The just-concluded Amazon India Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2018 had 40-plus designers, both emerging talents and industry veterans, who showcased their collections on the runway. Designers create collections based on forecasts, happenings around the world and their personal understanding of what would be trending six months hence. This year, at New York Fashion Week in early September, for the first time some big design houses used Artificial Intelligence (AI), where they used bots to find ‘Highest-Common-Factor’ from thousands of clothes to scientifically arrive at the colour, the silhouette, embellishment techniques and style statement that would rule Summer 2018.
It is encouraging to know that Indian designers are in sync with global fashion trends for Summer 2018 and this proves why Indian designers are selling well in fashion capitals of Paris, Milan and London.
We sat through the shows over the five days and scanned through each and every designer’s creations to understand the emerging trends. The silhouettes, the colour story, the design philosophy that loomed out large from the various collections can be broadly segmented as trends for Summer 2018.
THE COLOUR STORY
The 80s story, which defined Spring 2017, is still lurking for next year. For next season, the best takes on the trend are through colour (vivid) and form (ruffled). It’s established that orange is shaping up to be the new pink this season—it’s everywhere. But designers have also been making use of a slew of other bold colours, including pink, green and yellow in neon and flourescent tones. As Pantone predicted, bright highlighter yellow is a big trend. We saw bright yellow in Anupama Dayal’s collection, and in Payal Pratap’s and Anju M.
SWADESHI TEXTILES
This season, Rimzim Dadu’s fascination with surface development using yarns and cords has been highlighted throughout the collection. He manipulated traditional zari, metallic yarns and silk thread by way of deconstruction and reconstruction. Payal Pratap’s fabric choices this season comprised handloom cotton khadi and handloom linens. Abraham & Thakore are famous for always using handwoven textiles and Pratap too has taken to manmade fabrics juxtaposed with handloom. Anju Modi kept traditional Indian textiles at the forefront, and this collection is inspired by the Swadeshi Movement.
CROPPED JACKETS
Trucker, aviator, parka… no matter, just lop it off about the hips. Designers are digging around for a bomber replacement and for Spring 2018, they agree on cropped jackets. So should you. Cropped jackets were shown by Dhruv Kapoor, Payal Pratap and Payal Jain.
VERTICAL STRIPES
An extension of the Resort 2018 trend, vertical stripes are going to be elongating silhouettes for a little bit longer. Vertical stripes are particularly good for Indian fashionistas as it creates an elongating illusion and makes one look taller. We saw vertical stripes on jackets, trousers and even maxi-dresses. Newcomer Shyama and Pranav used vertical and horizontal stripes in juxtaposition, Pratap used it in his jackets and young designer, Medha Khosla, used it in girlie dresses.
DENIM/ INDIGO BACK WITH A BANG
As denim continues to become a part of today’s cultural zeitgeist, designers are adapting. Denim pieces are being refigured and redesigned to add an element of individuality in this sea of sameness we seem to all be swimming in. Rajesh Pratap has been working on khadi-denim that he used liberally and then other designers used indigo-hued (denim look-alike) extensively in their collection. This blue will drive away the “moody-blues” in summer.
DECONSTRUCTIVE STYLES
A handful of designers are dabbling in deconstructed looks, taking to shirts and jackets to invent new meaning. A deconstructed skirt felt half wrap-inspired and half split-inspired, drop-shoulder stitching and elongated sleeves, creating a simple but complicated look—reimagining a camisole slip as a hybrid v-neck top. This cut and paste technique spotted through many spring offerings, with camisoles glued atop classic shirting while classic shirting turned into inspiration for sleeve-tie belts are all about innovation. Designers like Abraham & Thakore, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Ashish Soni and Dhruv Kapoor have really made ‘deconstruction dressing’ a must-have item in any fashionista’s wardrobe.
ATHLEISURE
It has been trending in fashion for more than a year now. Leggings became most comfy daywear for celebrities and stylists. Next, bicycling shorts too found favour with Hollywood divas. Athleisure is continuing to be in trend. After all nothing more comfortable than a track bottom paired with a dressy jacket to go out partying. Nida Mahmood exploited the athleisure theme and Pratap too sprinkled his collection with khaki track-wear. Young designer Abhishek Patni went more athletic by creating styles inspired by skate-boarders.