A To Z of Fashion

A to z … of fashion by style diva Sabina Chopra

Fashion:

1. Prevailing style or custom.
2. An enterprise that fuels egos, mall construction and runway insanity.
3. The reason your bank account is empty. (But I desperately needed a 17th pair of jeans.)
4. Justification for subjecting society to atrocities like shoulder pads, culottes, acid-wash and stirrups.

a …is for Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla
Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla are truly the biggest fashion label in India. They combine contemporary design with haute couture and the most luxurious elements of traditional Indian style.

a …is also for Attitude
Fashion’s greatest accessory through the ages. Either you have it or you don’t… unfortunately you can’t buy it.

b …is for Bling
“Bling-bling” (sometimes shortened to simply “bling”) is a hip hop slang term which refers to expensive jewellery and other accoutrements, and also to an entire lifestyle built around excess spending and ostentation
There is no getting away from it… It’s everywhere from the catwalks to the cafes, from the bordellos to the boardrooms. Think BLING, think BOLLYWOOD. If you’re going to dress bling, think ‘Dolce & Gabbana’, ‘Versace’ and every Indian designer.

c …is for Couture versus Cheap & Chic
The term couture can refer to the fashion houses or fashion designers that create exclusive and often trend-setting fashions.
In India, read couture for wedding trousseaus & pret for the rest… Designers producing ready-to-wear lines generally present a collection each season during a period known as Fashion Week.

d …is for Dresses
The dress has come back with a vengeance. Empire line dresses, empire bra dresses, easy jersey knit longer sleeve dresses, waistline enhancing frocks, or simple waistline skimming sixties style shifts are all part of the dress line up.
Wear bare legged, with textured leggings or simply over jeans or cropped pants.

e …is for Emerging Talent
They have designs on tomorrow… India has a new pool of talent waiting in the wings.
Rahul Mishra’s spare collection was a standout in the high-spirited Liberty GenNext show at the Lakmé Fashion Week. A graduate of India’s most prestigious fashion school, he is the first Indian to win a fashion design masters scholarship to Milan’s Istituto Marangoni; Gaurav Gupta is another name to watch out for.

f …is for FILMI Fashion
Film stars of every shape and size are the new fashion and style icons. As a result, we have a new breed of designers who are almost as big as the stars they dress. It’s no surprise then that every Indian designer is trying to jump into the Bollywood Wagon.

g …is for Gold
Gold hasn’t been so popular since James Bond and ‘Goldfinger’ hit cinema screens 40 years ago! Gold colour and shimmering metallic gold has been featured in every autumn 2006 fashion collection. The simplest way to add gold colour to your wardrobe is with golden jewellery or with a metallic gold tone fashion accessory. There are plenty of affordable gold fashion items around such as necklaces, bangles, bags and shoes.

h …is for Hungama
Fashion designers continue to view all showings of their collection as means of entertaining the audience… From belly dancers to Sufi music, to movie stars and models, we have seen it all… Fashion showings are often reduced to parodies. Unnecessary drama only takes attention away from the talent, so can we please just see the clothes without the HUNGAMA?!

i …is for I, Me, Myself
‘All publicity is good publicity’ is an adage followed religiously by all in the fashion community. The explosion in print and television media has created a new breed of designers as celebrities. These are people so full of themselves that they can’t talk of anything else. Maybe it’s time to let their work do the talking and not their PR handlers.

j …is for Jewel Ink Colours
This Autumn/Winter will see some of the most gorgeous deep rich vibrant colours and equally plush fabrics. Accents of colour combined with regal fabrics add touches of sophistication and glamour to new trends. Current colours are deep rich violet purples, wine reds, burnt ginger tones, moss greens, mustard and teal. To this list, add black and white, plus greys and oyster shell tones.

k…is for Key Trends this season
Fabrics in earthen tones or greys, or black and white schemes. Reds, volume sleeves, balloon sleeves, cropped at elbow bell or banana sleeves, deep cuffs. Focus on collars. Clinched waist focus with wide deep double belts, triple layer belts or ribbon bows. Large buttons or excess of small buttons, toggles, bows and ties. High-waisted trousers. Forget pelvic slung hipsters, skinny trousers or oversized extra wide slouchy trousers. Smarter understated new chic classics - clothes devoid of boho.

l …is for London Calling
Designers Manish Arora and Anamika Khanna will showcase their collection at the next London Fashion Week… Sabyasachi at New York, Surily Goel at LA, Narendra Kumar & Nandita Mahtani at Australia.

m …is for Metallics
Autumn/Winter is heavy metal season… It’s the hottest look for the party season. Think lamés, brocades and all kinds of shiny fabrics… It’s not my cup of tea but if it works for you, wear it with élan.

n …is for Nightlife
With the party and festive season round the corner… get your wardrobe ready.

o…is for OTT (Over The Top)
Every one of us has the potential to be a serious fashion victim… keep your look simple and clean.

p …is for Past Perfect
The retro look from the 60s and 70s is hot in clothing, accessories and even home furnishings. Polka dots, plaids & fitted t-shirts will give you the ‘it’ look any day.

q …is for Queens of Fashion
Check out the front rows of any fashion event worth its name and you will find our fashionistas taking on the best of the rest. From big international brands to local designer togs, and from ethnic chic to the newest street look, you will find the best here.

r …is for Retail
Fashion retail is set for quantum leaps of growth with more and more designers opening up flagship stores and many more Indian and international players entering the market. We hope to see many new stores with cutting edge interiors and innovative merchandise soon.

s…is for Sabyasachi Mukherjee
Sabyasachi Mukherjee is the boy genius of Indian fashion. Rarely does a talent so special emerge anywhere in the world. At the Lakmé Fashion Week, he produced the crossover collection of the week. Dubbed ‘The Snail’ and made from quilted velvets, mud-dyed fabrics, and individually sewn beads, it was the calm in a storm of ornamentation. Watch out for him.

t …is for Tradition
“Eight yards of heaven” is how one observer described the sari, the most popular garment shown at LFW. Although Beri, Soni and Mukherjee are determined to gain global recognition, for other Indian designers there’s no place like home. The sari is the most versatile and sensuous garment ever created… Make it work for you by being innovative with drapes and accessories.

u …is for Universal Appeal
With more Indian designers working with Western silhouettes but staying true to their Indian sensibility, there is now greater acceptance of Indian clothing around the world. From tantra tees to embellished kurtis, the Indian look is everywhere.

v …is for Volume
Think blown up proportion on various garment parts (puff sleeves, bubble skirts). But not all themed together.

w …is for What Not to Wear
It’s time to stop being fashion victims… Suit your fashion sensibility to what suits you & what you are comfortable in. Skinny jeans, bumster jeans look fab on the anorexic models who wear them but… your style mantra has got to be comfort, comfort and more comfort…

xyz
The X factor, Youth & Zest for creativity is what is the need of the hour…. The future of Indian fashion lies with the YOUTH.
XYZ is also for all those out there who would like to call themselves designers but are nothing more than creative imitators.

Ref: http://magnamags.com/magna_savvy/fashion-tips
For more details you can follow the link.

Back