Ambika.
Other interesting collections include Abraham and Thakore’s Back to Work which was made for the modern Indian working woman (or man, with the gender fluid designs) with a sharp eye for aesthetics and an undying love for handmade textiles, especially comfy cotton. Stylish, practical and very contemporary, we loved this one quite a bit.
Vogue India concluded the show with a collection called Sari 24/7, which celebrates India’s best known and most ancient costume, the Sari. Featuring 60 creations by several designers, the collection displayed the countless possibilities of the versatile sari. Vogue India’s Sari 24/7 show at AIFW AW ’17 also marks the beginning of the brand’s celebrations for its 10th anniversary in the Indian Market. With this special initiative, Vogue India launched Vogue Empower 2.0 – The Indian Sari Project, through which the internationally renowned brand encouraged leading Indian designers to showcase their best work on Saris.
With Day 1 bringing us just a glimpse of the richness of India’s fabric diversity, we’re feeling good about #AIFWAW17. We can’t wait to see how the other designers will interpret handloom, so keep watching this space for more updates.
#WhatIWore on Day 1
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