(From top): Models strike a pose in outfits from Kiran Uttam Ghosh?s newest collection; Ritu Beri with Tupur Chatterjee at the Taj Land?s End show; Neeta Lulla with Hema Malini at the launch of her store

Fashionable rebels

If you thought girl power was a phrase that cropped up only in the dying years of the 20th century, it?s time to do a rethink. Way back in the 1920?s, women were rebelling against the established norms of fashion and style and out of it emerged the flapper girl look ? back-baring creations complete with shingled hair and cigarettes in cigarette-holders. And it is this entire look, on which Calcutta-based designer Kiran Uttam Ghosh has based her latest collection of designs, unveiled at Delhi?s fashion store Ogaan recently.

Explaining the look of the new line, Ghosh said, ?The sensibility of today takes one back to the flapper girl of the ?20s who was hell-bent on leading her own life. Flapper girls didn?t suggest matrimony and motherhood. Their shingled hair was dyed, their eyebrows plucked and pencilled while their cheeks and lips were piquantly rouged.?

Taking a cue from the rebellious spirit of the times, the clothes were a mix of bohemia and bourgeoisie. Lean long jackets, and backless halter dresses vied for attention with slim skirts and ponchos. The colour palette ranged from monochromatic whites and blacks to reds, greens and pinks. Ghosh accessorised her designs with close-fitting caps and cigarette holders.

At the show, the clothes seemed to fly off the racks. There were some bargains to be had, starting at about Rs 4,000. But there was also a halter-neck blouse with a bejewelled collar for Rs 33,950. And bridal saris and blouses with asymmetric necklines came for around Rs 2 lakh.

Sparkling tie-up

When one of the country?s hottest designers ties up with a leading jewellery house, the results should be sparkling. Jewellery brand D?damas, in association with the World Gold Council, recently announced an exclusive tie-up with Ritu Beri and unveiled a signature line of ethno-contemporary gold jewellery called Amour.

Held at Taj Land?s End, the evening kicked off with a fashion show by the designer, followed by an auction of sparklers and baubles from the latest D?damas collection.

Starting off the style session was hunky actor Akshay Kumar, who strode down the ramp in jeans and a black shirt, with a white Ritu Beri stole draped around his shoulders. This was followed by an array of stunning ghagra-cholis, embroidered sarees and kaftan-like kurtas in colourful swirls of pinks, yellows and blues. Ritu?s haute couture range was equally well-appreciated, with her trademark sharp cuts and trendy silhouettes being showed off by a bevy of beauties including Nina Manuel, Jesse Randhawa, Fleur Xavier, Shonali Rathod and the Chatterjee twins. The show-shopper was Beri?s very own bridal lehnga, a breath-taking pink creation modelled by Tupur.

Beri also displayed her jewellery line which included neckwear, earrings and kadas. ?India?s love affair with gold is enduring. That?s why I chose to enter the jewellery design arena with Amour, which symbolises the unique qualities of the metal. The eternal but malleable nature of gold reflects the power and beauty of the various possibilities in jewellery,? commented the fashionista.

Later in the evening, D?damas held an auction in association with Bombay Nature History Society, the proceeds of which will go towards tsunami victims in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Screen to store

She has dressed Bollywood?s biggest and brightest stars and designed stand-out creations for big-budget hits like Chandni and Devdas. So, when style queen Neeta Lulla opens a fashion store, everyone with even a half-interest in fashion, sits up and takes note.

The atelier has been done up in two contrasting styles by Ahsan Ansari. The first level is designed along minimalist lines with beige and dull gold hues being liberally used to create a warm, cosy feel. The lower level is devoted to all things bridal and is done up with Victorian carvings that give the section a feel of quiet opulence.

Neeta?s store houses both her diffusion and haute couture lines. Besides richly-embellished saris, lehnga-cholis and white churidars from the bridal range, she has unveiled a line of long, billowy skirts in bright colours, sexy dresses, embroidered corsets and flamboyant jackets in solid shades of pink and oranges as well as the always-in-demand black.

Inevitably, the Who?s Who of Mumbai entertainment and fashion industries turned up for the launch. There were leading ladies including Aishwarya Rai and ? from another era ? Hema Malini. Also, in attendance were stars like Shilpa Shetty, Sameera Reddy, Rishi Kapoor, Aftab Shivdasani and Lara Dutta along with beau Kelly Dorji. Newcomers included Isha Shravani and Gayatri Joshi. Also looking their glamorous best were models Mridula Chandrashekar, Kavita Kharayat, Candice Pinto and Udita Goswami as well as designing biggies Rocky S and Anna Singh. Others included singer Anaida, veejay Ishita Arun, directors Tanuja Chandra and Subhash Ghai, tarot card reader Sunita Menon and even former actress Neelam.

Said Neeta, ?In my 20 years in the business, I?ve dressed some of India?s most beautiful people and been involved in every aspect, be it designing for movies or being a consultant to stars. Opening a store was the next logical step, thereby allowing a one-point access to all, even to those who?ve always wanted to buy my clothes and didn?t know where to go.?

Photographs by Rupinder Sharma and Gajanan Dudhalkar