'Gamcha' gets a chic twist at WIFW

The traditional 'gamcha' (cotton stole), popularly sported by locals in states like Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, got a fashionable twist on day three of the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) spring-summer 2015 here Friday.

Designer Poonam Dubey took inspiration from states like Assam for her spring-summer collection, which used red and white coloured 'gamcha' cloth in creative ways.

Often used as a cloth to honour guests in Assam, 'gamcha' was sewn as embroidery at bottom of skirts and on dupatta pallu by the designer. It was also worn over a jumpsuit with a belt on top of it.

"I want gamchas to be in fashion. People should be able to make a style statement by wearing it. The collection was to make people aware of it," Bihar-based Dubey told IANS here.

The designer, who wants to promote craftsmen of India, chose Goddess Durga as the theme of her new range for which she used khadi and chanderi in abundance.

Chhaya Mehrotra is another designer who is trying to popularise 'gamcha'.

"I belong to Banaras and I wanted to present elements related to it through my collection. Gamcha is an iconic piece of cloth there. Be it rickshaw drivers or traders, they all sport it," Mehrotra told IANS.

"It can be worn in metropolitan cities too. They can tie on head to make a style statement or wear as a muffler," she added.

It surely went well with her collection that was inspired by characters on streets of Banaras. Some of the male models dressed in shirts with block printing flaunted 'gamcha' well.