Designers make contemporary, edgy statements at AIFW

The runway of ongoing autumn-winter edition of Amazon India Fashion Week (AIFW) here was transformed into a land of dreams and a canvas with designers Sonam Dubal and Poonam Bhagat taking stage to present their collections. While Dubal became the dream merchant, Bhagat picked up scissors to reinterpret the art of Pablo Picasso's Constellation.

The runway acted as a canvas, giving a platform to the designers to reflect their myriad ideas. And this was evident with their shows, which were scheduled back-to-back on the fourth day of the fashion gala at the Pragati Maidan here on Saturday.

Titled 'Dream Sequins', Dubal's collection has been woven around dreams and illusions. It trudges on a thin line of consciousness and the subconscious state of mind.

"The collection is about dreams, and state of consciousness and unconsciousness. I have given a very contemporary look by using some traditional elements," Dubal said post his show.

Bhagat's creation 'Night Sky' under her brand Taika is a representation of sky, inspired by Picasso's art to create his constellation, in which ink dots form abstract objects.

"We have tried to reinterpret Picasso's constellation line drawings. It is an interesting piece of art as the lines turn into objects like guitars and mandolins," Bhagat told reporters.

There were prints, embroideries and applique adding a contemporary yet edgy style statement to the ramp. Dubal brought forward embroidered coats, hand-painted kaftans, wrap dresses, cape and georgette sequined dresses, whereas Bhagat expressed her thoughts with dresses, skirts and gowns.

A wave of vibrant colours was evident in Dubal's collection in shades of fuchsia pink, purple, burgundy, red, white, indigo and mauve. Bhagat stuck to the palette of night sky with cobalt, ivory and black with a pop of orange twist mimicking the setting sky.

The collections differed in terms of style and concept behind it, but there was one common thread in them. Both ranges have used traditional textiles.

While Dubal has worked with fabrics silk, khadi and chanderi along with velvet and georgettes, Bhagat opted for linen and matka silk.

Accessories had an important role in completing the look for the designers. Traditional belts and 'kamarbandhs' added a rustic Indian touch to Dubal's creation; and head gears in a linear pattern gave Bhagat's collection an edge.

The fourth day of the fashion gala also saw shows by designer like Pratima Pandey, Sahil Kochhar, Pia Pauro and Gaurav Gupta. A Bollywood touch was added with actress Sonal Chauhan walking the ramp for Nikhita.