Grey matter

Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week ke doosra din ka pehla show was by Pankaj and Nidhi Ahuja, who presented life in technicolour.
���The idea was to sweep away the greys and blacks of last year,��� Pankaj told us later. Reds and blues, rich plums and purples coloured the ramp. ���This collection of ours signifies a year ahead that will be full of hope and recovery,��� said Nidhi, post the show.
Prashant Verma revealed his fascination for the male body with his collection. It began with an AV on Arnold Schwarzenegger���s body-building days, and then proceeded to show in design all the aggression of the sport. ���I have tried to explore the modern penchant for power dressing,��� he told us. And so, there were shoulder pads, helmets, etc, in leather and silk, exaggerating the muscular body. The showstopper was a fully embroidered representation of the body of Arnold ��� the muscles in silk and velvet threads.
Sonam Dubal���s was a nomadic collection. Nomadic weaves, embroideries... everything found a place in his collection. Silhouettes, boleros, wraps and tunics brought to the fore the elegance of the East on the ramp. ���I have used silks and velvet, played with prints and a mirror-work kind of embellishment to bring out the Nomadic styles,��� said Sonam.
Priyadarshini Rao presented a very fluid collection. She���d experimented with textures and surface ornamentation techniques, and embroidery. Long gowns, shifts, pyjamis... her collection had it all.
Kavita Bhartia came up with a collection full of pink, black, blue and grey, with sporadic bursts of maroons and glitter. There were jersey tops, skirts, tunics, sequinned leggings... ���It is all about being in a sensual, enchanting garden. It is a happy collection,��� said Kavita, after the show.
More greys and blacks followed in Gaurav Gupta���s collection. Though he backed it up with hot pinks, reds and bright purples later in the show. His draping techniques were excellent in structure and immaculate in their fall. ���It���s not a happy time in the world ��� what with recession and all. So I wanted my collection to make everyone happy. It���s a happy, mature collection,��� said Gaurav.
Ashima and Leena���s show was a throwback to an era gone by. Antique weaves, embroideries, deft usage of beads and sequins, sab tha iss collection mein. The colour palette was also striking ��� red, black, green, blue... there were kaftans, trousers, jackets... However, it was the Slumdog Millionaire kids ��� Rubina and Azhar ��� who stole the limelight on the ramp. They both, especially Rubina, walked the ramp with the poise and panache of seasoned models. No wonder the kids got a standing ovation.
Rajesh Pratap���s was the next show. Bahut bheed thi. On the ramp, there were more of greys and charcoals. But Rajesh stood true to his eye for detail. Not a thread out of place. The trousers had a neat, almost sculptured look.
Manish Malhotra showcased eveningwear, and juxtaposed it with uber chic casual sporty clothes. His basic colour palette was black and gold, but since he also presented a collection inspired by the colours of the Kolkata Knight Riders team, the sporty outfits were all in grey and black. Amrita Rao and Sophie Choudhry were in the front row for this show. ���We have this mutual admiration society between the two of us ��� he inspires me and I inspire him. I was here especially for his show,��� Amrita told us.
(Jyothi Prabhakar, Jaya Drona & Ayandrali Dutta)
Also See the Fashion Week special