Dry leaves lined Shantanu and Nikhil Mehra’s ramp as models took “The Last Walk” in lacy floor-sweeping skirts and gowns with delicate decussate folds teamed with short structured jackets and plush overcoats.
IT MAY be a sprightly spring in Delhi, but the runways at the Autumn-Winter 2016 edition of Amazon India Fashion Week (AIFW) were wearing an autumnal coat, quite literally. Dry leaves lined Shantanu and Nikhil Mehra’s ramp as models took “The Last Walk” in lacy floor-sweeping skirts and gowns with delicate decussate folds teamed with short structured jackets and plush overcoats. Varun Bahl went the graphic route with a fall foliage print covering the catwalk. And while his collection “Nocturne” had a broad spectrum of trans-seasonal separates, others such as Akaaro by Gaurav Jai Gupta and designer duo Hemant and Nandita stuck to a heavy fall palette and threw in the right touch of metallics to signal a megawatt winter.
But what really stood out in the gamut of garments that walked the AIFW ramp were the overcoats, jackets and trench coats that most designers used as a canvas to hone their aesthetics and flaunt their craft. From textile innovations and quilted cover-ups to embellished bombers — here’s our pick of some of the most interesting outerwear renditions on display.
Spirited View: Pallavi Mohan of the label Not So Serious took a rather serious view on celebrating diversity and acceptance with a pretty diverse collection “Synthesis”. And while the line-up attempted to incorporate one hand-crafted technique too many, the ideas that stood out were the laser cut latticed leather pieces and the embroidered bombers that were at once sophisticated yet youthful. We especially liked the sea anemone inspired motifs, the kaleidoscopic organza elements, the sumptuous floral embellishments and that striking off-shoulder quilted bomber.
Creature Comfort: Varun Behl’s colour palette may have been borrowed from the tropical forests of the artist Paul Gauguin and vintage wallpaper patterns, but the pieces we loved the most from his line-up of separates were undoubtedly his embellished jackets and zippered bombers. Whether embroidered with flora and fauna or embellished with hand-cut flowers, they came in varied autumnal hues and played the perfect canvas to his fairy-tale like collection “Nocturne”.
After Dark: Their collection was called “The Dark Enchantress” and husband-wife duo Hemant & Nandita went all out with an autumnal colour palette of earthy browns, deep reds and midnight blues with a generous lashing of gold, copper and bronze. Gleaming jacquards, sumptuous winter florals and oversized outerwear in brushed wool and tweed set the tone for a warm winter. We especially loved the varying lengths of the embellished bombers, the shimmer of the structured jacquard coats and the slouchy silhouettes of the embroidered wool jackets. Hemant & Nandita even threw in faux fur collars, quilting techniques and delicate embroideries for good measure.
In Reverse: International Woolmark Prize regional finalist Gaurav Jai Gupta of Akaaro played with the idea of duality, a concept that is clearly the textile wizard’s forte. His trademark handwoven and engineered fabrics blended Merino wool with stainless steel and silks to exquisite effect. For us, the high-points of his collection “Mumuksha” were the cover-ups that ranged from tussar silk and silk zari quilted pieces, merino wool and steel jackets and the draped merino wool panelled jackets and capes. Pops of colour came via vibrant linings and collar accents, playing up the reversibility factor of his creations.