All That Jazz inspires Kiran Uttam Ghosh

Kolkata-based designer Kiran Uttam Ghosh's fashion week collection is effervescent, like the strains of jazz that has inspired it.

Kolkata-based designer Kiran Uttam Ghosh's fashion week collection is effervescent, like the strains of jazz that has inspired it.

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Ghosh, who once famously declared "I'm not in the upholstery business", has made a collection full of nonchalantly intricate jackets which have little details like strips interwoven to get eclectic textures, ruched design detail and embellishment overtures that give the jackets, blouses and skirts a sense of old world, yet contemporary, charm.

"What is jazz?" asked Ghosh. "Who knows? The point of this collection is to bring out the feel of mix and match and melee - that's the mood jazz puts me in."

Called All That Jazz, and inspired by the spunk and spirit of the saxophone and smoke-and-honey voice age, Ghosh's collection is paired with sandals and closed shoes that have tufts of threads bundled together and stitched on haphazardly to give a woolly feel.

There are churidar pants, embellished kurtis, knee-length kurtas, wrap skirts, short and long jackets - with flower motifs and splashes of embroidery. The accent is on texturization and ostentation.

Ghosh, who trained with renowned British designer Jasper Conran, is able to bring an international feel to her work. The look is brazen, yet bashful.

Ghosh's collection comprises luxurious, sensuous fabrics - metallic nets, translucent jersey, lycra, sheer knits and crinkle crepes. Vibrant reds and fuschia are interspersed with cool blues and greens. The bright and contrasting embellishment in gold and other elements stand out.

The collection is as effervescent as the songs that inspired it - Peggy Lee's hop, skip and jump number "A Doodlin' Song", Nancy Wilson's "Wives & Lovers", the sonorous "Dream a Little Dream of Me" by Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald's "Summertime".

Through her clothes, her lace-trimmed tunics and layered kimono-style kurtis, Ghosh has tried to depict her definition of jazz and fashion - "alter egos in attitude".

"This collection bridging the '20s and the '50s and every decade in between is a tribute to these feisty friends," Ghosh said.

Over time, as fashion changed, jazz evolved, from classical to fusion, from country to continent - jazz is fashionable and, in many ways, fashion is jazzy.

The attempt in the collection is to bring out this mutual dependence of fashion and jazz and to highlight their influence on one another.

Ghosh's label 'Kimono' is one of India's highest selling designer labels and her clothes currently retail from Ffolio in Bangalore and Chennai, Ogaan in New Delhi and Kolkata, Melange, Ensemble, Vama and Crossroads in Mumbai, Elahe in Hyderabad, Elan in Ahmedabad, Espee and Zenon in Kolkata.

The line is also available at Ahmed Alesayi in Jeddah, Sanskrit in Hong Kong, Variety Silk House in London, Yasmin in the US and Zinia & Balshon in Kuwait.