Sanjay Garg gives AIFW a 'traditional' opening

Raw Mango's Sanjay Garg proudly showcased his love for Indian handicrafts and celebrated the 'mashru' textile as he inaugurated the Amazon India Fashion Week (AIFW) Spring-Summer 2016, which also marked his debut in the Capital's runway scene.
For his big day, actresses Deepti Naval, Konkona Sensharma and Soha Ali Khan, all self-confessed fans of the designer, took seats in the front row to boost his morale and cheer Garg, who presented a very lively and colourful line.
"It is nice to have them come here and support me. It means a lot," Garg said of his muses for the evening.

"Talvar" star Konkona, who has donned Garg's sarees on several occasions, said she is proud to see the designer showcase his collection today.
"It is a great feeling to see him do what he did today. I have been wearing his creations for a long time now. I absolutely love his designs. It is very India, rooted, comfortable yet so stylish," she said.
Not a regular at fashion events, Naval said it was only for Garg that she decided to make an exception.

"I don't attend fashion shows but I admire Garg's work. I have spent a lot of time at his Mahipalpur house seeing and learning about textiles and handloom. I had to be here today," said the veteran actress.

Talking about his latest line, Mubarikpur-born Garg said he decided to do away with curve lines and keep the silhouettes clean, simple and fuss free, using straight and angled cuts.
"The idea was that I didn't want to use any curvy silhouette. That is why I kept it all straight. I didn't tamper it. All 45 garments were designed around it. I used a little hand embroidery. Not much, may be just five per cent of the collection, so rest is woven. This whole collection has been made in Banaras.
"The border is 'mashru' but it is not cut and attached. There was nothing like 'mashru' saree. So I gave birth to a whole new technique," said Garg, who has been credited for making handloom sarees fashionable.

The highlight of the show was the live performance by Delhi-based group D Club, who came up with innovative music without the use of any instruments and just sounds from their mouth.
"I wanted music for humankind, which is free of boundaries. I wanted a music that would connect with the people. It would help one feel connected to it," said the designer, who debuted his eponymous ready-to-wear label at the Lakme Fashion Week 2014 in Mumbai.
For the show, Garg ditched the usual long ramp and opted for a rectangular runway giving an all encompassing view to the audiences.

Flower decor hung from the ceiling of the stage area at NSIC grounds, which is the new venue for the fashion event.
The colours were not the typical spring summer hues with generous use of blacks, blues, and other dark shades of the colour wheel. Some tinges of pinks, lilacs and blush kept the collection light and breezy.
While the show got off to a slow start, the tempo picked up gradually thanks to the innovative musical arrangement, but there were hardly any wow moment during the presentation.