With Style Du Jour, held in Mumbai last December by Bacardi India for the launch of Grey Goose, their French vodka in India, Chandigarh-based fashion designer Shweta Uttam turned a ‘trend forecaster’.
Explaining the chic new terminology, Shweta says, “This concept of trend forecasting is quite alien to the Indian market. Fashion/trend forecasting is basically a research-based prediction made by a designer after understanding the latest happenings in the society. The forecaster then analyses trends that will stay in fashion for six months to one year.” For the venture, Grey Goose had liaised with the top three fashion publications in India — Elle, Harper’s Bazaar and L’official, and Shweta made five trends predictions for spring/summer 2013.
A graduate from NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology), New Delhi, Shweta has designed mens and womens wear for fashion bigwigs including Armani Exchange, Calvin Klein Jeans, DKNY, American Eagle Outfitters, Polo Ralph Lauren, Macy’s, Next and JCPenney, while being based in New York.
Shweta returned to India for good in June 2010 and served as the design and concept head of design houses such as Triburg and House of Pearl in New Delhi. A year later, she started Shoolin Designs in Chandigarh. “It is a design consultancy that provides design, style, trend and fashion forecasting to the lifestyle and fashion industry,” she explains.
{{/usCountry}}Shweta returned to India for good in June 2010 and served as the design and concept head of design houses such as Triburg and House of Pearl in New Delhi. A year later, she started Shoolin Designs in Chandigarh. “It is a design consultancy that provides design, style, trend and fashion forecasting to the lifestyle and fashion industry,” she explains.
{{/usCountry}}Though Shweta has been designing menswear until now, she recently forayed into creating womens outfits too. In her upcoming spring/summer collection, the designer says she has included her trend predictions such as ‘Ash Rock’ that is inspired from the Gothic look and the ‘Rustic/Bling’ taken from the bohemian look. Meanwhile, men can look forward to the ‘Activo’ range that is motivated by sports and uses neon and electric colours.
In Shweta’s latest collection for women, she presents shift dresses, floral and animal prints and shimmering laces on fabrics such as chiffons, georgettes and summer silk (a light-weight silk).