At the first day first show of Kolkata Fashion Week season II Ritu Kumar reminded us what Indian tradition and craft are all about. The Delhi-based bridal queen, who has strong Calcutta roots, sent out ramp diva Nayanika Chatterjee — also strongly rooted in Calcutta — in a white and gold zardosi ensemble. It was a moment for Calcutta couture, albeit via the Capital…

The next 40 looks and 20 minutes continued to showcase the living legacy of Ritu Kumar. Giving ethnicity happy breaks were modern Indi-cool elements — dhoti pants, waistcoats, palazzo pants and racer-back cholis. Lighter lehngas, bridal brocades, trapeze tops with slouchy salwars… everything shown was signature and special. Some pieces were the old-fashioned versions of anarkali kurtas and then there were those precious pieces from her personal wardrobe now proudly archived.

One of the stellar segments of the show featured jackets teamed with leggings and modern, oversized bags. These were no ordinary jackets. Prints of Pichwai paintings and selected works of Jayasri Burman found canvas on these bomber jackets and quilted trench coats styled with contemporary cool. Love Aaj Kal’s Harleen Kaur, Giselle Monteiro, appeared as the first showstopper of the season. Dressed in a burnt orange zardosi lehnga, she played the Ritu Kumar muse so convincingly that the audience failed to recognise the Brazilian model!

PS: After wearing Ritu Kumar’s younger label, Label, in Slumdog Millionaire, Freida Pinto should have checked out the desi doyen before settling for her blue John Galliano Oscar number. Ritu Kumar manages to make zardosi look red carpet-esque as demonstrated in her floor-sweeping gowns. That would have been one fab fashion moment!

The Earth Goddess collection… In fashion-dom, earth and goddess are diametrically opposed. Earth stands for all things organic and subdued, goddess stands for all things out-of-the-world and full-on glamour. Only a genius can make the twain meet. And Wendell Rodricks is nothing if not a genius.

The last show of the first day of KFW season II saw Wendell wow the Calcutta crowd with 40 pieces split into four collections. When Indrani Dasgupta glided down the runway in an ivory number, easy breezy Goa style, it was easy to forget that the shows were running ridiculously late. All that mattered was the moment.

Chiffon layered gauze-like raw cotton, with unbleached towel material thrown in. Together they appeared in sheer and sensual tunic dresses, sarong-pants, vests, flowy overcoats, tiered ponchos, dhoti-pants jumpsuits….

The next collection in viscose knit went darker. Colours were olive and khaki. Drapes dominated the segment but the loudest claps came when Sonalika Sahay walked in the “first ever viscose knit sari with built in choli”. A couple of canvas bags and organic jewellery made from wood and beads added drama to the minimal mood.

Soon after came his signature separates expertly crafted from linen and slinky silk crepe in burgundy, grey and khaki. Minimal and moody, these few pieces showed commercial-creative, the Wendell way.

The last segment of day one saw cocktail saris in net lined with jersey, imparting a teasing two-tone effect and some more dresses and tunics. Every outfit was a show-stopper but the show-stopper to beat the rest was a super sexy goddess gown which left Pia Trivedi with little room to hide.

Wendell had told t2 days before his show that “no Bollywood actress would wear his showstopping outfit”. Well, now we know just why!

Shradha Agarwal
Pictures by Pabitra Das

Understated classics and a bling blast also featured on the Fashion Week ramp...

The buzz was strong before the hottie from Kashmir Zubair Kirmani, one of the biggest hits of Season I, showed his collection. In the front row sat fellow designers Bibi Russell and Soumitra Mondal. The lights dimmed and the “happy” show opened to some interesting choreography and a mixed line for men and women. Skirt dresses, collared dresses, shifts — it was dresses and more dresses for the women, while the men looked casual chic in jackets and bandhgalas. It was signature Zubair throughout, starring classic, clean lines with a lot of emphasis on detailing, scoring high on wearability.

The shade card started with white and pink and moved on to peach, violet, ombre, cobalt and red on silks and blends. And no Zubair Kirmani show is complete without classic white and black. It was all dressed up with piping, pleating, embroidery, cut-work, velvet polka-like applique...

The menswear — where skinny pants were teamed with jackets and tees — saw a burst of colour, too.

The no-make up look complemented the no-frills collection. While the boys sported sleek and short hair, the girls had their tresses rolled up in buns. Chappals for the men added to the relaxed feel.

Finally, not one, not two, but three show-stoppers closed the show. Ustad Amjad Ali Khan walked for the first time with his sons Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan, all in black and white sherwanis. And while Khan senior stole the show, the sons could not stop grinning long after it was all over. “Music is a celebration of life. So is wearing good clothes,” smiled the soft-spoken sarod maestro.

Overheard: One PYT made her preference clear — “I like the father more than the sons,” she gushed.

Saionee Chakraborty

Leena Taneja showed The Audrey Hepburn Collection. Which seemed to be interpreted as a series of tacky dresses. It was her fabric story that let her down — shimmery and clingy, the silhouettes made from those wholesale yards hugged all the wrong places! The embellishments too were passé — beads, pipe sequins, lace, stones and ribbon flowers, everything was seen before years ago in various collections by various designers. Pauli Dam closed the show (in picture above) trying hard to remind the audience of Holly Golightly in a bling brown dress, pipe and gloves. One good thing — a couple of buns and sunglasses did manage to make one hanker for breakfast at Tiffany’s!

Shradha Agarwal

Following Zubair on the ramp was a collection that couldn’t be more different, from Rocky S. The star stylist explained his collection quite simply in the post-show media conference: “Bling in India never goes out of fashion.”

With colleagues Ritu Kumar, Wendell Rodricks, Bibi Russell and cricket commentator Gautam Bhimani as his front-row guests, saris kick-started the show. Anarkalis, short kurtas and fish-tail lehngas followed. Hand-woven fabrics were the highlight. Brocades, silks, Benarasi and linen were fashioned into festive wear.

Rocky dressed his men in sherwanis and suits. The colour palette included orange, green, red and onion pink, with dashes of grey and beige.

Gold formed the mainstay of the collection, though. Elaborate zardosi embroidery, gold sequins, bronze, gold embossing — glittery and glam seemed to be the mantra for the New York stylist. Some silver shimmer was also spotted. The designer played around with sexy blouses, going for single bejewelled straps, corsets and strappy cholis. “You can wear a simple sari but show your creative side with the blouse,” smiled the designer.

An unusual show-stopper in Virender Sehwag (in picture above with Laxmi Rama) closed the show in a steel grey sherwani with stone-encrusted embroidery on the sleeves. Those who blinked would have missed his two second oddball stay at the crease. The Delhi daredevil blushed like a new bride. And no amount of cheering could egg the explosive opener on, leaving Rocky to take the last bow all by himself! Psst: That’s what happens when Viru bats at number 11 instead of 1!

Saionee Chakraborty
Pictures by Pabitra Das