March 27, 2015 Asmita Aggarwal

Dendritic Diversions

Malini Ramani courts sensuality, while Rina Dhaka introduces structured grids; Pallavi Mohan makes a play for agile wraps and Rohit and Rahul can’t get enough of whistling monochromes

By Asmita Aggarwal

Wedges and kaftans have been two constants in Malini Ramani’s eventful journey through the wilderness of fashion as she stuck to what she knows best—tribal touches, sexuality and accentuating those gym-toned, washboard abs.

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The Aut-winter 2015 line was resort-y in its feel with peek-a-boo sides, cut out gowns, jersey dhoti pants in deep greys; what was pleasing was the pre-stitched sari worn with a minuscule mirror work bustier and of course, her signature bottle green, floor kissing, wrap dress. The jersey palazzos courted comfort while the high-waist Charlie’s Angels style denim with embroidered patches spelt cool, teamed up with a tasselled waistcoat. The capes which came attached to dhoti pants gave the antique blues a spin and the nose rings, chunky necklaces and maang-tikkas completed the warrior part of the Ramani princess.

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Fabric manipulation seems to be de rigueur, as Rina Dhaka’s sheer dresses saw delicate flower blossoms; her muddy knee-length skirts with cutwork edges and dropped waists were a revival of asymmetry. Pleats, side slits and fitted bodices, three signatures of the RD brand also saw graphic, geometric prints on floaty silhouettes. “The idea was to play on the spider web and create textures resembling that with pops of 3D effects,” says Rina.

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Rohit Gandhi and Rahul are masters of construction, maybe that’s why their monochromatic ode to sheer with the sylph-like Archana Akhil carrying forward this linear thought in a sheer body hugging dress touched the right spot. As Rahul explains, “Digital printing and metallics is our mainstay and we wanted to create fur textures as well as some inspired by the animal kingdom.”

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The snake patterned, sequinned, high slit gown that Carol wore was in harmony with this theme and so was the winning combo of sheer with structure as the pant suits with slit sleeves exuded wearability. High- low is still going strong and it was revved up by the duo with perilously low necklines strategically placed on shirts, while haath-phoolremained the only austere accessory.

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Pallavi Mohan’s Not So Serious was a step forward in the right direction, as her autumn offerings displayed her ingenious work on both the silhouette and construction with her wide-legged pants being the show-stopper along with draped black skirts worn with woolly coats and natty zipper details. The double shaded pleated skirts were cute and so was the thoughtful shimmer restricted to the sleeves, as the agile wraps with the 70s fringes and cutwork, accessorised with emerald green leather gloves showed Pallavi had come a long way.

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