By design: Ramping up the style quotient at fashion week in Bengaluru
BENGALURU: With a line-up of designers from the city and other parts of the country, Ozone Bangalore Fashion Week (BFW) was a celebration of creativity, colour and style. Bringing experienced and upcoming designers together, the event aimed at supporting local talent and building a network of professionals.
“This is my first experience here. Platforms like this provide us an opportunity to get a closer look at the latest trends,” said Thanu Gowda, a city-based designer who exhibited her collection, The Mystique Design, at the four-day festival.
The event, which began on August 29, showcased works of designers like Manoviraj Khosla, Pria Kataaria Puri, Rahul Singh, Amit G T, Dhwani Bansal and Reshma Riyaz Gangji, ranging from wedding to casual wear. Kolkata-based designer Abhishek Dutta launched his brand, Parole, on Saturday at BFW. He says it’s the first clothing brand made by prisoners.
“We work in association with the state government, Presidency Correction Home and Alipore Women Correction Home. Our production unit has around 60 prisoners,” Dutta said. “We aim to promote prisoners’ craftsmanship. Even after their jail term ends, we give them an opportunity to work with us permanently or we assist them in setting up their own label,” he added.
Rahul Singh, a NIFT graduate who has been part of BFW for a long time, showcased his collection called Mughal, which comprised some light silhouettes showcasing chikankari work and pre-wedding costumes inspired by the historical era. “My theme is pre-wedding, which covers occasions like ring ceremony and sangeet,” the Delhi-based designer said, adding that Bengaluru’s diverse population provides a good market for fashion designers. “The city is a nice mix of different cultures, including South Indian and North Indian,” he said.
Amit G T, a NIFT Bangalore graduate, also talked about how the city’s fashion market has evolved over the years. “Earlier, the local market was cotton-centric and conservative. Now, the fashion scene has become more international,” he said. “In this digital age, people are more informed about international fashion through Instagram and YouTube. I think, in Bengaluru, comfort is the first priority,” added Amit, whose collection was inspired by the Japanese sumi art, featuring water lily and bird motifs.
Celebrities like Kannada actor Shruthi Prakash, cricketer Sreesanth and actor-model Rajeev Pillai were present at the event as showstoppers. Srinivasan Gopalan, group CEO, Ozone Group, a real estate developer, said, “We aim to reach out to the fashion-conscious elite audience.”
‘More focus on local talent now’
Make-up artist Robert Naorem has been a part of BFW for 12 years. “It’s now a part of my life,” he said, adding that a make-up artist should be able to disagree with the designer if the suggested style does not fit the occasion. “A fashion week is different from a fashion show. Here, you need to think for the next six months,” he added, pointing out that BFW has changed over time. “Earlier, we had more models and artistes from Mumbai. Now, there is more focus on local talent, which is a positive change,” he said.