Hurrah! At last, a true innovator! A great creative talent! At last a sense of total newness we haven't seen so far this week: the new silhouette we've been waiting for. We've come to think of 'fusion' as Indian textiles and surface treatments transposed onto western silhouettes.
Khanna, however, showed us a new way of thinking: Indian textile craft on Indian silhouettes…with a twist. Think Gaultier's shocking late 80s collection of bras as outerwear…then think Khanna's salwars, churidars and dogris…., not just the leg-shape, but lock stock and barrel all on show. This is the way ahead!
The ensembles were beautifully embellished with appliqué and traditional kanta work (Showing Khanna's Bengali roots) over delicate block printing on net, muslins and cottons.
Cutting edge styled with leg warmers, ('Fame' boogies back into town after years in the boonies) and wrapped tops, bound and gagged with webbing straps.
Sheer genius!
Mature Deepika creates new silhouette
Khanna's was a tough act to follow, but Govind acquitted herself with understated confidence in a collection that showed how much this young designer has matured over the last couple of years.
For the second time in one single show we saw a new silhouette emerging.
What to call it….? Well Govind herself hasn't a pukka word for the skirt /trousers she showed in the first part of the collection. Wide, kind-of-harem-pants/not-quite-dhotis-but-almost, executed in a fine apricot toned brocade silk. There were also some finely done wrap pants in a printed georgette that flowed beautifully.
The corset tops may not have been so innovative, but they were beautifully tailored and finished, complimenting perfectly, and streamlining the voluminous shapes below the waist.
She even dared show a skirt based on that 80s horror, the puffball, but true to the understated feel of the rest of the collection, this was a perfectly acceptable pared down version.
{{/usCountry}}She even dared show a skirt based on that 80s horror, the puffball, but true to the understated feel of the rest of the collection, this was a perfectly acceptable pared down version.
{{/usCountry}}Govind is right to focus her attention on creating new silhouettes. If this collection was anything to go by she will continue to mature into a design force to be reckoned with.