F A S H I O N - Surekha Kadapa-Bose ( Courtesy - BTW Magazine)

The Rainbow Effect

The winter wardrobe gets splashed in vibrant, youthful multiple hues true to the statement: colour no bar

For once you wished the alarm didn’t go off so soon; for once you wished the birds didn’t start their chatter so early! Yes, this is that time of the year when everyone loves to snuggle under the eiderdown, cocooned in its warmth to shield from the chills of the winter. Well! May be, Mumbai doesn’t go berserk in winter, but the balmy winter is good enough to stretch our warms.

Along with the license to wear any makeup and accessory, as the wintry Sun is makeup friendly, this season one also has the freedom to wear whatever colour one wants to. Yes, the autumn winter colours are back with a bang. Put away your pastels, beige, blacks, white and nude colours. Instead, opt to wear a rainbow. As Megha of the Pragya-Megha Samor, the mother-daughter designer duo from Delhi says, “If worn correctly, bright colours go with every skin tone. We like colours, which is evident in our collection. We believe winter is full of colours and fun.’’ The colours of the Armed Forces, especially Navy, have always been popular with the masses. So this season too, navy blue, browns, military colours dominate not only the domestic circuit but also the international ramps.

A rufeffect fle shirt, when teamed with well-fitted military coloured trousers, gives you a striking look. Besides this, the other colours would be rust, light pink, elegant velvets in jewel colours like ruby red, emerald green, sapphire blue, along with oranges, plums and yellows, that will dominate the season.

After having a successful show at the recently concluded Lakme Fashion Week, where they showcased real warm winter collection suited for the northern belt of India, Megha explains that woven knits and wool would be more popular in the fabric department. To suit lighter winter days, they have
dressed cotton canvass with knitted pattern on them.

“Being an international brand, at 109°F the trend currently is a combination of the right fabric, colour and style, with style being the most important aspect. Keeping the season of autumn/winter in mind, there would be more of wool and acrylic blends in the fabric along with flat knits and lube knits; jackets and sweaters form an integral part of this season. We have recently introduced a fashion article called snood, which is a combination of a scarf and hood. This fashion article can be used in several ways, enhancing the look this season,’’ states Radhesh Kagzi, president, Creative Lifestyles Pvt. Ltd.

Winter also allows usage of more embellishments on the extremely well cut stylised garments. For example, a superbly embellished vest can be worn with a skirt or well-fitted trousers. Another trend that has caught on is art-printed shirts or even cocktail dresses. Short dresses with prints and embellishments are hot. They make for good daywear and with the right accessory can be converted to evening partywear.

Silhouettes will never go out of fashion. This year the retro look of the 1950s and 60s is making waves and is reflected even in the winter clothing. With shapes that accentuate curves and encourage femininity, clotheslines are going for fitted dresses. No sloppy or slouching clothes this season. Shoulder, waist and hips are highly accentuated, making a woman show off her femininity without any qualms.

Megha adds that exaggerated sleeves, colours and cowl necks will be in vogue. And to keep the winter chill at bay, wool can be replaced by quilting designs. So this winter be bold, wear stylised clothes and add colour to your wardrobe.

Daywear will have more of high waists, wide legs trousers, soft blouses and retro accessories. Night would be more of gold and shimmery with flowing drapey dresses in metallic hues or highly embellished saris in brilliant colours. Fashion brands like Theory, Wills Lifestyle, Allen Solly, Burberry, Flying Machine and 109°F are going colourful. Espirit has launched its New Fall Holiday 2010 Range with splashes of refreshing new designs and silhouettes inspired by minimalist chic while ITC’s Wills Lifestyle Autumn-Winter Collection is marked by a lively demonstration of the stylish interplay of various textured patterns and weaves on ensembles laying emphasis on the English heritage collection.