AIFW: Rajesh Pratap Singh enthralls with black-and-white line

Known for subtle yet fashionable lines, designer Rajesh Pratap Singh on Wednesday left the audience at the Amazon India Fashion Week (AIFW) mesmerised with a black-and-white collection, which paid homage to medical practitioners who dedicate their life to the betterment of society.

"I was born into a medical family and everyone in my family stuck to that industry. I spent a lot of time in a hospital, so I know a lot and I think this needs to be celebrated in a beautiful way," Singh told IANS post his show on the opening day of AIFW.

"This is a tribute to the people... to the health workers and everything that they work through... the kind of life they have," added the usually shy designer, who is known for exploring fabric texturing through his clothes.

His collection 'The Best Medicine is Laughter' celebrated life as a true stage and its characters through clothes. The ramp was transformed into a hospital with beds spread across the runway. There were also drips hanging on the sides of the beds, bringing alive the feel of a hospital.

Models flaunted skirts, gowns, kurta dresses and various other silhouettes which were in a colour palette revolving around black and white. The fabrics majorly focussed on ikkat.

There were accessories too -- surgical masks and nerdy spectacles.

In terms of clothes, there were various cuts that one can experiment with black and white, with hints of indigo.

Dissected and reconstructed surfaces using the brand's signature hand seam detailing, were extensively used in the collection. Also, handsewn garments in leather and wool using the "suture seam" and its derivatives were utilised for the first time in garmenting.

Singh also incorporated stark surface textures and colour blocking, that were well co-ordinated with footwear.

What also grabbed the attention of fashionistas sitting in the main show area was the unique show direction, where models were sometimes behaving like nurses and sometimes as patients.

While some were seen sleeping on the bed placed on the runways, there were others who were going through fits and then recovering well.

Karsh Kale, Grain and Ankur Tewari added more power to the show as models were seen walking to their tunes. There were also dancers in the show.

All in all, it was a collection that gave the best medicine called 'laughter' to the audience.