Adding drama to the basics

At a time when understatement and dressing down have become the norm, the focus is shifting from embroidery and embellishments to innovative cuts and perfect fits. Silhouettes are getting linear; colours, muted; and hemlines, asymmetrical, writes Sumona Roy

FOR decades, the salwar kameez has stood out as the staple of the fashion industry in India. Added to it are the many versions of sarees, skirts and tops as well as trousers and shirts that hit the ramps from time to time. Beyond these, designers have had scarce little to offer.

So how do you add drama to the basics?

At a time when understatement and dressing down have become the norm, the focus is shifting from embroidery and embellishments to innovative cuts and perfect fits. Silhouettes are getting linear; colours, muted; and hemlines, asymmetrical. Tent-like tunics and Christmas tree decorations have become things of the past.

For Monisha Bajaj though, the accent is more on cuts. This Delhi-based designer is known for her "ultra cool" summer wear that accentuates the body lines with linear structures. The drape and fall are light and breezy, while her colour palette is soft and embellishments kept to the barest minimum.

Bajaj has broken away from the rich silk and brocade look of last year to experiment with mill-made jacquard and crushed crepe. The clothes, as such, do not easily lose their shape. Little wonder, her primary collection in white has become a rage in the celebrity circuit.

Innovation has also contributed to Anju Modi’s latest sizzling creations. She has coined the term "e-dressing" for certain futuristic styles that combine design elements of the past and present.

Thus, on the one hand, the fabrics are non-crease and durable in keeping with the demands of fast-paced lifestyles. On the other hand, she captures the romance of many cultures with weaves and textures of some bygone era to promote her concept of a world without boundaries.

Bright synthetics liven up warm earth tones with asymmetrical hemlines and bold cuts for necks and sleeves. Embroidery is virtually absent, but for some crystal shine in evening wear. The emphasis is generally on "projecting the body beautiful" with a good deal of contrasting and layering.

Yet another designer making a mark this season is Ramma. In her first solo show in Mumbai recently, she celebrated the onset of spring with both fitted and deconstructed forms, in colours ranging from pure white and beige to pinks, yellows, ecru and sorbet.

For Ramma, spring obviously means lightness and freedom of movement as she came up with sheer organzas, crisp crepes and soft tulles for different lines of short, fitted kurtis (almost like blouses), handkerchief-hemmed skirts and wrapped slips.

There’s also J.J.Vallaya, who refuses to be influenced by seasonal trends and sticks to what he does best — classical Indian wear. From him, innovation comes in the form of colours that are fruity — orange, lime green, peach and mint pink. He blockprints on linen and heightens the effect with a liberal application of tilla and sequins.

But the designer who is really setting trends in making the ordinary look special is Jamila Malhotra. Her prints, inspired by stained glass paintings, have done wonders to ordinary sarees and salwar kameezes, not to mention a range of dupattas, scarves and stoles.

Basically, there is nothing original in what she does. As she points out, she has brought to cloth age-old masterpieces, hitherto seen on glass, whether it is in a honey-toned georgette saree and blouse filling with purple calla lillies, or a white organza lehnga and a tie-up blouse with turquoise flower panels.

Her statements in black are even more stunning. For instance, there’s a flowing silk sharara-kameez ensemble that has a circular church window motif in bronze and steel grey on the front and against a similarly matching organza dupatta — all in midnight black! This is one outfit that will rule the ramps for a long time to come. (M.F.)