Let the music begin

Groovy beats on the runway set the fashion rhythm on Day 1 at WIFW.

As the lights on the runway went up and the slew of dizzyingly tall models strutted out, what surely seemed to have caught the audiences attention on Day 1 of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (April 6th-10th) was the choice of background score Day 1 designers opted for. From original compositions by family members to Sufi chants to Indie rock from America, the sounds were as varied as the collections.

“The designs rely heavily on subtle details which are in the fabrics used. So the Japanese music I used was meant to be very subtle to help focus the attention on the clothes,” says designer Neeru Kumar, who opened fashion week with a heavily western silhouette collection. Following her were two designers who perhaps have already generated massive buzz. Designer Gaurav Jai Gupta, who debuted last season, went with the music of Indie rock band, DeVotchKa (they once toured with burlesque star Dita Von Tesse).

“I’d go so far to say that my choice in music heavily influences my collection and that showed this time around too,” he says. On the other hand, Kolkata-based designer Kallol Dutta, who as always wowed on the runway, literally played familial music for his show. “My younger brother created original music for my show. I was also quite excited to use electronic music and no vocals in my shows because generally I use very guttural sounds,” he adds.

Designer Urvashi Kaur, whose collection was about a journey through life, mixed Sufi music, spiritual sounds of Isha and even bits of cult rocker Van Morrison. “The music traverses just like the collection through various phases of life,” says Kaur. Tarun Tahiliani, who closed the show of Day 1, went with an as opulent score as his exquisite creations.

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And it’s only going to get better
Keeping in tune with the variety of Day 1, the next few days are just set to be a bigger and better musical treat. Designer Joy Mitra, who shows today, is set to take a trip down memory lane with the theme of popular TV show Malgudi days as his background music. “The theme has been remixed with modern techno beats and will be used with the show,” says Mitra. Designer Amrish Kumar, who also shows today, has produced the music for his show himself.

“The track has been created using Sufi influences and qawalis from the Nizammudin Darga. A part of the soundtrack of the show employs hauntingly beautiful Sufi music from Pakistan,” says Kumar. Designer Pallavi Jaipur, who shows on Day 4, is using folk fusion of Jaipur with lot of contemporary Indian beats, using lyricals Morio and Kesaria Balam. It’s indeed a musical treat!