BENGALURU: The festive and wedding season is in full swing and this time of year is undoubtedly every fashionista’s favourite. Designers too are busy, gearing up to showcase their statement pieces that will set trends for the rest of the season. But owing to low-key celebrations, this time designers are playing with subtle prints, less zari work, with the prime focus being slow fashion.
Kalgi, the latest collection by Shounak Sen, who is the co-founder of House of Three, brings the rich fabric history of the two states – Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Sen says the collection is luxurious but not loud. “If you see our history, luxury was not in wearing over the top clothes. For example, Gayatri Devi was mostly dressed in her organza sarees and a pearl necklace and that was more than enough to make a statement. Moreover, what is luxury today? People consider time as luxury.
When someone spends 2-3 months to create couture, nothing can be more precious than that,” says Sen, adding that the collection is quite versatile and can be styled in various ways. “I am a huge advocate of slow fashion, and a lot of planning has gone behind making the current collection more versatile.
When someone picks any of the pieces from the collection, they should be able to team them up individually too,” explains Sen. The line brings Banarasi silk brocade and Chikankari work from UP, and Pashmina and Jamdani shawls from Kashmir. However, there are some pieces that have intricate embroidery on velvet, which is geared towards wedding wear.
Good Earth’s recent collection, Rani ki Rani, has a similar motto. “Since this year will be about smaller celebrations with close friends and family, we’ve created four distinct looks, comprising light festive styles that are perfect for after-dark soireies and daytime celebrations,” says Shalini Sethi from Good Earth. The collection features signature Ajrakh block prints, detailed hand-embroidered zari work on handwoven cotton and luxurious silk and chanderi fabrics in jewel tones and pastel palette.
For the wedding season, the brand has also curated Shama and Bano, crafted in plush velvet, silk and chanderi, which are uplifted with zardozi embroidery, patchwork, metallic sequins and mirrorwork. They also have a lighter edit in terms of the colour palette and sequin work – titled Fiza. The collection is ideal for daytime weddings with a softer palette of sufa, salmon and pale olive green with a hint of dusty and rani pink on luxurious tissue, brocade and organza with sequins, hand embroidery and metallic threadwork.
Shloka Sudhakar believes velvets are making a comeback. “This year, besides less extravagant and destination weddings, people are also opting for more classic styles that will remain in trend longer. A lot of brides are choosing velvet patchwork lehengas and dresses,” says Sudhakar, adding that most brides are preferring vintage looks in velvet.