On the world fashion ramp

Get a complete lowdown on how the Fall fashions from the runways are going to shape your wardrobe in the coming season.

NOW THAT SUMMER'S OVER AND WINTER IS ALMOST HERE, WE BRING YOU THE BEST OF WINTER FASHION FROM INDIAN RUNWAYS. CHECK OUT THE TOP TEN TRENDS YOU'LL BE WEARING LATER THIS YEAR BY YASHICA DUTT
MORE ORANGEY THAN EVER Tangy, fiery and adding just the right amount of zing to your Fall wardrobe, this hue found favour like fire on the Indian runways. With designers either opening (Hemant & Nandita) or closing (Namrata Joshipura) with orange, even the most staid collections relied on it for vibrance. Be it Kallol Datta whose eclectic collection had a set of asymmetrical jacket and shorts in orange or Anand Kabra's luxurious drape top, Shantanu & Nikhil's column dresses or Tarun Tahiliani's cheery sari, everyone wanted a piece.
Try out a bright scarf or wear an orange tee under a sheer shirt. 3D AND CUT-OUTS The other realm remained a favourite with many designers as they explored conical wooden corsets (Alpana & Neeraj), Japanese embroidered basket skirts (Pankaj & Nidhi), plastic and synthetic embellishments (Ritesh Kumar), floral and colourclashing cut-outs (Zubair Kirmani and Rahul Reddy), and tight surface coils (Anand Bhushan). The focus shifts from shoulder pads to the surface, be it jackets or dresses, and we suggest you pair a dramatic separate with a neutral one or pick the wearable Namrata Joshipura cuboid skirts. 

 

 

BLACK &WHITE This straightforward monotone combination had at least a billion interpretations on the Indian ramps this Fall (okay, not billion, but not far from it either), not unlike their international counterparts. From vintage houndstooth (Abraham & Thakore) to the silk graphics of Rahul Mishra, the pixelated hotness of Rajesh Pratap Singh or mesmerising sweetness of am:pm by Ankur & Priyanka Modi, everyone and their assistant seemed keen on fitting out at least one model in this classic permutation.
So either layer a black scarf with the very popular white dress of last Summer or just pull that skinny black skirt and a crisp white shirt from your closet and you're good to go. ANDROGYNY First they wanted you to steal your boyfriend's jacket, his trousers, shoes and hats. Now it seems they want you to be him. Well, add your twist to a man's wardrobe, that is. Snaking in from previous seasons, the androgynous trend takes a feminine curve with wide-legged palazzo pants and saris paired with waistcoats (Tarun Tahiliani and Abraham & Thakore), fitted waistcoats (Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna), leather pants and boots (Varun Bahl and Rajesh Pratap Singh), sharp blazers and button-down column dresses (Ruchika Sachdeva) and fabulously tailored coats and pants by Arjun Saluja. Time to turn Dude Looks Like a Lady on its head with a well-fitted pin stripe blazer if you please. SHIMMY THAT SHIMMER Before you go all Lil' Wayne (a bling-obsessed hip-hop star) on us, let us warn you, we don't mean bling for you, your teeth and your dog. All we are suggesting is the warm, muted and tasteful shimmer that just about glittered on most runways this Fall. The earthy gold of Abraham & Thakore and Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna or the muted blue fish scales of Atsu Sekhose, the sheen of wires and cables of Rimzim Dadu, the holographic sheen at Rajesh Pratap Singh and the typical gold-vaganza of Rina Dhaka. There's enough fodder for you to oscillate between a blinged out Christmas tree to a red carpet siren, depending on your mood. 

 

The reckless dandy is in town and doesn't give two hoots before cuffing his well-cut pants and showing some ankle. Finally making a debut on the Indian ramp, this extremely popular trend showed up at Sanjay Hingu, Krishna Mehta, Tarun Tahiliani and Abraham & Thakore's runways. Time to roll 'em up boys, but do make sure you are wearing safe socks.

It's the age of the risk-taker this season, so if you want to sport Lennonesque glasses (Arjun Khanna), slip into transparent shoes (Karan Johar with Varun Bahl), team canvas shoes with a formal suit (Abhishek Gupta), don a bright floral turban, (Sabyasachi Mukherjee), tie a stone buckle belt over your shirt (Tarun Tahiliani) or carry a cross body bag (Abraham & Thakore), you can! And did we forget the hat? Ashish Soni (bowler), Sanchita Ajampur (fedora) and Arjun Khanna (cloche) demand you wear one while you're at it.

  PRINTED LEGGINGS: When layering summer dresses with leggings, make sure you get stylish printed leggings as shown by Tanvi Kedia, Prama Pandey and Ritu Kumar. WILD CHILD: Forget leopards, it is pythons which are ruling the urban jungle. A must-have either as a clutch, scarf, bootie or dress. Cue: Rahul Anand and Anushka Lal's and Jatin Verma's lines. SHORT KURTIS: They are higher and sleeker. Pair a ruffled one with a skirt like VJ Balhara or do it as Payal Singhal did, with a patiala. Loosen the fit if you aren't blessed with a model's body! SKIRTS THAT GO THE LENGTH: Hemlines are generous and not at all boring. Mid-length like Atsu Sekhose and Rahul Mishra or in full flow like Aneeth Arora and Drashta, your pick. SHAWLS: Guys, don't shy away from looking the sensitive poet.
Loosely drape it on one shoulder (Tarun Tahiliani) or go for rich variety (Shantanu & Nikhil).

If you're thinking of the column dress of the '90s that would hug every embarrassing curve or its lower cousin from the 2000s, shaneel, which we only recently got rid of, then you couldn't be more wrong. Velvet is back this season, and as luxurious as it deserves to be. It's rich and burgundy in a Sabyasachi sari and regally purple in a Rajesh Pratap Singh duster coat; has a belted vintage structure in Atsu Sekhose's collection and is gloriously ruffled in an Yves Klein blue Gaurav Gupta jacket. Pick your poisons at one go or start with a slim waistcoat for baby steps, that' THE MOOD WAS UPBEAT, THE CLOTHES CELEBRATORY, THE DESIGNS NEW. INTERNATIONALLY, FASHION WAS WEARABLE AND FUN. LOOK. CHOOSE. COPY BY PARUL KHANNA TEWARI JEWEL TONES What neons were to this Summer, jewel tones are to this Winter. In Summer, the entry of bright neons was a clear indication that the recession-inspired depression of greys and browns was finally over. And that mood hasn't changed. This season, rich jewel shades dominated most designers' collections, including Christopher Kane, Diane von Furstenberg, Chanel, Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, Emilio Pucci, Carolina Herrera, Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Brioni and even Christian Louboutin. Dresses, jackets, skirts, denims and even accessories were flaunted in emerald green, scarlet ruby, blue turquoise, topaz yellow, purple amethyst ­ all colours signifying opulence. If you've got it, show it. Tip: There's rich and there's silly. If you're going jewel, wear only one colour at a time. SKIRTS If hemlines (a useful barometer of the state of the West's economy) are to be believed, there is utter chaos in the world. This Winter, skirts of all lengths (the youthful mini, knee-level pencil, mid-calf midi and toetouching maxi) and kinds (pleated, flouncy, plain, printed, A-line, fitted, high-waisted, long with thigh-high slits) are dominating the imaginations of designers. At Christian Dior, Ted Baker, Tom Ford and Alexander McQueen's shows, skirts made a comeback, replacing dresses. Chloe gave the pencil skirt a funky leather makeover. Tip: Pair flouncy with fitted and soften the leather and fitted skirts' austere look with soft blouses. Wear the trendy thin belt. POLKAS The wacky, colourful polkas of the '60s are back. But this time, they are sombre, elegant and very classic chic. Polka dots are demure and feminine in white or black. Marc Jacobs had tiny dots on jackets, Stella McCartney had sheer polka dresses, Diane von Furstenberg, Yves Saint Laurent and even Gucci did the polka. Tip: Never wear polkas on polkas. Stick to one kind. TURTLENECKS Last season the turtleneck made a blinkand-you-miss-it appearance on the runways, but this time the trend is here to stay. Designers Roberto Cavalli, Maison Martin Margiela, Calvin Klein and Hermès all had turtlenecks in their collections. They mainly layered them beneath smart blazers and classic suit coats, overcoats and leather jackets. As with everything else in fashion this year, the turtlenecks went from staid and safe blacks, greys and blues to becoming statement shades. Tip: Avoid heavy knit turtlenecks (though these are trendy too) if you are not skinny. They'll just bulk you up. Opt for thin cashmeres or knits that will allow you to slip on a blazer, overcoat or even a denim jacket. Turtlenecks have a formal appeal. You can also wear them with a suit and leave out the tie.  s your call. LOOSE TAILORING This is great news for all those who didn't know what to do with with those uber tight, crotch hugging skinnies that hogged the limelight until now. And also for those who, under duress, were about to succumb to the pressures of the naturally slim and lean. The skinnies are still hot, but a parallel trend of loose tailoring and loose pants was seen on the ramps. Designers experimented with pants fitted at the with pants fitted at the waist, relaxed at the thighs and crotch, and pleated. Designers Dolce & Gabbana showed loose pants, Vivienne Westwood had pleated pants, and Jill Sander, Ermanno Scervino and Hermès had variations of the silhouette. Tip: This is a versatile trend and one that would suit most body types. These pants work great with a fullsleeved body hugging sweatshirt as well as with a loose plaid coat. Wear a belt to add definition to your silhouette. VELVET It's been a favourite fabric with the designers for women's wear, but this season a whole lot of them used velvet in their men's collections too. Velvet suits, sports jackets and a classic coat in the fabric were showcased by Dolce & Gabbana, Corneliani, Alexander McQueen, Etro, Tom Ford, Bottega Veneta, Cavalli, Gucci and Lanvin. While the classic greys and blacks were evident, there were also the new rich greens, burgundys, maroons and deep blues. TIP: A velvet suit (as shown in the pic) is not an `everyone can try' option. A smartly tailored velvet jacket is safer.

COLOUR SPLASH Govinda with his red pants and yellow shirts might have scarred you for life. That is why we're taking it slow this time. Pair a neutral hue with a bright colour, like a pink T-shirt with an all-white suit (Ashish N Soni) or go inside out if you dare with a bright suit and white tee (Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna and Karan Johar with Varun Bahl). You can even try coloured pants but remember to pair them wisely like Sanchita Ajampur with a printed tee and a blazer in a solid hue. And if you still need more time for therapy, we suggest you start with bright socks or a coloured pocket square as Ashish Soni showed. MAD ABOUT PLAID Sexy woodcutters unite! Nothing else is more reminiscent of sinewy arms and all-male ruggedness than good ol' plaid. While you might still have it lying around from the early '90s, we suggest you look at the all-print suits (Troy Costa), riding pants (Arjun Khanna), low-key shirts (Rajesh Pratap Singh), relaxed blazers (Sanchita Ajampur), kurtas (Rajvi Mohan) and stylish trousers (Manoviraj Khosla, Ankita & Anjana Bhargav and Abhishek Gupta) that are going to be a rage come Fall. That old fashioned charm will work like magic on the ladies, believe us.