A group of seven fashion designing students from Madurai have made the city proud by showcaseding their women’s wear collection at Vibes 360 Degrees , a fashion show that happened in Chennai last week.
Last Saturday seven girls from Madurai made a mark with their prêt line at a national level fashion show held in Chennai. The eighth edition of Vibes 360 Degrees showcased over 500 ensembles designed by 100 fashion students from all over the country. Among them were 36 designer dresses from Madurai that stormed the ramp.
Every set of garments was theme-based and the girls also created the ramp-music and mood-story.
“It was heartening to see students from smaller towns taking part in the event. The collection from Madurai was received with much applause,” beams Thangarajeshwari, Head of Madurai Centre, Dream Zone School of Creative Studies. The girls completed their Master Diploma course in fashion designing here and were part of the annual design contest of Dream Zone (CADD Centre).
Flower-power
Theme: Dominance
Inspiration: The shapes and colours of flowers
Collection: With frills, tucks, pleats and emphasis work, the six party gowns under ‘Dominance’ are simple bold and beautiful. A riot of floral motifs, circular ruffles and shapes inspired from the petals and sepals of flowers is noticeable in every ensemble and it’s that typical girly short gown that a woman would prefer for parties.
Colour palette: Bright shades of blue, orange, red and pink with a minimal tinge of black
Fabrics: All the six garments have bits of lycra with velvet for that glossy touch and a major portion of chiffon and tissue to complement compliment the party appearance.
Designer’s take: “I am a party lover basically and that’s where my idea came from. I have kept the length of all the dresses short so that they can be worn in place of hot pants and are perfect for party dancing,” says Reena. “It took me two months to complete the entire collection. Fabrics were sourced from Chennai and Bangalore.” “I want to open a boutique and launch a label,” she adds.
Ethnic chic
Theme: Contrast
Inspiration: The sepia-toned rural landscape and colourful people of Rajasthan
Collection: How about a Cocktail dress with Rajasthani kamarbandh and tukdi work? That’s what the line is about – contemporary and yet traditional – toeing the theme ‘Contrast’. Every garment under the collection has some Rajasthani touch. Belts resembling Kamarbandhs and waist coats designed like cholis make the entire set quirky.
Colour palette: Sky-tones, hues of nature and earth-tones – blue, green, ochre and red
Fabrics: Nets, crochet, lycra, velvet and everything flashy and shiny form the body of all the dresses while hints of cotton patch work and silver piping give the Rajasthani feel.
Designer’s take: Deshna and Gitanjali say they share a common sensibility and taste and they want to launch a label in Madurai. “I believe in innovation,” says Deshna, showing a short skirt made of handmade paper and a crochet waistcoat. “Fashion doesn’t just mean expensive clothes. I want to make fashion that’s affordable.” Gitanjali says, “We both think a bit ‘Hatke’ and we have tried to incorporate some funky element in all our garments.
Shade-play
Theme: Colour gradation
Inspiration: The shades of sky and the hues of rainbow
Collection: Here’s an exclusive set of garments meant for just shopping! Pockets, pouches and buttons and zips would help you keep cash, cards, that lip-gloss, and eye-liner and everything that you may need while shopping. Every garment is a one-piece monochrome with movement designs done in light and dark shades of the same colour.
Colour palette: Baby pink, sky blue, pista green and rainbow colours
Fabrics: Every ensemble is made of Satin, sateen, rexin and velvet. The aim is to add sheen to your shopping. Bows, buttons and Velcro is also used in many places.
Designer’s take: “I have added a utility value to all my garments apart from the aesthetics and look aspect of it. Women’s dresses hardly have pockets and pouches and this was purely an experiment,” says Priyanka Hiran. “Shopping need not be always done with a bag. Small and impulsive shopping is what my dresses are meant for.” She adds, “I aim to become an ace women’s wear designer someday.”
Zig-zag zing
Theme: Asymmetry
Inspiration: Geometrical polygons and innovative shapes
Collection: Layers, tucks, darts and frills are the highlights of ‘Asymmetry’. It’s a peppy set of clothes with one-shoulder, zig-zag patterns and an unbalanced usage of colour. Some are printed, dotted and striped while others are plain with patchwork, stone work and other surface embellishments.
Colour palette: Peach, green, blue, yellow, red and white
Fabrics: Layers of crush, frills of net, straps of velvet and glazed synthetic cotton blend are used
Designer’s take: “I care about innovation than practicality. My collection is only meant for ramp shows. They cannot be worn everyday or even for occasions, though trendsetters can do so,” asserts Pooja. “I want to become a celebrity stylist so that I can design garment for Bollywood stars. And that’s why all my clothes are funky and high-funda.”
Glassy-glossy
Theme: Transparent
Inspiration: The delicate shapes and feel of wine glasses
Collection: Simple, elegant and transparent is the mantra of this women’s party wear collection. From bustline to waistline, every garment has a see through material so that you can flaunt off your assets! Balloon skirts, puffed sleeves and skin-hugging tops make the clothes standout. Solid plain blocks of colours with no prints and patterns complimented with a little skin-show add that dramatic effect!
Colour palette: Red, black, white, gold, pink and yellow
Fabrics: Gauze, net and rustle tissue form the see-through parts while shimmering raw silk, crush chiffon and crepe dominate the body of all dresses.
Designer’s take: “Transparent portions in a dress give visual relief to the eye. Moreover, it’s a subtle way of adding glamour,” says Payal. “I have designed the clothes keeping in mind a high profile party-going fun-loving girl. My future plan is to open a designer store in big cities.”
Texture-mixture
Theme: Crush
Inspiration: Textures of nature – parched earth, leaf veins, water ripples and tree barks
Collection: One unique aspect of the ‘Crush’ collection is the usage of fabric textures. Earthy colours and free-flowing silhouettes make the ensembles long, layered and elaborate, but they are all wrap-around types that can be effortlessly fastened with a lace, belt or buckle. The longish gowns are versatile and can be worn for office and parties!
Colour palette: Brown, turquoise, golden yellow, green and blue
Fabrics: Ribbons, bows, tassels and frills are seen in crepe and crushed organza while the base is made of cotton, muslin and raw silk.
Designer’s take: “I have worked on the easy-to-wear (wrap) concept. My collection can be draped and gives a desi Indian feel when worn,” says Neha Jain. “I have also used Indian elements like the glass bangles and thread-ball-pompoms. In times when people are crazy about western outfits, I thought this would be a head-turner.”
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