Western silhouettes with an Indian soul. Queen Bee Ritu Kumar's fabulous collection transformed the ramp into a vibrant stretch along the Sindh. The atmosphere throbbed with a remix version of the traditional wedding song - chitta kukkad banere to suit the younger generation. Are we seeing a younger, hipper Ritu Kumar? "It's you all who are getting hipper and younger - so I decided to cater to the young urban woman who wears a saree or a skirt with equal élan," she says.
A collection that is extremely wearable yet dramatic in its look. Natural cotton fibres meet candy colours with beautiful detailing like exquisite embroidery, matt beading, tikli and sequins.
With Ritu Kumar, one can rest assured that the Kurti is going to be around for a long time. Worn over pretty much everything - full skirts with tikli and ghunghroos hanging from them, capris and trousers, the kurti came in many forms - playful when worn in t-shirt material, elegant with full sleeves and an angrakha neck, and very very practical when worn with pants.
The first part of the collection had soft fabrics in elegant colours like mother of pearl, ivory and dusty rose. Full bias cut layered skirts that are flamboyant in their silhouette and reminiscent of India's aesthetic of handlooms. A longer avatar of the jewelled tee (made famous by Tarun Tahiliani a few years back) worn over patiala pants was a refreshing use of imagination.
The colours varied from ivory to navy and olive to mustard - very earthy in look and feel. Her use of traditional techniques especially comes to the fore as the influence moves from the desert regions of Tharparkar to the mountains of Kashmir.
{{/usCountry}}The colours varied from ivory to navy and olive to mustard - very earthy in look and feel. Her use of traditional techniques especially comes to the fore as the influence moves from the desert regions of Tharparkar to the mountains of Kashmir.
{{/usCountry}}Jassi's gonna miss her (in)famous fringe which made a glamorous impact on the runway. The model sporting the fringe wore an equally dramatic black and white flouncy skirt teamed with a simple minimalist tank top in the same colours.
The second segment saw a lot of knits in jewel tones. Poncho tops made a return this season as did classic jackets with fur(?)collars. One hopes for Kumar's sake that she used faux fur. Jumpers with appliqué work and tunics with patchwork in bright oranges and reds gave a playful edge to otherwise boring winter wear.
The last segment, which was inspired by the Kashmir valley saw bright florals in chiffons and georgettes. Perhaps a more Goan look. The flowing kaftans, skirts worn over churidars were sort of reminiscent of Wendell Rodricks collection last year.
Overall a stunning collection, and like a buyer was heard whispering to a friend - the first part of the collection was "totally gorgeous" while the latter part of the line was "nothing great".
THE OTHER VIEW: Indus credo
Meeta Mishra/HT City
This year's Lakme India Fashion Week opened with the showing by Ritu Kumar. Her lines, inspired by the handicrafts of the Indus basin, were young and wearable. The Sindh region with its folk embroideries and metallic embellishments made a strong statement. The folk music went well with the collection.
Kumar presented a young collection.
Kurtis (printed, embroidered and embellished) were paired with pleated salwars, Patiala salwars, long and short skirts.
The fabrics were cotton and handloom, ideal for summer. The opening collection was an eclectic mix of whites, which ranged from chalk white, to ecru and beige white.
An addition to the designer's repertoire was an unusual line of woollen garments -- coats, skirts and tops. Ritu showed how a long embroidered coat could be teamed with a western dress and still look beautiful. There were, of course, the elements synonymous with Ritu -- Kashmir ambi and a riot of prints.
Rate-O-metre
Wearability: 9. The collection had options to go with every mood.
Presentation: 8. Except for the faux pas of peeping bra of Joey Matthew, the show was enjoyable, especially because of the music.
Front row: Fellow designer Tarun Tahiliani. Sharmila Tagore chose the third row with Martand Singh. Buyers from Harrods, Selfridges, Saks.
Buzz factor: 2 For the first day and a noon slot, the response was luke warm.
Late-O-metre: 20 mins