A report on the men’s clothes that made a mark at Amazon India Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2017. Take a dekko.
Nought One by Abhishek Paatni
Sexed-up Streetwear
Abhishek Paatni is suddenly the darling of the fash frat. Maybe because his clothes echo his own no-nonsense persona. The creative director of his label Nought One, Paatni has a singular approach to fashion: whatever does not work goes out of the window. Zero attachment.
His clothes at the recently-concluded Amazon India Fashion Week in New Delhi exuded the same air of practicality. Easy-to-wear clothes with a laid back style, the collection is for largely the 20-something who revels in cool street wear. Plenty of hoodies, bomber jackets, rolled-up pants, layered track pants and patchwork on zipper jackets and active wear were seen on the ramp. Black, white, olive green, grey and navy blue ruled the line, titled WarfareXStreetfare. Utilitarian garments in fabrics such as distressed denim, faux leather, mesh and faux fur were included. Corduroy was used to create pieces such as sweatshirts and sweatpants.
Kommal and Ratul Sood
Black, White but No Grey
No matter how good or bad Kommal and Ratul Sood’s showcase on the ramp was, you certainly cannot forgive them for giving their showstopper Pratiek Babbar such a lacklustre outfit to wear. Moreover, when some of the garments in the line were funky, smart and different. A fun and experimental lad like Pratiek deserves more than a white shirt and dinner jacket with black pants. Kommal, known for her gowns and dresses for women, created a line for men that were part cool and part regular. While some pieces shone, others slipped into oblivion because of their plain lack of cleverness and variety. They stuck to the theme of black, interspersed intermittently with white and chrome. A few outfits were funky in terms of cuts and structures but this was mostly a simple and safe collection from the Soods. Methinks the metrosexual man wants to experiment more.
Pawan Sachdeva
Marrying Bling and Subtlety
With Treg, Pawan Sachdeva just upped his game and sent out a beautiful collection. For Fall, the designer showed elegant Indian wear that’s high on embroidery and fine detailing. His kurtas, replete with pleats and clever cuts, proved that a touch of androgyny can make menswear chic and smart. Sachdeva did embellish his sherwanis and jackets but the subtle sheen was a sophisticated take on the in-your-face shine normally seen in wedding wear. Velvety and lush textures with micro checkered detailing lent a luxurious touch to the garments. The kurtas were mainly in beautiful soft cotton to blend in seamlessly with the heavy outerwear. Be prepared to see a lot of Sachdeva’s creation on the wedding circuit this year.
Dhruv Vaish
Playing it Safe
Noire, French for black,was Dhruv Vaish’s tribute to the monochrome. The collection, mostly menswear with a few dresses and pantsuits for women, played with black in varied shades, forms and textures with hints of white, grey and chrome peeking through. The cuts and structures were straight, sophisticated, and safe. For a designer who’s studied at Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, and trained under Calvin Klein, Diane Von Furstenberg and Rohit Bal, maybe he could have pushed the envelope of creativity a tad more. Still, what he did, he did well, sending out a line of elegant, well-tailored pantsuits, hooded blazers, elongated coats, gambler hats and pleated trousers. Tweed, wool flannels, leather and lightweight cotton were the main materials used. Plaid, gingham and tartar and abstract graphics suffused the creations with style.
Sahil Aneja
Chicness Overload
Sahil Aneja’s creativity was anything but restricted in his Fall Winter collection, Restricted. Here’s a collection that’s confident, edgy and waiting to lapped up. Aneja knows what he’s good at and plays by his strengths. Celebs love him for his cuts and western silhouettes, and rely on him for the interplay of colours, so that’s what he showed. The collection was a mix of smart suits, jackets, long coats, straight pants, fine shirts, knitted sweaters and blazers in flannel leather, felt wool and knits. The big patchwork embroidery on the back of the jackets and coats looked great on the ramp but may have to go AWOL on the clothes in the stores. Aneja used a variety of techniques for printing and embroidery. With his greys, blacks, navy blues and ivory, the designed showed once again that he is dead serious about his craft.
Rohit Kamra
Tepid Ode to Regal India
Rohit Kamra presented a collection that was (or tried to be) reminiscent of the regality of Jaipur. Playing with herringbone, gingham and dots (in the form of studded embroidery on the jackets and uppers), his collection concentrated on black and white… to him the ying and yang of hues. This could have been a very smart line for the young man who wants well-structured outfits for special occasions, but some of the jackets, pants and achkans ended up looking repetitive. For one, there wasn’t much diversification in terms of embroidery or surface textures, and the white breeches or Jodhpuri pants looked jaded. Maybe the blacks could be resurrected with embellishments and texturing. Yes, the studs were there but they needed a more clever twist. In short, a ‘nice’ collection that could have done better. Also, we don’t think Richa Chadha is the right showstopper for a sharp mens line!