Day 2, 9pm

Dev r Nil

The Howrah boys are showing Frozen, a look that is “festive yet has a relaxed, resort feel”. It is not exactly bridal but veers towards a trousseau collection. Drapery, the flavour of the season, will dominate their line. Their colours include jewel tones like ruby red, emerald green and some shades of gold and pearl. “You will see a lot of tone-on-tone textures that are almost floating on soft silk net, cotton and georgette,” said the duo. Watch out for their menswear: kurtas, sherwanis and some jackets.

Day 2, 3pm

Kallol Datta

Kallol, Calcutta’s edgiest designer, has tweaked his aesthetics to suit the city. “I don’t think they are ready for my signature experimental separates so I have made a viewer-friendly collection for KFW,” said Kallol. For this, he has revisited previous collections and recycled his favourite prints and patterns. “There will be a ramp return for my first ever croqui print to the latest dress-form print. I will also throw in a sneak peek of my spring-summer 2010 line to be unveiled at Lakme Fashion Week later this month,” he added.

day 3, 6pm

Soumitra Mondal

Batik and embroidery are the highlights of this Howrah designer’s KFW pret collection under his label Forme. “I have used basic, everyday silhouettes and twisted them around, playing with fits and proportions. For example, the dresses are oversized and pants are long,” explained Soumitra.

day 3, 9pm

MonaPali

The stalwart sisters are back at Emami KFW Season II once again to show fashion at its arty best. “Our influences continue to be tribal so there will be lots of beads and colours, albeit a little subdued this season,” said Pali of their latest collection.

Day 5, noon

Abhishek Dutta

A futuristic collection is about to be rolled out on the ramp from the Abhishek Dutta stable. “The focus is on recycled products and organic fabrics,” Abhishek said. Cuts and not surface embellishment will dominate the “creative patterns”. Off-white, orange and khaki are his chosen colours for this structured western collection.

Designer Kiran Uttam Ghosh on a fashion week in Calcutta

What was your reaction when you first heard of yet another fashion week — and this time in Calcutta?

Not another one...! Over the past four years I have had a wide range of people contact me for a Kolkata Fashion Week each time I’m back from Lakme or Wills but it usually loses steam after the first email stage. Having said that, from what I saw of the last KFW, Mindscapes Maestros created a platform of established and new designers — well supported by the glamour world and media. I’ve watched 10 years of fashion weeks to know how much hard work goes into putting together a credible fashion week. I think Yudhajit Dutta and his team need to be applauded for their effort. It is easy for us to sit back and find fault but how many really get out there and make things happen for our city?

From being a front row guest last season to a participating designer this time around, how and why have things changed?

Right time, right place, right platform. Also, enthusiasm and passion for fashion from the KFW team, backed by a credible event plan. So much of what I am today I owe to this city and my work in fashion. If I can show in Delhi and Mumbai fashion weeks, how could I not show at a fashion week in my home city that has shaped so much of my life? It is time to give back...

Whose shows would you ideally like to catch?

I can watch shows all day but don’t think I’ll make it for more than two....

Which other fashion week will you be showing at this season?

Not Lakme Fashion Week…

Sneak peek of your KFW collection…

It is a retrospective of 15 years of my work. Since I believe shows should be short and sweet, I have edited those years to an impossible count of 50 ensembles! My favourite colours plums, purples, blackberry, anthracite, blood red and emerald abound. It begins with spring 2010 that we fondly address as ‘flapper girl goes to the Orient’. It is a pared down, sensual, glamorous take on the 1920s flapper; fabrics are chiffon and georgette and silk jersey and colours are muted taupe, jade, washed indigos, ivory and black.

Pallavi Singhee

After making a name for herself in the city’s fash frat, this young designer makes her fashion week debut in KFW with a “sort of hippy” collection. “The line is inspired by phirangis who trot around Goa or Pushkar in our desi clothes… The way they make our salwar look so hot with a tank top,” said Pallavi. She has played with prints in her developing style — everything from elephants to flowers with some “random village embroidery” thrown in. Watch out for her silhouette story that includes egg skirts and jumpsuits.

Kaushik and Pallob

The pair will be putting forward their heavily embroidered bridalwear, salwar suits and tunics. Natural fabrics in green and rust are what they have used. Add some kantha and accessories in the form of brocade bags.

Tejas Gandhi

Tejas will showcase a fusion collection. Apart from a mesh texture the designer has developed, the other highlights of his line include Indo-western separates and “saris that can be worn as dresses”. He said about the inspiration of his collection: “It is about the feelings every person goes through — good or bad.”

Jaya Misra

Titled Prosaic Regality, Jaya’s collection will have short dresses, high-waisted pants, corsets, cigarette pants, off-shoulder dresses and ballroom gowns. She will also show an Indo-western range.

Arjun Agarwal

The designer is back at KFW this season with deconstructed and asymmetrical silhouettes in black and white with a dash of red. Origami is his influence and ample pleating, folding and textures will be seen. “The KFW line is not necessarily wearable, it is more an idea. It is at times loud and OTT, but basically it is for the confident woman,” said Arjun.

Leena Taneja

Short dresses, gowns and tunics in cotton, silk with generous doses of metallics, Leena’s collection is titled The Audrey Hepburn Classic Collection.

Threads

Radhika Singhi and Sayantan Sarkar will present Sweet November. Jackets, trousers and skirts of varying lengths comprise the range. The shade-card is mute with browns and greys.

Abhishek Vyas

The designer will showcase Natyashala, a bridal collection inspired by Bengali theatre. “Bengali theatre is slowly dying. I wanted to do something to revive it,” he said.

Debarun Mukherjee

Debarun’s KFW fusion collection is Fathom — Deep Inside You. Traditional yards meet western silhouettes in this line.

Baroque — Souvik & Aditi

Power dressing underlines Sarvatmika, Baroque’s collection for KFW. Nets and a riot of colours are the highlights of their line.

Shweta Chhawchharia

Shweta has chosen to depict the “modern confident woman” through her pret line, Age of Innocence. Long tunics in georgette, chiffon and net tunics will be seen teamed with leggings in ivory, peach and pink in both floral and geometric patterns.

Vinit Agarwal

Vinit’s KFW fusion collection revolves around black, white, red and brown, shades “depicting various aspects of life”. Texture is the mainstay of the line and the fabrics are mainly net and georgette.

Gopal Roy

The designer is showing a western collection in white, interspersed with light shades of blue and pink. “The inspiration of the collection has come from Tagore’s Ekla cholo re,” explained Gopal.