RFW is a great assembly of the best designers and models that India has to offer.
Which fashion weeks have caught your fancy in 2013? London? Lakhme? Pakistan? Well, how about Rajasthan?
Don’t be so surprised! Rajasthan Fashion Week (RFW) is back in its second season. A three day event held at Fairmont Jaipur, India. It has rapidly become the go to place for top fashion designers, models and of course, Bollywood celebrities.
Rajasthan fashion has always been known for its vivid colour scheme and traditional dress sense. Rajasthan attire represents the classic regalness of Indian fashion. With colour blocking and bold colours a huge trend this Spring/Summer 2013, RFW really was in its element.
On Day One, designer Vikram Phadnis kicked off RFW, although an impressive five hours late. His designs kept to the ethnic traditions of Rajasthan, and saw an amalgamation of summer and autumn looks with short bloused lehengas, kurtas with palazzo bottoms, bordered saris and velvet detailed anarkalis. Men were dressed in simple kurtas and Nehru jackets.
Some of the top designers to grace their pieces onto the catwalk included the likes of Himmat Singh who showcased Rajasthan Royalty in his rich designs. Singh is known for reviving the elegant history and decadence of classic Royal Rajasthanis.
His show, ‘Zareen Ae Siah’ saw men’s fashion transform into Indian dapper with heavily embroidered sherwani’s, jackets and long coats that were paired with silk Jodhpuri trousers. Dark sensual colours like purple, rust and bottle green truly pulled off the outfits with an air of elegant sophistication.
Speaking about Sonaakshi Raaj’s collection, ‘From Eden with Love’, actress Evelyn Sharma, who wore a grey structured sari said:
“I love her [Sonaakshi Raaj’s] collection. It’s very feminine. It’s something a young girl can wear. It’s a mix. It’s a sari but it’s got an international touch to it. Like me, half Indian, half international.”
Any fashion show wouldn’t be complete without the bridal outfits. Most of the RFW designers presented their best bridal couture designs with floor sweeping, heavily embellished lehengas, kalidars, palazzos and straight fit kurtas.
Mandira Wirk and Neeta Lulla both offered a great selection of their bridal couture. Wirk interestingly has been groomed by some of the best fashion schools in London and New Delhi. Her designs therefore reflect an extraordinary fusion between the ethnic and the modern, East and West.
Her pieces have an air of romanticism about them, and their sensual cuts make them very powerful feminine pieces. With velvet, chiffon and georgette leading her catwalk, Wirk’s designs evolved from pastel shades of beige and peach to more darker reds and warmer tones.
The Grand Finale was carried out by none other than Bollywood fashion designer Neeta Lulla. Lulla has been responsible for designing elegant outfits for almost 375 movies. She has won four President Awards for her regal designs for Lamhe, Devdas and Jodha Akbar.
She is also a very much loved stylist to the likes of Bollywood royalty including Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone.
Her bridal collection was filled with outfits for summer brides. Shades of gold and ivory along with hints of black, pink, blue, red and green offered little bursts of colour and vitality to her outfits. Beautifully Swarovski embellished fabrics and rhinestones covered her saris and lehengas, and elegant cocktail gowns and anarkalis.
By using rich silks, crepes and chiffon, Lulla was able to perfectly balance traditional Indian wear and cuts with elegant and sophisticated fabric, accessories and colours.
Her bridal outfits were notably lightweight, adding to that fresh summer look. They combined hints of Rajasthan inside Western cuts and shapes. In particular, a neon pink lehenga wowed the crowds with its beautiful structure and vibrant hue.
Bollywood beauty, Sameera Reddy joined the Grand Finale catwalk in a stunning yellow and orange anarkali that wowed the crowd.
Speaking about her summer wardrobe at the event, Sameera said: “When I went abroad, everyone seems to be in very light linens and cottons. And everything seems to be made in India. And in India, we seem to be wanting to copy what everybody else is wearing out there.”
“Our Indian cottons and the lightest and the brightest colours are what’s going to set you apart,” she added.
She wasn’t the only Bollywood guest at the show. With the emphasis on Rajasthan Royalty, Bollywood Royalty most definitely had to make an appearance somewhere.
Madhavan and Tusshar Kapoor walked the ramp for designer Krishna Dembla. Rohit Roy, Hrishita Bhatt and Shibani Kashyup were also seen in Pallavi Jaipur’s collection, ‘Kingdom of Dreams’ in monochrome ensembles.
RFW 2013 is a great assembly of the best designers and models that India has to offer. Combining rich heritage and elegance and a fusion of tradition with the modern, RFW stands out as a leader of Indian fashion.