 The curtains have come down on the Wills Lifestyle India Spring/Summer 2011 (WLIFW) show held in New Delhi. It kept alive the spirit of spring-summer, with its vibrant hues, easy fabrics and bold styles throughout the fall season this fashion week.
This edition’s main focus ranged from light and breezy clothes to structured and smartly tailored ones befitting the warm season as opposed to previous editions of WLIFW, where even jackets and layering made it to the ramp.
 Day 1 belonged to the newer crop of designers, who showed off their innovation and versatility with the major focus remaining on wearability and functionality of clothing. Ritu Beri used the opening day of the gala event as a fitting platform to celebrate her completing 20 years in the industry, with columnist-author Shobha De as her showstopper. While Day five of the event began with collections by six upcoming designers; Ashii by Ashima Singh, Dozak by Kartikey & Isha, Prama by Pratima Pandey, Shrea by Shreya & Nirali, Smriti and Taniya Khanuja which was followed with showcasing top leading designers of the country.
Noticeable at this year’s event were that many young designers who were stealing the thunder from all-time favorites, paving the way for India’s new crop.Showstoppers Shilpa Shetty and Chitrangada Singh sashayed the ramp as designer Tarun Tahiliani brought this fashion edition to a final finale on Day 5 with a grand show in the backdrop of a majestic white set.
Some of the top trends seen on the ramp this year were off-centre slashed cutaway backs with tie-ups for cholis, slashed pants, inside out tailoring to give a laid back casual look, crumpled and pleated fabrics for dresses, gown, skirts, whites with candy colors, variations of jackets with velvet, brocade and embroidery worn with saris, dresses, skirts, tunics and dresses, laser burn detailing for garments, sheer churidars, pajamas and .layering and tiered skirts among other styles. With over 150 stall areas sold with around 118 participating designers among which 59 designers showcased on the ramp, this event showcased the best in Indian fashion trends. JJ Valaya known for his Indian opulence designer wear displayed fusion; Rahul Mishra renowned for his western dresses displayed a fusion trend while Pallavi Mohan showcased flowy dresses. Other well-known designers such as Rahul Reddy showcased his trademark minimalism relaxed restrained styling, Anand Kabra toned down luxury concept collection displayed embellished details trend, Gaurav & Ritika displayed their big city fashion western wear while Jenjum and Jasleen showcased a functional collection for the youth. Young and quirky designer Nida Mahmood set the ramp on fire with her collection 'Machis'. With a total area of 11,633 sq. mt. spread over two floors, making it one of the largest ever venues, designers were able to showcase feminine force in its full form with skirts, dresses and every conceivable apparel in confectionary colors and pretty patterns. Each designer interpreted silhouettes for the spring in their own way which is what fashion shows are all about. |
