BENGALURU: Every fashion week brings to the fore a particular trend and Bangalore Fashion Week (BFW) was no exception. Pastel shades, festive wear and embellishments on outfits marked the 21st edition BFW. “This year, the fashion world, especially the western part is majorly influenced by pastel colours. This trend is slowly seeping into the Indian fashion scene as well,” says Rahul Singh, a graduate of NIFT New Delhi, who showcased a pre-wedding collection titled Mughal. The collection included lehangas, salwar suites which were in pale blue, pink, grey and mauve.
Reshma Riyaz Gangji, owner of label Libas also agrees that light colours are currently trending in Indian fashion world. “In last 2-3 years, we lost a lot of glamour. Gold on apparels and bling went out of fashion. So, now designers are showing muted colours with shiny elements. Like a rainbow on a cloudy sky,” she asserted.
Her collection at this year’s BFW included bridal wear like sarees, lehangas and sherwani, Nehru jackets and waistcoats in mostly grey and silver colours. To enhance the outfits and give them an elegant factor, she used subtle elements on the apparels. There’s a strategy to maintain a competitive edge in the fashion industry, says Gangji, adding, “Weddings and festivals in India mean shopping. And we want to cater to every budget. Seeing the Indians’ inclination towards international fashion, we have come up with a new line of festive garments like lehangas and sarees in mild colours, with subtle embroidery. We have used different thread works, embroidery and zardosi to create drama and give a touch of elegance to festive outfits.”
Along with the traditional looks, this edition of BFW saw many different contemporary styles. At the grand finale of BFW 2019, designer Amit GT presented contemporary clothing inspired by Japanese sumi art, which includes water lily motifs and exotic birds. The outfits were enhanced with different draping and embroidery techniques. “Indians nowadays prefer Indo-Western outfits. They follow international trends through Instagram and YouTube,” Amit said.
The fashion week also witnessed designs which strongly conveyed subtle expressions of women. For instance, Michelle Salin’s collection conveyed different expressions of women who are confident and pride their individuality.