Going by the glimpses of what we have already seen trending, here’s a projection of what this year should be heading to in matters of style. Stock up on the suggestions made and you will have beaten the rest for sure in dictating what is going to be fashionable, and what is not.
Back to the 70s
The look of the decade of the 70s is back. However, don’t take this as an excuse to live the bohemian life and look like the hippies of the yesteryears. Instead what will become really popular is a contemporary version of a clean and casual look with separates revealing small amount of raffia, fringes, flamenco ruffles and even suede. Just imagine how a dress in soft chiffon will look when paired with a suede jacket! Or even a playsuit with mixed prints, low slung denims, fringed blouses or jackets or even embroidered flares. Sabyasachi has already wowed fashionistas with his unique Indian take on the floral maxi dress donned by DeepikaPadukone. Also looking quite hot is the saree blouse worn by Sridevi due to its singular embroidery as well as Rani Mukherjee’s saree that is a tribute to the spirit of rebellion that was the essence of the 70s.
Expounding on his 70s-look fixation, Sabyasachi is candid in his observation that the look of the perhaps the most-happening decade makes a comeback in fashion every couple of years or so. He goes on to comment “Every time fashion gets too industrial or assembly line, with too much structure, monochrome or architecture, designers veer to the seventies. It’s like a palate-cleanser.” Due to the presence of a multitude of visual elements, recreating the look of the 70s decade can be quite difficult but he admits that it also affords the best chance to designers to really get creative.
Modernization of Tradition
One of the hottest projections for this year is that finally the saree and the ubiquitous salwar-kameez will finally exchange with each other the roles they play in the typical Indian wardrobe. The saree is now a hot favorite with younger audiences for a refreshing change as modern wearers are now teaming it up with t-shirt blouses made popular by Both Sabya and Anavita or even a shirt as beautifully demonstrated by Abraham and Thakore. The salwar-kameez is all set too to become the hallmark of ladylike style as evidenced by the slim-fit trousers and brocade tunic crafted by Sanjay Garg. While the saree has broken free of convention with the pallu being rolled over and being teamed up with a dhoti or even pants, the salwar-kameez is promising to ride on the top of the globalization wave with its fresh avatars being hot favorites with those purchasing fancy designer salwar suits online.
It also seems to have sparked off a renewed interest in the tradition of India and its hoary culture. A visibly enthusiastic David Abraham observes that Indian fashion continues to reaffirm its identity even when embracing global fashion trends in stark contrast to other Asian countries like Thailand and Japan who have virtually abandoned their traditional costumes in their chase to be perceived as global citizens. He applauds the Indian attitude of modernizing age-old traditions and making it a significant part of the fashionscape.
Best Foot Forward
The good old mojri is set to be a really sought-after fashion accessory. So great is the response from the fashion-forwards in the country that you have high-end stores like theFizzy Goblet and Good Earth finding no dearth of customer at even eyebrow-raising price tags of upwards of Rs.2000/-. Fashionistas are literally swooning over them as they discover how well they can be paired with both sarees, dresses or even jeans. The newfound fame of the mojri is a classic example of a traditional product of India reinventing itself to lead from the front contemporary fashion.