Marie Antoinette meets Mumtaz Mahal
Fashion Desk

NEW DELHI—Charu Parashar’s fall 2008 collection for India Fashion Week in New Delhi on Sunday was chock full of fusion items. Parashar’s favourite mixture was intense Indian outfits made of extravagant French brocades and other European prints.
By her own admission, Parashar believes in “taking exotic Indian craftsmanship and ancient printing techniques to the level of luxury.” This is certainly what she did with her show. Using fabrics such as velvets, chanderis, organzas, benarasi georgettes and nets, Parashar showcased many items ranging from a printed hot-pant jump suit to a high-necked embroidered jacket. The jacket was particularly attractive, made of brocade that might have fallen out of Marie Antoinette’s closet. But where her collection really got attention was in her Indian pieces. Taking the design of a simple sari and piecing it together from several different types of brocades and ornate embroideries, Parashar used the styles of katcha resham embroidery, gold foil printing, peetal and gota to top off the luxurious look of her ethnic wear.
The showstopper of Parashar’s collection was her last piece. A simple lehenga choli cut, Parashar used a periwinkle base colour set off by inlays of burgundy embroidered heavily with pure zari to make an astonishing, full flared skirt. Along with it went a heavy silk jacket, tight at the bodice and lined at the neck with a faux pink fur. Held with only one pin at the waist, this provocative choli was the perfect fit for the resplendent lehenga and dupatta.
Most of Parashar’s models were draped in burgundies with hints of ruby or grey, with some metallic touches peppered in. It was this colour palette along with the sumptuous fabrics she used that made Parashar’s show live up to its name: Mysteriously seductive diva in vintage style.
Puja Arya:
Guzel, the Turkish word for “beautiful” was the name of Puja Arya’s fall 2008 collection at India Fashion Week on Sunday. An appropriate name for the collection, as it took its main inspirations from Turkish patterns, fabrics and design. Models swished down the runway in an array of light chiffons and cottons. Though the collection was for fall and winter, the outfits were obviously meant for Mediterranean wear. Short dresses with large yoked necks were one theme of the show. Cotton off-white fabrics embroidered or printed with large, black flowers were predominant. Babydoll dresses with flounced skirts were also a favourite on the runway. The colour palette for these was turquoise blues mixed with creams and blacks.
A few long, chiffon dresses were also in vogue, a particular favourite being an airy green dress with a wide black belt. Another range of items came in a burnt orange colour with all-over gold printing or embroidery.