Trend Spotting: Celebrities in Masaba Gupta

Celebrities are loving Masaba Gupta's sarees and have been spotted wearing them at red carpet events, launches and at movie premiers. Are you loving these funky printed sarees too?

Play Sari

Play Clan or The Clan as they call themselves, are a fashion, graphic art and design playhouse telling stories about local Indian culture as assorted curios for your wardobe and home -- narratives from a village scene, ancient temple architecture rendered Lego-style, or the general chaos of everyday urban India all serve as good stories.

The Play Clan Sari Edition, their latest project on display at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week in New Delhi, takes the storyboard onto six yards of sari.

"It's the same way a t-shirt gives you the canvas to make a graphic statement, here the sari expands this canvas to expand the story," explains Himanshu Dogra, founder Play Clan. "But it's a statement, so it needs a strong viewpoint."

A collection of 20 colorful graphic silk saris interpret tribes and icons of India, paired with neo-tribal accessories, print-on-print blouses and tied using regional drapes styled by Gautam Kalra into modern sari dresses.

Some striking examples include interpretations of traditional Indian haveli architecture but in an Origami geometric format, or a Konkani bride graphically vectorized.

"The designs push the boundary of the sari to a younger audience who are open to experimenting and expressing a strong viewpoint," Dogra says. "We're trying to shift the traditional sari-wearing age from 20 and 30 plus, to start at 18 or 20 instead.

Inspiration is everywhere

In the shoot you're about to see, Tarun Khiwal proves that inspiration can be found anywhere. Kudos to the photographer!

Inspiration: Goddess Lakshmi

Bombay Electric vs Elle India

How AMAZING are these Bombay Electric’s mash up of Elle India’s Covers. Ash’s is my favourite because its such a flip on the original! The covers were done to celebrate the store’s six birthday.

 

   

Manish Arora: Kitsch Fry

Manish Arora is one of India’s most prominent and beloved fashion designers. Based in New Delhi, he was appointed Creative Director of the womenswear collection at French fashion house Paco Rabanne in 2011.

In 1997 he launched his eponymous label and began retailing in India. Three years later, Manish participated in the first-ever India Fashion Week held in New Delhi and represented India at the Hong Kong Fashion Week. In 2002 Manish opened his first flagship store, Manish Arora Fish Fry, in New Delhi and in the following year opened a second store in Mumbai. Another successful showing at India Fashion Week (2003) led to a stocking deal with the fashion house Maria Luisa (Paris) and the beginning of a successful export business. Arora has teamed up with make-up and cosmetics giant MAC for designing a signature collection and has also collaborated with Swatch for a limited edition of watches. ‘Indian by Manish Arora’, is a brand designed for the growing Indian market for women’s wear. He owns four stores in India and has sold his collections to more than 80 retailers worldwide.

Manish was invited to show his collection at the Fashion in Motion exhibition held at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London in 2007. In 2004 he was awarded the Best Women’s Prêt Designer at the first ever Indian Fashion Awards’ 2004 held in Bombay and MC2 Diffusion Paris began to represent the label for the export business. The following year, Manish participated in the Miami Fashion Week in May 2005, where he was presented with the designer’s choice for Best Collection Award. Known for his psychedelic colours and kitsch motifs, Arora has been called the John Galliano of India.

Here are a few photos of his memorable work:

Psychedelic Opera

Nida Mahmood showcased her latest collection inspired by her quirky dreams at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring- Summer 2013.

Nida, who is known for presenting a Bollywood-inspired ramp with hit songs playing in the background, did it again this time but in a very different way through her “Sapna Cinema” collection. The designs had lot of psychedelic prints and quirky designs with a silhouette that has dominance of prêt collection.

Nida used lot of funky stuff including some 3-D garments too. We thought it was an interesting collection with lots of colour but we do wish she did away with the face masks which look silly and distract from the actual collection.

See the collection

Brand Review: Yelo

YELO, as a brand, reflects the team which is working on it - fun, off-beat, wacky, unique. They make funky laptop bags & other works of art. The venture started in 2009 and has since then gain a lot of traction & appreciation. 

The whole idea of the brand is to do ‘things’ differently because at the end of the day, YELO wants to tell everyone that a bag is not just a bag…the brand just wanted to make simple bags that everyone would want to own, the ‘it’ bag. So the designers at YELO used pvc and bright fun colors of patent leather and came up with their signature yelo pvc bag which can be used by a 4 year old baby girl and an 80 year old happening granny! Its all about having your own salman khan se lekar jim morrison with you, every day every time..!

Brand Review: India Kitsch

India Kitsch is the brainwave of Shreya who decided the city of joy, Kolkata needed a new design avenue where colors of India could splash around through spectacular designer creations. And so came about the store, where she began stocking designers from all over India. The double delight came with the launch of India Kitsch Pret, their in-house label which began by being stocked in their flagship store and gradually increased its presence to other parts by being stocked at other multi-designer stores. 

The store idea was conceived keeping in mind the emerging trend of shoppers appreciating authentic Indian design and ditching multi-branded stores for unique & limited editions. So, they collected pieces from all over the country focusing on the kitsch element. In all, about 20 designers are stocked at the flagship store currently.

PRODUCTS : Clothing, Accessories and Knick-knacks

The products focus on three keywords – carefree, unconventional and romantic, and are bright and happy. Keeping that look in mind, the store is kept fuss-free and easy to navigate, with solid blocks of color thrown in through walls and shelves. While that is great for letting the products be the star, I wish they would throw in some more kitschy-ness for effect.

The brand offers customization for maternity-wear & plus-size dressing along with consultations that offer women a chance to understand their body-type and dress accordingly. Gradually, they hope to reach out to stores in all parts of India so women can enjoy the Kitsch experience. The latest summer collection is bang on-trend with color-blocking, bold colors interspersed with candy hues so that they do not become too dreary for the hot days.

India Kitsch is actually one of those rare cases where they get the best of both worlds – a brand to sell all over India, and a store to sell products from all over India. And in a way, a self-sustenance model, isn’t it ? The Pret line will always have a store to stock at, and the Store will always have a brand to stock

Brand Review: Item Number

The riotous colors of Bollywood are inherently kitsch, but mixing the two requires serious skills. The mad colors  dazzling sequins, and general over-the-topness of Indian movies mean that if you get it wrong, the results will be so heinously tacky that you'll want to chuck it on the bonfire faster than you can scream "my eyes! my eyes!". 

Item Number is a label that definitely gets it right, and though I only own a little clutch bag so far, I covet their entire range of accessories including clutch and tote bags, cushion covers, mugs, and notebooks. They've just brought out this new cotton and faux leather cummerband that would look pretty kickass on a white shirt.

Oscar-winning dialogue right here. On the left, the angry dude's saying "Bitch! Bastard! 

I'm going to drink your blood!!! She replies, "Listen, today don't drink blood, drink tea!" 

Make sense? It doesn't have to! It's Bollywood!

This smouldering lady is Rekha, legendary Bollywood goddess

Bollywood Kitsch: The Big Fat Indian Wedding Theme

The wedding of Ishipal and Harshvandhan Bhatia, both scions of leading Indore-based business families was a star-studded affair. The Sangeet was held at Jalsa, the sprawling banquet cum outdoor space in Indore, where the decor was created by DreamzKraft, the ace Mumbai-based wedding decor specialists. The highlight of the evening was the Bollywood kitsch decor, the performance by singing sensation Mika, and the presence of Bollywood stars like Poonam Dhillon, Padmini Kolhapure, Boney Kapoor and Bhagyashree.

Says Anway Bhoite, the Creative Head of DreamzKraft : “The Bhatias got very excited when we suggested a Bollywood Kitsch theme, inspired by the Glitz and Glamour of Bollywood in the 80′s and 90′s. And they were thrilled with the way we executed the theme.” Adds Priti Sidhwani, the Director of DreamzKraft: “It was equally interesting to witness the guests experience the theme, as many of them enthusiastically observed the decor elements, at every corner all over the venue.”

                                                                 Thematic tissue boxes for the cocktail tables

                                                             Old Ambassador car with yesteryear film posters

                                                                                Bollywood Kitsch entrance

                                                                  The Groom cycled the Bride in this tricycle

                                                                                 Thematic cushions for seating

                                                                         Stage and special seating for the Couple

Kitsch and Tell

What exactly is kitsch? As a descriptive term, kitsch originated in the art markets of Munich in the 1860s and the 1870s, describing cheap, popular, and marketable pictures and sketches. The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary explains it as “works of art or objects that are popular but that are considered to have no real artistic value and to be lacking in good taste”. Would that imply that every other designer is imitating art which is lacking in good taste?

Indian Kitsch in today’s market has become one of the most widely used concepts for a reason. It SELLS. Besides the fact that it looks colourful, and sometimes quirky, it depicts India in its many diverse forms and colours. Perspectives have changed and gradually, people have become more open to accepting and embracing India the way it is. Cows walking on the roads, corrupt politicians, Indian gods and goddesses, Hinglish graffiti behind trucks and auto’s, Sadhu’s smoking chillums, Villains’  abusing  in bollywood movies, the list goes on.

Indian kitsch was a new concept when Manish Arora launched his label in 1997.Taking inspiration from dance mudras the Indian circus and various Indian motifs; he set the trend for new age kitsch. All of a sudden, people wanted to be seen in pop coloured tops with a mudra on it or flaunt a fish fry pair of sneakers. The kitsch inspired range he designed for Swatch and MAC can be seen all across the world now.

“Our generation has become more accepting of our culture. We aren’t looking to ape the West anymore and are comfortable using Indian images. Now desi images like, say, a Donposter or a chai stall are considered cool,” says Nida Mahmood, the new-age kitsch queen.

This kitsch trend has become global now and even international designers like Betsey Johnson, Anna Sui and JC de Castelbajac are definitive for their kitschy style.

Showing what real India is to the world is a realization that has come along with kitsch inspired designs. We as Indians should be proud of our rich culture and diversity, and not be afraid to tastefully show it!