Vintage meets vogue at finale

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It was time to say goodbye and as always bidding adieu was difficult.
As the day began, ensembles were put off the racks, bundled, boxed, sealed and sent back home. The whole scene resembled nothing less than bisarjan.
However, the final day of WLIFW 2013 featured some interesting collections by young designers like Mrinalini, Kiran and Meghna, Pratima Pandey, Vaishali S. as well as been-there designers like Rehane, Nida Mahmood and Ashish and Vikrant.
Mrinalini showcased a dark collection that had some nice play of black on black, juxtaposition of matte and shine and hint of ivory and saffron for both fitted as well roomy silhouettes.
Designer duo Kiran and Meghna put together a collection that was all about mix and match, block and screen prints, crafty textures and clean cuts. Crisp organza, wool, cotton, and jacquard were used to style wide-legged easy pants, long maxi style kurtas, jackets and separates. The silhouettes were simple and the fluidity of garments ensured easy-to-wear and maintain feel. Artist Pablo Picasso inspired designer Pratima Pandey, who tried to capture the various shades to the artist’s character through her collection “Mood Swings”. The use of intricate embroidery with prints, combination of different shapes and techniques with dissimilar fabrics gave the collection an edge.
After Mumbai, Madhya Pradesh and Kolkata, it was Assam and its bea-utiful culture that caught designer Vaishali S’ attention. Her AW collection paid an ode to
textiles through the traditional attire of Assam. Vaishali, who usually works with a monochromatic palette, has experimented with lots of colours like purple, pink, green, red, bright blue and a dash of gold this time. But her signature silhouettes remained the same. A lot of silk was put to use to construct drapes and wraps. Vaishali informed, “I was introduced to the magic of Muga silk during my visit to Assam last year. In this collection, I have tried to incorporate elements of Mekhla, the three-piece attire — a skirt like a sarong, blouse and an additional piece of cloth draped over the shoulder. With the beautiful drapes and mix of fine constructions I hope to bring out the beauty of the Mekhla by retaining its original elements.”
While one expects a good dose of bandani and lehariya from Ashish and Vikrant of Virtues, the designers surprised all by doing a collection inspired by the nawabs of Awadh. We saw both traditional and contemporary desi-gns. Vintage embroidery and subtle embellishments were used to finish kalidar skirts, anarkalis, jackets and dupattas. Ch-ecks and hand-block pri-nts were used for layering in cotton, silk as well as on hems.