BENGALURU : Last-minute fittings, getting the right colours, and picking up matching jewellery. Is there any festival complete without any of these? Sometimes, more than festivities, it’s the thrill of preparation that many are hooked onto. With Ugadi on Tuesday, fashion designers are extremely busy meeting deadlines of clients who want to look their best.
Celebrity fashion designer Reshma Kunhi, finds that a lot of pastels, pinks and florals are in this Ugadi, the reason being the rising temperatures. “Ugadi is a festival of new beginnings and people don’t mind trying out something new. So, a lot of pastel colours like pinks, aqua, florals, blues are in. And of course for south Indians, Kanjeevaram is the go-to style, however, in silk too, people are opting for lighter tones,” says Kunhi, adding that due to the rising number of Covid cases, another preference is ruffled sarees, which can be used for other occasions too. “A lot of people these days are going in for clothes which have multiple uses. With the wedding season around, ruffled sarees are also quite the favourite,” says Kunhi.
Agrees fashion designer Bhargavi Vikyathi. Since Ugadi as a festival marks the beginning of a new year for Kannadigas, many don’t mind starting the year with something new. “For my collection, I have stuck to traditional silk sarees, with added embellishments. This brings a modern charm to it,” says Vikyathi, adding that though it’s silk, she has tried to go with unconventional colours like purple and pink which are not over the top. “The taste of people has changed over a period of time. They don’t mind bold colours but not loud ones,” she adds.
Even if this time many are preferring intimate celebration over meeting friends and relatives, women don’t want to miss out on the latest trends. For Yashaswini Venkatesh, who recently completed her MBA, Ugadi has always been a grand celebration, dressing out to catch up with family and friends. This time, however, it’s a small affair owing to the pandemic. But she is all set with her festive attire. “I have got a light pink lehenga with a blue blouse to go with it. I wanted to keep it traditional by going for a lehenga, and yet modern by not including any brocade work,” says Venkatesh, adding that she is planning to go with the outfit for an upcoming wedding too.