Wednesday, March 23, 2011

From the sublime to the ridiculous!

I'm on a roll here....a blog roll I mean. I figured while my Internet was up and behaving, I may as well do another post!

OK, so I am all for India getting ahead and showcasing its proud ancient heritage to the world. We're really making our presence felt in the world of design, art, politics, textiles and fashion. So when Lakme had its annual fashion week in Mumbai last week, its biggest fashion event, the papers were all agog. And I did my share and googled to see what had happened.....

Here are some pics from that week with my added (unasked for) commentary beside it....

OK, so this is nice. Pretty girls in lovely saris, a bit defiant looking, but still lovely!
 A model in a Satya Paul sari.....sublime and still lovely!
Accessories by Malini Agarwalla. Chunky, bold and blue. Still nice......
A touch of folk music to add the local flavor....lovely
and a creation by VJ Balhara...probably my favorite
Then things began to get a bit dramatic...but still within the boundaries of "nice" with Manish Malhotra's outfit
 and Anita Dongre's work...which, by the way I usually am a fan of
And then it started to get a bit bizarre....with Masaba Gupta's take on the turban. Really? Turban? No....
 Eina Ahluwalia's creation...what is this? Sari? Dhoti? 
 and Sabyasachi Mukherjee's nightwear???? I mean when does one wear this?
 .........and gold accessories
And then this sort of sealed it for me....I gave up! I mean what were they thinking? Or more specifically what was Pria Kataria Puri thinking?????
So there you have it....glimpses of Indian fashion. I say we stick to what we're best at...which is gorgeous saris, lovely churidars and kurtas. If we want to get creative let's tweak the fabrics and the designs and even maybe even experiment with adventurous ways of wearing them, but lets stay away from the other stuff and leave that to those who are experts at them!
And my final comment - I mean no disrespect..no really I don't! Just my 2 cents worth!

21 comments:

Sayantani Mahapatra Mudi said...

cant agree with you more Kamini.

Anonymous said...

Kamini: I louved the turban one. Imagine, if she sees a new saree she immediately can change her blouse by grabbing one from the top. This is great! ;) heh heh heh. I am always tickled pink with these shows. I am amazed at the stuff they throw at us and the media writes glowing reports. I mean who wears all that? And for the gold accessories, maybe she just forgot to push it down the head??? Possible, no? Thanks for updating my fashion skills.

My3

Val said...

I'm completely with you on this, Kamini! What weird 'designs' those are in the last few photos...
I guess they're trying to push the boundaries, but got stuck on 'trying'!
;)

indianyarn said...

There are 100 - 150 ways of draping a saree . Another 50 ways of tying a turban - The Art of Draping - how did Indian fashion forget that ?

Shanthi said...

Huh!!!! same question I ask many times where is the Indian fashion heading to. One day may be the fashion trends will forget to show the ever gorgeous Sari drapes. They are catering to the western clientele flooding these fashion shows for new ideas and products. So they go "couture like" and wild on the runways with their presentation. I did like Masaba's turban concept to show off all the spring colors she was using for this season. What a talented designer for one - without an iota of chamak dhamak - she adds so much glamour and trend to the sarees :-).

Kamini said...

Shanthi!!! You like the turban? Nooooo why? Maybe I should google her designs before I get so tough on her.....? But yes, I agree with you on the sari draping...so sensuous and fluid and beautiful. I especially love the Marathi way of wearing it, really makes anyone look totally gorgeous!

Brinda's Art for Heart said...

so true...!!
i have always felt tht most of the designs shown r just not wearable..!!
i mean the model in the last picture sporting whtever she was...wud she even dare to wear it outside the ramp??
i mean whom do these designers cater to??

Shanthi said...

Imagine that turban on my head lol :-). No no what I meant was that it is cool, she chose to show her spring colours through the head gear. That turban was for display not for use :-)

Unknown said...

Thanks Kamini for this post...I am a Sathya Paul and Anita Dongre fan. Satya Pauls sarees drape so well and are so simple but sexy...:-)
I so miss seeing these Femina fashion shows

indian yarn said...

i think the designer is trying to be
CREATIVE without boundaries - may be she is trying to show that she is trying to show an elaborate concept , from which she will derive wearable components - some part of it OR the designer is trying to show that - I can introduce a new concept, comission one -- the possiblities are endless.

Isn't designer a glamorous way of saying that i draw the designs and gets it stitched from some one else?

The word "designer" sounds glamorous/cool than saying " I am a tailor ".

11 years ago someone said she was a designer. I didn't understand at all. why lie ? Later on I figured out she draws the pattern of a dress and she got it stitched. I did that growing up - we ( my mother and I ) used to see patterns in magazines and tweeked it and stitched it with indian style fabrics - bandini, kalamkari, and what my mom could not stitched a tailor did it for me - My tailor still does .

A designer can ask for a big prize for his/her "product".
A tailor cannot ?/may be

To say that a person's occupation is a tailor is not as cool/glamorous to say that he/she is a designer..
Designer is a "marketing term/branding term".
while A tailor is an occupation.

...well..there i go..

indian yarn said...

please note that I meant all of above with all respect to the tailoring occupation and the designers occupation, lest somebody misconstrue my above comment.

I have learnt tailoring , sketched and designed ! clothes ( actually put together )all for myself at a certain point of time in my life - because it made economic sense. and still does. There are fabulous, amazing tailors out there - you just have to look for them , but i must add it is definitely a dying profession - more people should go to tailors to make it worth their while to be inthe occupation - it makes economic sense for both.

Kamini said...

Indian Yarn - you make total sense! I know a lot of women who design and stitch their own clothes, and are no different from designers...except that a designer - like you say - has someone else execute their idea! To me tailoring is a skilled profession...one which more and more day by day I am thinking of learning.

Anonymous said...

oh I like Anita Dongre's work... But am not a huge fan of fashion shows.. they get a bit carried away!!

Sound Horn Please said...

I'm a huge fan of Masaba and Anita Dongre K. I think whatever as below that turban must have looked great. And I once had a designer friend explain to me that the shows are actually meant for the design community, you aren't expected to wear these- the designers ensure that a toned down version usually hits the boutiques :)

Shanthi said...

let me add here my two cents too :-). I personally feel Designing and Tailoring are two different skills we are talking about. A fashion designers imagination and creativity, that flows into putting the colours, fabrcis together in an innovative way adding the social, cultural, influences from the point of time there are in or some trying to revive otherwise forgotten rich traditions, handlooms, heritage embroideries - is a commendable job just like any other art form. Tailoring is another skill all together and that does not limit them not being creative, They can be and are as creative and as skilled as anyone else could be in their professions. No profession should be good or bad. Each has its own role to play in the lives of the people. It does not mean only a degree holder is intelligent. I feel a plumber , a carpenter anyone is equally intelligent in his/her own way and everyone deserves equal respect. Unfortunately all societies do not value that and that is Sad.

Shanthi said...

Oh I forgot - whether it is valid to have such high price tags attached to the designer clothes - need not be. and I leave it here as that in itself can take up days of discussion :-)

Kamini said...

Divya - Masaba may be good but i'm not sure how good even a toned down version of that turban will be ;-) Oh and I know, these things aren't supposed to be worn...just hint at forthcoming trends etc etc...but still....the last 5 pics are pretty ridiculous!
Shanthi - yes, they are totally different skills, I'm just saying the designers should stick to designs and clothing that enhances our culture...as in rich fabrics, embroidery, weaving patterns - and leave the rest to others. And I don't think anyone said that designing and tailoring are not intelligent occupations :-) Any occupation done honestly is an intelligent occupation.....and as for the high price tag...its like that discussion on art work I had...if one can afford it however unjustified it is - go for it! I wouldn't....I'm just not that much into clothes....

rkramadh said...

Kamini, thanks for the much needed laughs on a day that was not going well! I made the mistake of opening your blog at work for a few mins and I couldn't control laughing, I barely made it up to metal outfits and I had to close the blog and step out to gather myself!!! I enjoyed your comments, you expressed my sentiments exactly! I used to watch FT (Fashion television-Western fashion shows with top names like Karl Lagerfeld etc) show when I was in my 20s in Canada and I always thought most outfits were beyond ridiculous. So sad to see that Indian designers are there now. Yes Yes I know they are just pushing boundaries but what the heck do some of these designs have to do with Indian fashion?? I am so tired of Indians trying to imitate western values/designs etc while the west is embracing Indian stuff like crazy. I have lived in the west for 30+ years and never seen more love for Indian jewelry/fabrics/textures/colors than right now, all the while Indians (esp youth) are dying to sport all things western. I wish Indians were more proud of their own amazingly rich culture/traditions/textures/colors/designs and showcase that more. Sorry for the long rant and thanks for the good laughs that forced me to delurk :)

GB said...

So I'm late to the party here (how did I miss all these posts?) but ROFL the headgear--I mean, really! Who wears that stuff anyway? total agreement with you on what we should stick to. :)

Anonymous said...

these designs are not meant for standing at a bus stop or catching an auto to work- you have shoppers stop for that...
the comments prove once more that indians are just not funk- they like to be safe with clothes as with everything-careers, marriage etc
sorry guys-you are NOT ready for fashion

Kamini said...

Anonymous: Very true! I am not a fashionista by any stretch of the imagination, nor do I want to be. When we have others who are clearly ready for fashion, why should we fashion victims worry our pretty little heads about stuff like that? And I try to follow the idiom: Better safe than sorry! Welcome to my blog!