Pictures by Pabitra Das

If you want a dose of drama, you need a dose of Rohit Bal. The ultimate showman of Indian fashion was invited to bring down the curtains on the debut edition of Kolkata Fashion Week at PC Chandra Gardens. He, of course, brought the curtains and the house down!

Triangles of black chart paper covered the catwalk and the floor below. Two elaborate chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Lights dimmed as the front row took their seats (including tennis legend Naresh Kumar and wife Sunita, Raima with mother Moon Moon Sen, Madhu Neotia, actor Arjun Chakraborty and Kiran Uttam Ghosh), the sound of thunder filled the show area and it was time for action…

Though the show was a rerun of the Delhi Fashion Week finale collection, for Calcutta it was a visual treat. Make that two visual treats because Sunday night was also the night John Abraham touched town to walk the ramp.

Gudda’s collection was theatrical. Fabric was twisted and turned to resemble origami in its most complex form. The palette was typically autumn-winter with charcoal and plum being the two main colours.

Each outfit had a story to tell. The larger-than-life silhouettes, dramatic styling and lighting all worked towards creating one magical moment after another. Beehive hairdos and the black lace running across the models’ foreheads set off the couture collection. Another highlight was the ‘extreme’ shoes.

Fantastic folded drapes and cutwork (exquisite laser cutwork on soft leather) dominated the show and of course, his signature 3D lotus applique was seen too.

The collection almost had a honeycomb effect in the way it was technically treated. Folds of fabric, like larger ribbon streamers, were seen often. Boned corsets or beautiful bodices with billowing skirts often draped with stoles were one of the primary silhouettes that took the ramp. Men came along half-way and showcased a range of ready-to-wear separates. There were skinny leather pants, jacquard jackets, embroidered sherwanis and shiny silk blazers. We liked the fringed suede scarves that some men finished their look with.

Some more fashion for women followed and then came the man. John floored the crowd walking in an embroidered sherwani, skinny black pants and aviators, flashing his dimples all the way.

Rohit Bal then emerged for a final bow flanked by his boyfriend Lalit and John. After Akshay Kumar was charged with allegedly indulging in an act of obscenity at the Lakme Fashion Week, Rohit Bal decided to refrain from his usual pratice of kissing his boyfriend on the ramp!

John Abraham was nothing short of a riot on the KFW ramp on Sunday night, and no one knew it better than him. After the show, with that dimpled smile, he told t2: “The feedback I got from people was that I looked beautiful on the ramp in the sherwani.” Yes, John got the adjective spot on. He was quick to add: “I have to thank the audience here, which is very receptive… I would like to thank all of them.”

Is it because of the Bips connection that he finds the audience here extra receptive? With another wry grin, here’s what Johnny boy had to say: “Let me say this.… There are three kinds of women in the world — good women, better woman and Bengali women!” Hmmm… Why not just say the ‘B’-word, JAb? “Well, Bipasha is one of the best models we have ever had. Walking with her is like walking with a supermodel!”

But the person John spoke more about was his designer of the night, Rohit Bal. “I am thankful to Rohit Bal for asking me to walk for him. Maybe with me coming here, he had no option! But I remember how Rohit had helped me in my formative years. It gave me a lot of confidence and courage. Today, walking for him was like déjà vu. I remember how excited I was when I had first walked for him — I went around telling people ‘I walked for Rohit Bal’.”

Rohit, for his part, was at his cheeky best. “Does it make a difference what John wears? He doesn’t need to wear anything at all!” But John had something else on his mind (and body). “Oh, I can’t afford a Rohit Bal outfit. So if I am getting gifts from him, I just give a quiet smile and take it.”

John also made it very clear what had brought him to Calcutta on Sunday. “It’s all for Mahi (Mahendra Singh Dhoni). Mahi is a close friend.”

And finally, what is fashion for one of the best looking men in India? “Enjoying the clothes… that’s fashion for me,” was the John sign off!

Pratim D. Gupta

The best was truly saved for the last day of kolkata fashion week as we got to see some serious style. t2 takes you there

Dev R Nil

The story : Through Charulata’s Opera Glass, inspired by Ray’s classic character and MC Escher’s graphic illusions, is arguably the best collection that the Howrah boys have created in their career so far. The Ray inspiration, in fact, went beyond Charulata to music from his other classics. The show opened with the Bhuter raja music from Goopi Gayen Bagha Bayen and the Sonar Kella theme tune recurred throughout. The Dev R Nil show was one of the few in KFW that attempted to create a mood with the music and sets, with the ramp bordered with strings of small yellow bulbs. Cutwork, applique, threadwork, beadwork, batik, pleating and surface texturing were used beautifully to create the line.

The palette : Starting off with a line of chequered black-and-white silhouettes, Dev and Nil soon introduced scarlet, indigo, black and purple.

The silhouettes : A mix of structured and fluid shapes make up the line, with strong emphasis on geometric forms. Lots of dresses — shift, sheath, shirt and draped — with focus on the waist, short skirts and saris with cutwork pallus and borders primarily made up the women’s line. The men walked in bomber jackets, bandhgalas, trousers, long-sleeved tees and shirts.

The fabrics : Cotton silk, silk dupion, silk tweed, georgette and jersey.

The accessories : The line was free of accessories, with the models sporting smoky eyes and out-of-bed hair.

High point : The brilliant use of batik. First, to create images of flocking birds that dotted many of the outfits. And then used as prints on leggings.

Designerspeak : “We haven’t done any other fashion weeks this time and our KFW show was the national unveiling of our collection for autumn-winter 2009. So we put in that much effort behind the line,” said Nil.

Rahul Khanna and Rohit Gandhi

The story : The Cue collection titled Ode to Joy is “all about bright colours”. Sharp silhouettes, signature cutwork, folds, appliqué, sequins and brushstroke prints got together to create an impressive line.

The palette : Lots of cobalt blue, fuschia, lime, coral along with greys, whites and neutrals.

The silhouettes : A mix of straight lines and fluid shapes. For her, there were overalls, jumpers, lots of dresses, skirts, jackets, dhoti trousers…. For him, there were jumpsuits, jackets, slim trousers, bermudas, long-sleeved tees….

The fabrics : Voile, silk voile, georgette, chiffon, linen and cotton.

The accessories : A line of retro shoes in bright shades of pink, blue, lime and red made up the accessory story. “We had great fun designing this shoe line. It’s inspired by the 1960s and has got an aviator kind of look,” smiled Rahul.

High point : A line of dresses and tops with a multicoloured brushstroke print on a white base looked super cool. The footwear line was another hit of the collection.

Showstopper : The stunning Chitrangda Singh closed the show in a sensuous coral asymmetrical gown. “It was so different walking on the Calcutta ramp than in Mumbai and Delhi. There the people just sit back and watch but here everyone was cheering every outfit. It felt great even though I must confess I am not as professional as the models. We actors walk for fun,” smiled the dusky beauty.

Designerspeak : “The general mood is of depression due to the economic slowdown. Though we have always been known for our greys and blacks, this time we thought we would do a very vibrant collection to brighten up the mood,” explained Rohit after the show.

Smita Roy Chowdhury

Pictures by Pabitra Das

Gauri-Nainika

The story : The Karan sisters presented a stunning collection as always. There were dresses, dresses and more dresses. Feminine and fuss free, the dresses were understated and elegant. “We grew up on old Hollywood and have seen My Fair Lady a thousand times. All our clothes reflect that sensibility,” smiled Gauri and Nainika.

The palette : Black, grey, white and nude. The last sequence saw some colour — a dress each in blue, pink and emerald.

The silhouettes : The dress specialists showed a lovely range of super wearable dresses. Pencil dresses and wrap dresses, mermaid-shaped gowns and flowing gowns — each piece was impeccable. Geometric layering, controlled frills and tiered hemlines further enhanced the silhouettes.

The accessories : The sisters decided to edit out the accessories. But we did see one emerald ring on Mugdha Godse (left), perfectly matched with her emerald green gown!

High point : We loved the concise tailoring and the sisters score full marks in other techniques as well. Frills, close pleating, fluting, asymmetric layering… they have mastered the art of making fine dresses.

Showstoppe r: Mugdha’s mermaid gown. We liked its interlaced draped bodice and feminine, flowing skirt.

Designerspeak : “These dresses work for every occasion. Wear them to a business meeting or to an after-party, they will turn heads everywhere,” signed off Gauri and Nainika.

STORY OF WEAVES — TWILIGHT VELVET

The story : Twilight Velvet was an effort to glam up traditional Indian textiles and weaves and style them into outfits for a summer evening. Dhakai, taant, brocade, baluchari, khadi, jamdani etc were the heroes of the story that was styled by Edward Lalrempuia. Sujata Sarawgi designed kantha saris and scarves for the show.

The palette : The colours used were bright and beautiful, from scarlet to canary yellow, emerald to magenta. Colour blocking was in fact the collection’s greatest strength — we love the way each colour contradicted the other.

The silhouettes : The silhouettes looked so super that it was difficult to believe that there was only fabric and no stitching involved! Tiered skirts, one-shoulder gowns, halter tops, asymmetric dresses and sarong silhouettes were mainstays of the line.

The accessories : Colourful trinkets matched the colourful clothes step for step. Wide belts, corsages made from sari pallas and rosette hairbands made up the accessory story.

High point : We loved how a white shirt and black velvet obi came together with a woven skirt to create a fabulous fashion moment. We also liked the cutwork petticoat peeping out from behind sari hems.

Showstopper : As the track changed from Jai ho to Chura liya hai… former sex siren Zeenat Aman appeared in a pretty salwar kameez that was embroidered, not woven.

Friday. Saturday. Sunday. The aftermath of after parties could be felt on Sunday night as many people decided to stay home after the rocking Rohit Bal finale at PC Chandra Gardens. Blame it on Gudda’s private party at the venue or the heat or anticipation of Monday morning blues, Roxy remained relatively empty. Here are some happy people t2 spotted…

“This doesn’t even look like a fashion week party! Where are the people?” rued Sanjukta, seen here with fellow model Pooja

Shaun with friends Rima and Alexander

“I am glad that the party is relaxed today. After a long day’s work, it’s nice to catch up with friends, especially those who couldn’t make it to our show,” said Dev, seen chatting with jewellery designer Eina Ahluwalia