Model Priyanka Pal walks the ramp at the graduating show of Bhawanipur Education Society College at ITC Sonar Bangla. Picture by Rashbehari Das

From the party people to Calcutta’s quintessential babus, from corporate culture to the Neolithic age, the ramp at ITC Sonar Bangla Sheraton & Towers on Wednesday evening witnessed inspirations as varied as they come.

The first day of the annual graduating show of the fashion technology department of Bhawanipur Education Society College was a visual treat. The three-day ramp affair will display 39 collections in all.

Managed by Encore, Wednesday’s ramp affair started bang on time and went on smoothly without any fashion faux pas one tends to associate with student shows.

The evening’s action began with ex-student and designer Pritam Panda’s collection Fusion Pick. Done largely in a colour palette of red and black, saris, asymmetrical skirts and tops dominated the line.

The students soon took over with each of the 13 collections standing out in style, cuts and colours. But the budding designers who stole the show were Samriddha Chatterjee, Parita Rathore, Tanmoy Roy and Shilpa Bachawat. Samriddha’s collection titled Babu Culture portrayed the revival of traditional lifestyle of the Raj with a modern twist.

Parita’s line Genesis, which won her the Best Innovative Theme award, drew inspiration from the Neolithic age and was dominated largely by skirts and trousers.

Tanmoy’s collection, The Script, highlighted Rabindranath Tagore’s poetry on kurtas, skirts, angrakhas and won him the Best Student award. The evening came to a close with Shilpa’s Page Three, comprising gowns and skirts in black, the hottest party colour. This brought her the Best Collection prize.

City models Jessica, Priyanka Kohli, Priyanka Pal, Tanushree, Ria Mitra and Neeraj showcased the outifts of the graduating students on the ramp.