Wills India fashion Week 2011 begins in style

New Delhi: A ‘heady’ treat of glamour and fashion is in store for Delhiites in the next few days with another edition of the Wills India fashion Week, the biggest ever fashion event in India, kickstarting in the Capital this afternoon.

While a total of 115 designers will showcase their collections at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring Summer 2011, to be held at Pragati Maidan till October 23, the venue for the eevnt is the biggest ever for WIFW till date.

The five-day fashion extravaganza kicked off with a show by designer Anand Kabra which transported the audience to the Hyderabadi era.

The old city surrounding Charminar became the literal translation for the textures and embellishments in Kabra’s spring summer collection with brush strokes and pochampalli weaves lifting their interpretations from the peeling walls and fading tiles of the crumbling havelis in and around the ‘phool mandi’.

The facade of Charminar and its trellises revisited an earlier era in sepia beaded embroidery and burnt zardozi.

Decadence and indulgence, fantasy and reality, sophistication and seduction, dilapidation and luxury engaged in a play-off between enriched malkhas and matt brush – stroked lurex, embellished raw kora and tie-dyed taffeta, grunged pochampalli cottons and sheer bright georgettes.

While languid wide leg pants and shararas, kurti cholis and dresses, sherwanis and jackets, wrap ‘lungi’ skirts and lehengas defined an indulgent and sophisticated silhouette, references to the bird cage grill and seduction emerged through the ‘haath ki jali’ seam joints on the garments, and subtle ‘corsetry’, ‘string’ play and transparency.

The designer’s collection, called ‘Mandi’, has a strong international look that goes into an aesthetic Indian look as well, with a lot of dresses, trousers, tunics, wraps and add-on blazers thrown in.

Designer Anand Kabra

”In the Indian, I’ve gone very Hyderabadi. There’s the khara dupatta and jubba, with fabrics ranging from hazy over-dyed Pochampalli to malkha (a derivative of khadi, but with the yarn machine-spun),” Kabra said.

Earlier, Sunil Sethi, president of the Fashion Design Council of India, the organisers of the fashion event, said this year’s edition of WIFW was ‘bigger and grander’ than the earlier editions with the biggest ever venue.

”The venue for the WIFW SS 2011 is the biggest ever to accommodate the increased number of fashion designers scheduled to showcase their designs and also the increased number of buyers coming to the event,” Sethi said.

Earlier in that single hall, there used to be a set up of exhibition area, two main show areas (MSA), lounges, a media centre, dining area and backstage as well.

But now, the event is being held in a huge space at hall no 18 of the Pragati Maidan.

Top names like Abraham and Thakore, Ashish Soni, Ashima-Leena, J J Valaya, Kotwara by Meera and Muzaffar Ali, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Ranna Gill, Ritu Beri, Rohit Bal, Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna, Tarun Tahiliani and Wendell Rodricks will be showcasing their collections during the WIFW SS 2011.

At the same time, the organisers sad this season numerous young designers will be displaying their creative brilliance for the first time in the capital.

In fact, among the 58 labels showcasing on the ramp over the course of five days, there are many who will be taking to the ramp here for the first time.

This year the grand finale of the WIFW will be done by renowned designer Tarun Tahiliani.

Though like every year, the WIFW SS 2011 will have its share of glamour with celebrities like Deepika Padukone, Kalki Koechin and Sonakshi Sinha expected to walk the ramp, the organiser said the event will be low on glamour and high on fashion.

There will be some activities like a fashion quiz and fashion awards during the event.