STUDENT’s SPOTLIGHT: Blender’s Pride Fashion Tour 2013

We at Whistling Woods Neeta LullaSchool of Fashion ensure our student’s get ample hands-on experience with the eminent names of the fashion industry.

The Blender’s Pride Fashion Tour 2013, was an event to remember, with the who’s who of the fashion industry and ace designers like Gavin Miguel, Suneet Verma, Vikram Phadnis, JJ Vallaya and Neeta Lulla herself, showcasing their exclusive collection for the show. 

Gaviin Miguel opened the show with his collection of long, flowing cocktail dresses, split into three sequences, followed by Suneet Verma with his exquisite collection of anarkalis and shararas, inspired by the vintage royalty.

Our students were privileged to be a part of the glitz, glamour and grandeur by assisting the designers backstage and interview some of the designers as well. 

Some fascinating experience it sure was for the budding designers! 

Bharti, a fashion student found the 2^nd and 3^rd sequence of Gavin pretty ‘challenging’ because she thought the dresses were ‘complicated’! 

The second day of the 2 day event saw leading designers like Vikram Phadnis , Neeta Lulla and JJ Valaya.

Vikram's collection was an amalgamation of stylish jalabias, lehengas, kalidars with capes and kotis, patialas with tight fitted kurtis in blacks, ivories and cream colors.

Our very own Neeta Lulla flaunted the ramp with asymmetric cuts, cylindrical shapes and use of drapes and embellishment. Inspired from the look of 20s and 30s with muted colors, Neeta’s collection was a take away from The Great Gatsby.

JJ Valya presented his 'Maharaja of Madrid’ collection, a medley of Spanish and Indian influences. He signed off his show with actor Arjun Kapoor flaunting his designs.

Though a little challenging and fast paced, the excitement our students experienced and the exposure they received stayed beyond compare!

The West side trend:Gujarati Kediya

Fashion trend is not always about clothes, accessories and how they are worn but also a reflection of a certain culture and inspirations derived from the same. Being multicultural as India is, we see the emphasis of a particular ethnicity every fashion season.

The recently developed love affair of the fashion industry with Gujarat has led fashion designers to redefine ethnic clothing. The same gets reflected in current Indian cinema and fashion shows. Patchworks, mirror-works, handloom fabrics, bandhani (tie and dye, layered lehengas, contrast cholis and use of playful, flamboyant color schemes, are the highlights of Gujrati tradition in fashion.

Traditional Kediya

Another significant aspect of Gujrat’s influence on Indian style is the Kediya garment of the Kutch region. The short, cross-over jacket like dress, fitted high waist and then flaring out, is a silhouette and garment suited to the harsh climatic conditions of the Kutch and makes a perfect western silhouette for women’s wear and in some cases for men.

This influence of the Kediya has largely reflected in the costumes of the recent Hindi film ‘Ramleela’ by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Cinema and fashion always go hand in hand and influence each other. The current fashion season sees a lot of Kediya influence with layered and flaring fabrics and vibrant colors, which were prominent in Deepika Padukone’s exquisite lehengas with heavy ethnic embroideries with subtler bottom layers in contrast colors.

Designer Anju Modi has successfully created an ethnic visual delight to with its robust colors set against blacks, ivories and reds. The effects are exquisite with contrasting colors and fabrics, silver work printing, dabka, zari embroidery and more.

Kediya also has a significant influence on works of other ace designers like Abraham and Thakore, Anupama Dayal, Rahul Misra, Manish Arora. Abraham and Thakore’s Chanel-style kedia skirt-suits, Pia Pauro’s mirron work kaftans are examples to look forward to.

Beyond the borders, ethnic influence of Gujrat is also showcased in the global Spring/Summer 2014 shows with celebrated designers like Valentino, Dries Van Notesn, Emilo Pucci and Diesel.

The ABCs of Indian textiles- Jacquard Fabrics

Fabrics are broadly divided into Handloom (hand woven) and Jacquard (woven in power looms). While hand-loom fabrics are simply woven with clear warps and wefts, Jacquard are characterized by complex woven –in designs, with repetitive patterns all throughout and tapestry effects.

Jacquard Fabrics

Fabrics that are made in Jacquard are broadly –

Brocade- Woven with solid or multicolored silk threads, brocades are richly decorative fabrics and suitable for heavy apparel and outerwear; hence an all time favorite of designers. The addition of a supplementary weft gives the illusion of ‘embossing’ on the cloth.

Damask- Damask fabric is a reversible kind, with mostly geometric, floral, foliage, scrolls and ornamental motifs. It has a subtle sheen that is evident when light reflects on the surface and hence best suited for decor, heavy festive garments and costumes.

Brocatelle- Brocatelle is a high yarn count fabric closely similar to brocade but made in high relief. The puffed appearance of patterns make them best suitable for upholsteries, draperies and general décor.                                        

Dobby- Dobby is a patterned fabric and characterized by unique geometric patterns and extra texture on the cloth. It is often considered a tad fancy and comes is all patterns, colors, weights and textures.

Checks & Stripes- Woven in any natural fabric with blends like polyester, twill etc, checks and stripes are created with alternating warps and wefts in contrast color threads. Stripes range from tiny pinstripes to 6 inch stripes while checks can be of any sizes. These fabrics have the widest usage in garments and light upholstery.

“In modern textile designing, Jacquard fabrics are more widely used and preferred by designers. The higher yarn counts of these fabrics open it up for embellishments, ornamentation and hence more scope for design. For draping, use Jacquard if you want a sturdy fabric and handloom textiles if you want a flowing, delicate drape”, suggests Jaishikha Ratanpal, faculty of draping and costume at the Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion.

The ABCs of Indian textiles- Handloom fabrics

As trend would have it, Indian handloom textiles are sweeping the fashion scenario in the country. No matter what you design and how you do it, the basis of any garment is its fabric. And to choose your preferred fabric, you need to know and recognize them. Fabrics can either be hand woven in looms which we largely call ‘Handloom textiles’ and ’Jacquard textiles’, woven in machines or electronic looms. Handlooms textiles are the most sought after, traditional, made of natural fibers and hence valuable.

Handloom fabrics of India

Cotton- This is widely available and the most versatile fabric. Cotton one of the staple fabrics of India and is available in a variety of weaves, which makes all the difference to a basic cotton cloth. Because of its lightweight and easy adaptability, cotton fabrics are used abundantly by designers.

Silk- Naturally grown and cultivated, silk is one of the most traditional textiles and synonymous to Indian heritage. It is known for its luster, elegance and affluence attached to it. Contrary to the general notion, silk is a tough fabric of high grade and adds richness to any garment.

Linen- Known as the ‘King of Fabrics’, Linen is widely used for apparels, mostly western wear and formal clothing. Made from the fibers of ‘flax plant’, Linen is not only easy to maintain, but equally elegant in look and feel.

Wool- One of the most versatile natural textiles, wool can be woven, knitted, processed, and blended and so on, to craft garments of all sorts. They are soft yet durable, tough yet classy and is used widely in apparel and accessories.

Jute & Hemp- India is the second largest producer of Jute and one of the staple fibers of the country. Though traditionally not used for garments, strong inclination to natural fabrics have led designers to integrate jute, hemp and jute blends in garment construction and give it a contemporary feel.

Student Spotlight- In conversation with Richa Shah

Richa Shah, scholarship winner of Whistling Woods InternationalNeeta Lulla School of Fashion, shares her story on how she became a part of our fashion academia and what made her opt for this career.

What aspect of Whistling Woods - Neeta Lulla School of Fashion appealed to you the most as an institute?

Richa: The combination of Whistling Woods International, Asia’s best media and entertainment institute, vigorously growing from the past decade and Neeta Lulla, the pioneer of fashion, appealed to me the most. It’s like everything under one umbrella. The whole idea and thought of educating students by the designer herself is very inspiring. She probably is the first of all the renowned designers, to establish a school of fashion, sharing her experiences and knowledge to aspiring designers. The exposure one will get here is like no other in the industry.

What made you opt for 'Fashion Design' studies?

Richa: Because it’s fun. This is the greatest platform for expressing your creative self. It’s all about self expression, like playing with fabrics, style, patterns, colors and so on. This is the best time for innovation, as people are readily accepting new and up-coming creations. It’s just not about the wearable garments, but taking ideas and innovations to their peak. Also, on a personal level, the Scholarship opportunity at Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion worked as a boost for me to opt for fashion studies.

How do you believe this Scholarship program will help you in your career?

Richa: Creativity alone is not enough to become an aspiring designer. To be able to successfully implement ideas and practice designing, lot of trials and errors and other resources are required, that can go beyond one’s means. A scholarship program as this will definitely enable me to explore all that is required for my education and pursue my dreams.

Which stream of fashion studies interests you the most?

Richa: Learning everything is vital to be a proficient designer. But my interest lies specifically in illustration. Visualizing an idea is more intriguing than actually making it. It’s the only form of art that brings your imagination to paper, actually developing things without any limitations, experimenting with colors and other props. With ace mentors at Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion, I believe I will excel in this field.

Does ‘Corporate Wear with Indian Influence’, in your opinion, match the standard of 'Global Formal Wear'? If so, how?

Richa: Yes, it surely does, if applied in the right manner. The concept of ‘corporate dressing’ for Indians is a very western and formal concept. So a touch of 'Indianness' such as embroidery, traditional art etc would add spice and variety to it, without disturbing the basic nature of the garment.

What color swatches have you used and why?

Richa: Swatches for my creation are mostly in earthy and pastel tones to keep the elegance of designs alive. I majorly used only three tints and shades of blue, black and white and few tones of brown to it. The materials used were linen, jute, khadi etc. to add to bring an Indian influence to the designs.

The Essence of Illustration with Belinda Bawa

Belinda Bawa, designer, artiste, fashion researcher and currently a mentor of illustration at the Whistling Woods International Neeta Lull School of Fashion talks about significance of ‘Illustration’ in a designers’ life. With a versatile background and undying passion for innovation and creativity, Belinda Bawa ‘illustrates’ her knowledge and experience as an ‘illustrator’!

Where did you start and how did you get into ‘Fashion Illustration’?

Belinda: It all started with the design project of the film Devdas. Neeta was working on the costumes for the film and asked me to come up with dramatic and elaborate sari designs. I joined hands and that made all the difference for me.

Why is it essential to understand and learn illustration? How is it practically beneficial?

Belinda: You can’t express an idea without drawing it out. Even a basic designer needs to be able to illustrate the design to successfully communicate the concept to the tailor. Because unless you can portray your ideas properly, you cannot get clothes made properly.

How has the rise of digital media influenced fashion illustration?

Belinda: It definitely makes my life easier. It saves a lot of time and helps me with like erasing, color options, touch ups and other developmental work. However, the core of design for me would be paper and pencil and I don’t supplement it with digital media.

Illustration by Belinda Bawa

What scope does a fashion illustrator have?

Belinda: The scope for an illustrator is still limited in India but is growing no doubt. Fashion weeks nowadays demand good illustration and not just good clothes. Designers, film makers look for dramatic representation of a concept, which only an illustrator can do.

Is fashion education essential for ‘illustration’? If so, why?

Belinda: Yes, education is very important. You cannot draw what you don’t know. There are terminologies and concepts one needs to learn before transferring the thought to paper.

Illustration: Belinda

How would you define your style?

Belinda: My style is more fluid. My characters are mostly bold, with fluidity in movement and poses. I usually tend to mix traditional Indian styles with graphic, classic and dramatic.

1920s Illustration by Erte

What and who inspires your illustrations?

Belinda: Beauty- the Beauty of clothes, beauty of women and the beauty of the human anatomy. Works of Erte, Thierry Perez and Reuben Toledo are very inspiring. They are like Gods of illustration.

3 things you would suggest aspiring students to keep in mind while illustrating?

Belinda: Look, look and keep looking. Because your eyes always fool you. So observe everything around you and draw. Draw what you see, draw what you feel and draw whatever comes to your mind.

What scope or industry opportunity does fashion education from WWINLSF open up for aspirants?

Belinda: The students at our institute get to work in proximity to designers and film makers, which eventually will be their future clients. So they are already prepared with a platform to start their career.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT- Exploring ancient Egypt & India

The students at Whistling WoodsInternational-Neeta Lulla School of Fashion always go back in time to learn something new from the old. In an assignment last week, our freshman students explored ancient Egyptian and Indian clothing.

Egyptian civilization has always been looked upon as a benchmark of art, culture and style. The discovery of cotton and expensive fabrics like Linen, were a breakthrough by the Egyptians in the world of clothing and fashion, which still remains with us today.

Ancient Egyptian clothing was about richness of the fabric and ornamentation, yet simple in   construction and draping.

The men wore a wrap-round skirt that was tied at the waist with a belt. Sometimes the cloth was also wrapped around the legs. The length of the skirt varied depending on the period- short in the time of the Old Kingdom while in the Middle Kingdom they were calf length. In the New Kingdom period, pleated garments became fashionable.

Egyptian women wore full length straight dresses with one or two shoulder straps. The affluent class wore finer fabrics with embellishments. Jewelry and headdresses were a must for both men and women alike. The women wore dresses made from fine, translucent linen.

In another assignment, the students created ancient Indian costumes out of flowers and leaves. The challenge was that they had to source materials from whatever was available around the campus.

Ancient Indian men used to wrap a garment piece made of leaves around their wait and women would wear a skirt similarly made. They also used natural materials like fibers of the flax plant, reeds, etc to weave garments. Keeping this in mind, the students had to procure materials for constructing the costumes. 

Our students surely had a blast, working with materials sourced from the natural surroundings of the campus and recreating prehistoric clothing.