Kolkata Fashion Week, 2009

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Zubair Kirmani showcases Spring-Summer collection at KFW-II

Kolkata, 9 September : Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Ayaan and Amaan walked the ramp in attires designed by Zubair Kirmani on Day 1 of the Kolkata Fashion Week-II.

Kirmani showcased his Spring-Summer collection. It was a range of western outfits mostly made with natural fabrics like khadi, chanderi, linen, silk and satin, he told reporters after the show.
Asked about his inspiration for the collections, he said: “Fabrics are my inspirations. Fabric is like a blank paper to me.” Kirmani said he emphasises more on the cuts and fabrics of the outfits.
Apart from the trendy western outfits in light shades like white, grey and pink he showcased men’s western as well as traditional wear like sherwanis.
Amjad Ali Khan told reporters after walking the ramp: “This is my first fashion show. I am very happy that I am wearing traditional clothes. This is what I wear usually – sherwani, kurta, pyjama and the credit goes to the designer.”
Kirmani said: “Eighty to 90 percent of my work is done with natural fabrics.” Asked if he intends to tie up with any departmental store in Kolkata for sale, Kirmani said: “We are thinking of tying up. We need to grow.”
Kirmani plans to launch home furnishing and accessories lines soon. He said samples are ready and they are waiting for the right time to be launched. Photos : Reuters

KFW-II kicks off with Ritu Kumar’s collection

Kolkata, 9 September : The Kolkata Fashion Week-II kicked off in style Wednesdaywith Brazilian model-turned-actress Gisele Monteiro the star attraction as she showcased famed designer Ritu Kumar’s ensemble of Indian and western attire made by the craftsmen of West Bengal.

Eighteen models sashayed down the ramp displaying the attire of the 65-year-old grand dame of Indian fashion, who had started off her work with four hand-block printers and two tables in a small village near Kolkata four decades ago.
Monteiro of “Love Aajkal” fame - enhanced the oomph factor to bring the curtain down on the inaugural show of the five-day event, which is without any title sponsor after Emami pulled out Tuesday on contractual issues.
“Today’s collection was a tribute to the craftsmen in Bengal,” Ritu Kumar later told reporters.
She praised the craftsmen of Bengal and its hinterland saying: “You have great hand weaving in Phulia, embroideries of Uluberia and painting of Sreerampore.”
Kumar remembered when she started her career, none of these people in the hinterland of Kolkata were interested in nurturing their talents. They all wanted to become truck drivers or peons.
Her collection started with traditional lehengas, salwar kurtas and sarees with light, muted colours like cream with heavy golden embroidery work and moved on to darker shades like black, green, purple, magenta before ending with the muted orange lehenga of Monteiro.
Kumar said it is the responsibility of the designers to make sure that the works of these craftsmen do not die out. “It is our duty to bring out the best of the talents from these craftsmen into the ramp,” she added.
With the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation declaring 2009 as “The International Year of Natural Fibre,” KFW-11 has “Earth Couture” as the theme celebrating India’s ethnic roots.
“As far as silhouettes are concerned, I started with the Mughal period, moved through Indian history, where we showed the sarees and the unstitched garments. In between, we showed modern India with jackets with paintings,” the Delhi-based Kumar said. One of the paintings was by city-based Jayshree Burman.
Kumar added: “Our craft is very multi-dimensional where you can actually customize every generation and for everybody and that was the whole essence of it.” The show ended with the bridal collection.
Talking about recession and its effect on the industry, she said: “It’s a cyclic phenomenon that will keep happening but craftsmen will continue with their work.” န Photos : AFP

Emami pulls out of Kolkata Fashion Week

Kolkata : The Kolkata Fashion Week-II, beginning Wednesday, received ajolt Tuesday with title sponsor Emami pulling out over contractualissues.
“There were some contractual things, which they wanted us to do but wecould not agree,” event promoters Mindscapes Maestros managingdirector Yudhajit Dutta told Bengal Newz.
“So Emami said they will not be there in this edition of KFW,” he said. Dutta said they were not scouting for some other title sponsors. “We will go ahead without any title sponsors this time.”
The KFW-II has Earth Couture as the theme celebrating India’s ethnicroots, in view of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisationdeclaring 2009 as “The International Year of Natural Fibre”.
Star cricketer Virender Sehwag, sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and film actresses Rituparna Sengupata and Sameera Reddy would be amongthe showstoppers at the five-day event concluding 13 September.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

။ FASHION HIGH ON SUNDAY

Bibi Russell's rustic simplicity, Shan and Falguni's sinful creations, Sharbari Dutta's ethnic collection and Wendell Roderick's classic cuts - high fashion frenzy took the Kolkata by storm on Sunday of Kolkata Fashion Week.