It’s hard keeping track of all the fashion weeks India ‘celebrates’ but in the middle of this jungle, one fashion event that stood out was Amazon India Fashion Week, the spring-summer 2017 edition. Backed by Fashion Design Council of India, AIFW took place in Delhi from October 12-16. Let’s look back at the nine shows that stood out — for better or for worse.
1. The One Where You Fell In Love With Chanderi (all over again)
Sixteen labels came together to kickstart spring-summer 2017 at Road to Chanderi. Some of the designers may have gone a bit overboard with the ruffles and pleats — maybe they were going for more costume, less commercial — but how can one resist the charm of Sanjay Garg’s stark simplicity and Pero’s playful patterns. Cue to fall in love with this sheer joyful weave.
Road To Chanderi
2. The One With The Fashion Formulas
A bit of retro drama, some black, a little white, a quirky print here and a dash of Anamika Khanna there. Throw them together in various proportions, add some trendy accessories and you have yourself a sexy spring-summer 2017. Masaba’s clothes can be many things, but they are never not effective. Even if they rehash every fashion formula that cat-walked the earth.
Masaba
3. The One Where You Reached Zen
A sari blouse that allows you to tuck in that third serving of whatever it is that you are eyeing and a sari so raw that no one dare mess with you. Anavila Misra was thereby crowned fashion week’s palate-cleanser.
Anavila
4. The One Where You Wanted Everything
Deceptively simple, deliciously wearable, Payal Pratap quickly rose to become the patron saint of ready-to-wear Indian fashion. Spring-summer ’17, starred the ever-dependable rose motif, saw easy fabrics, breezy silhouettes and high-impact styling, every look from this show
made it to my lust list.
Payal Pratap
5. The One With The Pyjama Party Invite
That tassel earring didn’t fool me. I wanted to be part of Sanchita’s pyjama party. Forever. Thanks to this show, I now (potentially) have PJs for glamping nights (cactus-print), PJs for regular nights (striped) and PJs for a non-PJ party (will just add that bejeweled belt — and that earring).
Sanhita
6. The One I Wished I Saw Live
The pictures looked so high-octane and powerful, I can only imagine how impactful the show must have been. Pankaj & Nidhi spring-summer 2017 would be that one show I would fly to Delhi for. The texture, the layers and layers of craftsmanship… some details can never be caught on camera.
Pankaj & Nidhi
7. The One For The Intellectual-istas
Abraham & Thakore are the thinking woman’s go-to designer and this season they made all the right noises with their glam take on khadi, even including a splash with logos in Devnagri. Signature minimal silhouettes, signature intellectual saris, Peter Pan blouses tucked into floor-grazing skirts… Muted color palette, minimal styling, no-nonsense clothes for the no-nonsense woman.
Abraham & Thakore
8. The One That’s All Kinds of IT
A delicate floral panel running down the bad boy leather jacket, pops of animal motifs, velvety blazers, on-trend bombers and drop-waist silky dresses. This collection of Huemn’s is for the likes of Kendall & Co and made even me (who is just about making peace with athleisure) want to go #badass.
Huemn
9. That One With The Midas Touch
Rajesh Pratap Singh. Enough Said.
Rajesh Pratap Singh
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Shradha Agarwal is a San Francisco-based fashion writer. Her work has been published in The Telegraph, Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar India. When she’s not gasping in disbelief at the similarities between Mindy Lahiri and her, she can be found at happy hour. Follow her on Instagram here.
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