October 14, 2016 Asmita Aggarwal

Storm Chasers

Anavila keeps it meditative, as her line skilfully synthesises the sari with the ‘Now’ generation; Shruti Sancheti pays homage to white and the gritty trio from Gujarat of Virtues provide the ideal antidote to fast fashion as they ‘go green’!

By Asmita Aggarwal

If there is one thing Anavila certainly deserves credit for is to be able to succinctly include the forgotten, old sari into the wardrobes of young women, who find it hard to abandon their love for swift fashion in the digital age where Smartphones have replaced the handy notebooks most hacks would always carry.

So when bloggers like Rasna Bhasin embrace the sari, it seems like a victory of sorts.  What was also interesting to watch is how the traditional blouse has now been replaced by the cool and easy top and the sari length has been altered to make it a bit more…well, practical. Mumbai-based lover of looms, Anavila unleashed an army in white, teamed up with our beloved Kolhapuris and she infused functional pockets in the petticoats, as the raw, unfinished edges gave the collection an organic splendour.

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This time she also introduced dhoti pants, and even though everything was hand woven sans any embellishment or embroidery, she didn’t digress from her colour palette of beiges, creams and greys with just a smattering of browns. The nude faces and mermaid braids was in keeping with the ode to simplicity.

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Austerity seemed to be the buzzword on Day 2 of the AIFW SS’17, as Nagpur’s Shruti Sancheti displayed her admiration for tone-on-tone as her palazzos met neat pleats with a focus on exaggerated pockets. Hand woven caramel tunics, printed floral skirts in ecru along with appliqué and jumpsuits were worn with sportswear inspired jackets. It was heartening to see Athleisure executed with such dexterity in woven yarns.

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The world of glamour only recognises the ones who ferociously chase success, but there are some quiet warriors who don’t drift from their chosen path and continue to do consistent work despite limited social networking aspiration. The trio from Gujarat are a case in point, whether it is Kalamkari, Ajrak or this time aal dyeing from Kotpad Odisha, Ashish, Viral and Vikrant have understood sustainability like no one else. Hollywood dreamboat Leonardo DiCaprio had said while accepting an Oscar for The Revenant, “Climate Change is real. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species, and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating.”

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This sentiment was echoed in the natural dyes, nature-inspired motifs, the stiff reds come from the root barks and the ones who have kept this alive are the Panika family from Odisha. The layered dresses, ikats and slit skirts came alive as checks merged with full skirts and the ubiquitous Kedia made a fleeting appearance teamed with a sari, as songstress Sona Mohapatra’s booming voice kept up the momentum.

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