BRILLIANT FUSION OF DESIGN, TRADITION, TEXTILES, AND CRAFT
Mumbai, February 02, 2019: Three amazing designers brought to center stage, the beauty of design, traditions, craft, and textiles at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2019.
Photo: FS Images / Lakme Fashion Week / IMG Reliance
JYOTI REDDY’S EREENA WITH ERI SILK IN ASSAM AND BENGA: Jyoti Reddy’s work on the textile front has been path-breaking as a designer, producer, and marketer of her ‘Ereena’ brand that offers Eri silk fabrics, saris, accessories, and home furnishing. Jyoti’s 20 years have been spent in experimenting with artisanal craftspersons.
Taking ‘Ereena’s’ Eri silk to the world markets, Jyoti has worked with textile technologists with whom she associated and started Eri silk yarn factories in Guwahati in 2007.
The “Bhoomi Bhoomi” collection from ‘Ereena’ was a fashion feast of saris, blouses, pants, tunics, dresses, skirts, shirts and jackets, that will suit the requirements of every fastidious dresser.
The “Bhoomi Bhoomi” colors were inspired by nature, so the natural dyes from Manjista, indigo, annatto, pomegranate, and Sapan were striking on the ramp. The amazing quality of the ‘Ereena’ collection fabrics was its ability to make the wearer feel cool in summer cotton and warm in winter’s light wool.
Jyoti’s ‘Ereena’ produces exclusive silk that has never been seen before, thus giving employment to many. With a factory in Assam, the ‘Ereena’ brand has outlets and Jyoti has worked with a silk group of 80 master weavers in Andhra Pradesh, Bengal, Assam and created amazing designs using traditional weaves like Ikat, Jamdaani and jacquard, along with natural dye block printing.
The gorgeous multi-colored creations with feather-like textures for cropped tops or colorful linear lines of fabrics with baubles were a visual delight as their weaves and hues created magic on the ramp. Saris were worn with pants and striking knitted blouses, while the tasseled ivory mini lemon jumpsuit with a scarf and the bikini with beach cover, offered great summer options. Adding some holiday wear creations was a frayed-fabric, beach maxi, ideal for sunbathing.
Stopping the show was Bollywood beauty Malavika Mohanan who glided down the ramp in body-con pants, cropped top and a flowing white train that trailed behind her.
USHA DEVI BALAKRISHNAN’S ANKA FOR BALRAMPURAM SARIS: Usha Devi Balakrishnan’s lifelong passion was always textiles and handlooms, which resulted in ‘Anka’, which endeavors to revive and sustain the weavers of Balramapuram, started in 2016. Usha Devi’s 35-years public service as Regional Director of the World Renowned Kudumbashree Project was a government initiative that helped communities living below the poverty line to be self-sufficient.
Bringing the gorgeous gold weaves of Kerala on to the ramp the ‘Anka’ brand used the highest quality of chemical-free cotton, as well as the purest form of gold and silver. 20 master weavers worked on pit looms for the creations and presented the most exquisite saris on the runway. The story from the Kingdom of Travancore bloomed in cotton and Kasavu for the collection, along with a tribute to the weavers of Balramapuram where each creation was woven in pure cotton and zari.
The saris were presented with the most exquisite motifs that featured leaves, paisley, Mullavalli motifs, elephants and peacocks, which were worn with a variety of colourful and woven corsets. Geometry came in the form of polka dots, circles, squares, checks, checker-board design and stripes that brought a more contemporary appeal on the ramp for the 6-yard wonder.
The gorgeous gold/pearl jewellery and the broad beaded gold belts on the saris were perfect accessories as they glittered on the ramp.
ANAAM WITH RANGSUTRA: The Anaam label has been known for its sustainable aspects during the collections presented in the past. The label has fashionably combined craft, art, roots, modernity and this season, brought Bandhani to centre stage, created by Rangsutra, a community owned company of artisans from remote villages of India. Combining the Bandhani craft with mirror work, the collection was a colourful artsy, fantasy of style and craft.
Colours moved from rich teal to bright green, royal purple and electric, along with hints of deep grey for unconventional silhouettes and apparel. There was the jumpsuit, which was definitely not of the traditional kind but was patched and colour- blocked. The two-toned shirt dress, draped mini and the bio coloured ‘V’ neck dress, were great additions in the collection. Quirky kaftans with pointy wizard inspired collars, asymmetric dresses, maxis and some unbelievable silhouettes that defied imagination, were unleashed in an innovative colour and craft combine. The gender-neutral creations, offered a draped kaftan with elongated sleeves and even saris with exotic cholis.
The ideal showstoppers were ace celebrity hairstylist, Sapna Bhavnani, dressed in a grey trio of pant, shirt, tiny top and Kabir Chaudhary in a kaftan, exchanged their ensembles on the ramp to denote the versatile nature of the collection.
Lakme Official Makeup expert at Lakme Fashion Week Summer Resort 2019, Rosario, created a series of distinct looks all with statement eyes with bold colours for the AnaamxRangsutra Anka | Ereena show. The lips were given a soft but matte coral pink using the lip colours from the new Lakme Absolute Matte Ultimate range.
