Wednesday 24 September 2014

A Fashion Genius: Ritu Kumar




Fashion designing as a career has bloomed in the recent years and the credit for this goes to the innovative designers, who has laid down a strong foundation and continue to contribute to the growth of the fashion industry. One such name is Ritu Kumar, now, there is no need for any elaborate introduction her name says it all. Anyone with a slighr inclination towards the fashion industry know Ritu Kumar. But yet, here we are, tracing Ritu Kumar’s journey of more than two decades of not only belonging, but also being one of the major contributors and builder of the fashion industry in India.



Besides being one of the leading fashion designer Ritu Kumar, with the brand name ‘Ritu’ introduced the concept of ‘boutique' culture in India. She is recognized for her unique style in which she has artfully blended the ancient traditions of Indian craftsmanship with contemporary sensitivity. Using her background in art history and museology, she has enriched her creations. Ritu created a new class of fashion because of her understanding of ancient designs and how to mould this art form in a way that would appeal the modern times.



A native of Delhi, Ritu Kumar was born on 11th November, 1944 in Amritsar, Punjab. In 1964, she graduated from Lady Irwin College and completed her higher education in 1966, from Briarcliff College, New York. Ritu did not start with a bang but modestly in a small village near Kolkata, with a set of hand blocks printers and two tables. The determined designer, from a little village in Kolkata, she took her business to  such heights that today she has more than 35 stores across the country.  

In 1999, Ritu published a book called “Costumes and Textiles of Royal India” in which she chronicled the history of textiles and art design in India. Two years later, in 2002, Ritu launched her label called ‘Ritu’ and hence started the ‘boutique’ system in India. Her label pushed away the norms and made the traditional Indian aesthetic adaptable not only to the new Indian generation, but her work was also appreciated in the international market. Though the label is created for the new generation, it has an uniqueness to them and a sense of sophistication that screams heritage and elegance.



Over the years, Ritu Kumar has developed quite a fan following and of course patrons. Among the list of patrons of Ritu Kumar are, Aishwarya Rai, Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, Dia Mirza and a whole lot of other popular names make this list. Ritu’s talent is not limited by boundaries and is patronized by international names like Princess Diana, Mischa Barton and Anoushka Shankar. 



Ritu Kumar has done thousands of Fashion Week, every time making something new walk on the ramp. Her aesthetic style and the knowledge and use of Indian textile has created a one of a kind signature look for Ritu that is next to impossible to replicate.



Lastly, Ritu has been on the receiving end of numerous awards, such as the ‘Indria Gandhi Priyadarshini Award’, the French have awarded her ‘Chevalier des arts et des lettres’ ’ and most recently in 2013, she became the recipient of the ‘Padma Shri Award’ for her exceptional and distinguished service in the field of fashion, textile and craftsmanship.



Friday 19 September 2014

A Small Talk on Luxury Brands

  “Luxury is the necessity that begins where necessity ends”- Coco Channel     

Donning an Armani suit or a Gucci dress while carrying a Louis Vuitton and riding in a Mercedes-Benz, now that would be life! Living a luxurious life is everyone’s ultimate goal in life, a concept that has turned into a full-fledged market today. Luxury brands, a part of the huge business market, yet apart from anything existing. According to traditional definition luxury is a state of great comfort or elegance, especially when involving great expense or an inessential, desirable item which is expensive or difficult to obtain, or more simply put a pleasure obtained rarely. Now there is a whole a market for Luxury Brands making that rare pleasure slightly more obtainable, of course it is for the elite, but then again each one of us is striving to get there, creating a huge demand for Luxury Brands.



The Luxury market is an all encompassing industry which includes fashion, accessories, automobiles and much, much more. In the economic sense luxury goods or luxury brands are something for which as demand increases as income does. Luxury Brands on the other hand is regarded as images on the minds of consumers who associate that image or brand with fine quality, something rare, extraordinary, exquisite and pricey. Luxury Brands have gained memento over the years, and have emerged in every branch of industry, from fashion to automobile to travel every business of Luxury Brands attached to them.




Abhay Gupta, Founder and CEO, Luxury Content and also the recipient of Luxury Retail Icon, 2012 was at Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion sharing some useful insight on Luxury Brands. According him to quality and knowledge are the keys to evolve as a professional in the luxury market segment. 



A Luxury Brands are looking for different skill sets in a resource and the learners should be knowledgeable equipped. Expanding your thinking and knowledge across different segment of business will help you evolve as a professional in the Luxury Market. The Hybrid Luxury Market is evolving enormously and creating enviable employment opportunities for equipped professionals. Moreover, Luxury Market and Brands are immune to recession and the industry grows at an average of 20% every year.



Abhay Gupta is also the first one to establish India’s firsts Luxury Boutique Business School. Luxury Brands in India still have to gain more strength and root themselves into stronger grounds. In India consumers still tend to prefer international brands, but the vast and elusive industry has been in an ever changing mode.          


Tuesday 9 September 2014

The Ancient Art of Weaving

As technology advanced new ideas and techniques have shaped the fashion industry. But these advancements would not have been possible without the basic foundation. Weaving is one the oldest form of art and one of the foundations on which fashion has survived. Ancient method of fabric production, weaving involves two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The two set threads, one of which is placed longitudinally that is called the warp and the other is placed laterally, are called weft or filling (in old English weft or woof means ‘that which is woven’. The characteristics of the cloth depends on the method that are used to inter woven the threads. 



Traces of weaving have gone as far as the Paleolithic era. It is believed that weaving has been widespread since Biblical times. Weaving as an art spread all along the world. Both horizontal and vertical looms are found all over Asia, Africa and Europe. Flax was present in the Egyptian culture for a long time. Looms early required two people, one person to pass through the filling. Initially looms were a fixed length of cloth, but later looms extended and as medieval period came in, weaving became an important craft.





One of the inventions of the industrial revolution was the power loom that changed the scenario. The Jacquard loom that was developed during the early 1800s, in particular proved beneficial, this loom allowed complicated patterns to be woven using punch cards to determine which threads of colored yarn should appear in the upper side of the cloth. Though nowadays most of the weaving is done mechanically, there are some artisans that have kept the age old tradition of handloom alive.



The art of weaving has undergone a lot of experimentation and created diverse weaving types. Here are some that are most known and practiced.


Plain 



Also known as the taffeta or homespun, Plain weave is suppose to be the most difficult of the weaves to drape. In this, the weft creates right angles alternately with every warp.


Twill



In this one or more warp fibersweave alternately weaves over and under two or more weft fibers in a regular fashion. Denim is a good example for this kind of weave.


Satin 



The most popular one, Satin weave is rather expensive because of its glimmer. Similar to twill, Satin produces fewer intersections of warp and weft.  

Basket 



Sharing characteristic from the plain weave, except that two or more warp passes through two or more wefts. 


Besides these rib weave, dobby, leno, oxford are some other that are created depending on the fabric. As an ancient art form, weaving is an extremely important, especially for someone pursuing a career in the fashion world. For this purpose, Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion has included the fundamentals of Weaving in its curriculum.     
 

 



Tuesday 2 September 2014

Glamour Continues- Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive, 2014

Still high on all the style from of the Lamke Fashion Week Winter/Festive, 2014 here is another dose for the fashion fanatics!



River Island, presented by Jabong showcased an amazing mix of contemporary style perfectly blend with modernity and sophistication catching the audience’s attention.



Reliance Jewels on the other hand presented Anju Modi’s collection ‘Manikarnika’ which had a sense of nostalgia with its deep earthy tones. 


Designer duo Shantanu and Nikhil tied-up with Himalayan to showcase a stunning collection. The collection titled ‘Live Natural Couture’ was an ode to nature and the awe inspiring Himalayas. Chiffon, Georgette and Organza were used to highlight Himalaya’s philosophy of natural goodness. The collection is a fascinating tale of Himalayan pure water and the tranquil beauty and charming colors inspired by the Himalayan range.

Manipulating beautifully the craft of handlooms and Indian textiles, Anuj Sharma weaved a delicate and captivating collection. Papa Don’t Preach, Ikai and Quirk Box on the hand brought out the quirky side of fashion in their vibrant and refreshing collection. International designers were also not far behind; Easton Pearson the talented Australian designer added the charm with ‘BeBop’.



Using traditions as the palette, Vikram Phandnis showcased a plethora of hues in his collection named ‘Nakkashi’. Drawing inspiration from Indian heritage, the collection lavishly used gold zardosi and gota. Alluring with dark maroons, nude and ever-favorite gold the collection was covered with elegantly embellished outfits. Dia Mirza and Bipasha Baus donned these outfits enhancing its beauty.



Returning after a decade to LFW, Varun Bahl unveiled his Diffusion collection which was presented by Reliance Trends. Varun’s collection coveted women globally through its understated elegance, splendid choice of fabric and simply gorgeous. Showcasing western silhouette, the entire collection was spattered with elegant embroidery along. Silk, sheer tulle, luxurious crepe, duchesse-satin and cotton made up the lovely collection. The color pallet ranged from black and gold to ivory and to pale pink creating a stunning blend.  Zipper played a major role in the collection, appearing on the sleeves of jackets etc. Priyanka Chopra walked the ramp looking ultra-glamorous and yet classic in a sleek black pant suit, quilted cropped peplum jacket and silver shell.



The fabulous event ended on an even more fabulous note with India’s ace designer Manish Malhotra. The talented designer is known for his bridal collections, but with ‘The Gloss Look’ Manish has taken his bridal trousseau to a whole new level. Blending the age old traditions with the contemporary sensibilities this collection had left everyone spellbound. Using rich fabrics and deep colors the designer redefined the bridal fashion. Varun Dhawan and Kareena Kapoor graced the ramp donning the best of Manish Malhotra.  

Nupur kanoi, Payal Singhal, Arpita Mehat, Ridhi Mehra, Priyadarshini Rao and much, much more made Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive, 2014 an unforgettable event!