(From top) Sharan Mishra flaunts an outfit from Preeti Jhawar’s spring summer line and scenes from the ramp at the ongoing London Fashion Week. Pictures by AP and Reuters

Beads and batik, mirrors and macrame, seashells and spangles, floor-kissing skirts and floral prints. All these and much more blend together to present the most striking trend of spring summer 2005 ? the bohemian look. From the international ramps of New York and London to racks of designers closer home, glimpses of the gypsy look are visible on all fashion frontiers in the build-up to the coming season?s style story.

It?s not, however, the poor peasant feel, but the refreshing rustic romance combined with soft femininity that?s set to dominate women?s fashion as the temperature rises.

Says designer Kiran Uttam Ghosh: ?The look for spring summer ?05 has a very soft, sexy, feminine bohemian feel that is reminiscent of the gypsies. This is supported by pastel hues, florals, hand-crafted techniques and interesting design twists.? The embellishments that bring about the look in Kiran?s line for the season are lots of buttons, hooks, broken stones, crochet and strips of fabrics.

?The gypsy look doesn?t follow any rules of fashion. The effect is of incomplete and careless styling, there?s nothing immaculate about it,? adds designer Preeti Jhawar. This ?incomplete? feel in her latest collection is highlighted by styling techniques such as half-hemmed sleeves, asymmetrical hemlines and uneven layering. Embellishments like mirror work, coiled thread work and beads (particularly on the necklines) further emphasise the feel. ?The sleepy look with smudged eyes without lip gloss, earring in one ear, ponytail on one side while the hair on the other side is left open and an excess of accessories ? that?s the kind of style that would go best with bohemian clothes,? she feels.

While skirts, skirts and more skirts have been the mantra in women?s lowers the past few seasons, much more volume has been added to the garment and it is now wider and fuller than before. The prominent technique used to bring about this effect is layering.

?Full-length ruffled gypsy skirts are the rage this season and underlayering is the keyword here. Lots of sheer cotton, linen, voile and lace are being used for the underlayering, giving a very flouncy, feminine feel. I have also used washed and crumpled linen to emphasise the bohemian effect,? explains Kiran.

Layering is going to be big this season, agrees Preeti. ?The volume is entirely concentrated in the bottom half of women?s wear. This heightens the gypsy appeal.?

An eclectic mix of ethnic cultures is another important aspect of the bohemian look ruling the ramps right now. The elements are borrowed from various native sources ? Indian traditional decorative embellishments to African peasant and tribal influences.

Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, credited with reinventing bohemia over the past few years, sums up: ?After the tsunami, world fashion is going through a similar state as it did after 9/11. We are all turning to our traditions and cultures for fashion influences and the barriers between countries have been broken, leading to the emergence of global fashion. The look emerging is very bohemian and gypsy-like, with a lot of retro or old-fashioned styles coming back.?