Designers Samant Chauhan and Rimzim Dadu take inspiration from different forms of nature. While the former brought forth a galaxy, the idea of movement and fluidity inspired the latter, says Sakshi Sharma
Can you recall your childhood days when you would stare at the sky, lying down silently in the lawn, imagining different shapes of the clouds or trying to count the stars? Well, little did we know that this would become a muse for a designer someday. With climate change having come into focus, nature has become an inspiration for designers too, as it triggers ideas for some of the most beautiful forms of art. So is the case with designers Samant Chauhan and Rimzim Dadu, who showcased their collection at FDCI’s Lotus Make-up India Fashion Week day 1. While the former drew inspiration from the Milky Way galaxy, the idea of movement and fluidity of the ocean inspired the latter.
Samant said that his recent trip to Spiti Valley reminded him of The Starry Night, Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh’s masterpiece. His vision was to translate the famous artwork into his designs, which is clearly evident from his all-black collection adorned with silver patches. He said, “When Van Gogh made the painting, perhaps he predicted that it would be difficult to see the stars in the coming years. We would have to travel 600 km for two days for such a view. It is going to be rare.”
Light music, images of dark midnight blue and purple and the sparkling stars, decorating the sky, on the screen at the back, gave the audience the tranquil vibe of sitting under a starry sky. The designer, known for his obsession with monochromes, usually plays with white but this is the second time he has tried his hands on black. He said, “In the first one, I showcased how I view black from the prism of nostalgia. And this collection shows how I see and perceive black now.” It was important for him to showcase his current definition of black as he said, “a trip to the picturesque valley in Himachal Pradesh has changed my definition of black.”
In this cut-throat competition, every designer wants to come out with the best. They want to lead the market, be it with their distinctive colours or designs. But Chauhan is not bothered about this competition. He said, “We don’t follow a trend or the forecast. We focus on bringing newness and freshness in our collection.”
The collection which had 37 looks, ranged from bell sleeved silk embroidered gown with a trail, peplum with embroidered trousers, corset with denim and embroidered organza cape, embroidered balloon sleeve jacket style gown and many more. The fabric “ranged from sheer silk, cotton linen, organza to sheer,” said Chauhan. He added that the embroidery, which was a combination of handmade and machine, was not woven on the typical tussar silk but into his staple Bhagalpuri.
It was constant in almost all his collections, and was too heavy to make way for jewelleries. The embroidery gave a glimpse of nature as it had leaves, flowers, uncarved branches and silver patches all around resembling the stars. The models had similar hairstyles — a neat bun tied with a Victorian-style bow.
Another show was of Rimzim, who is known for presenting her styles in a unique manner. Her shows always have an element of surprise, be it using virtual reality on the ramp or creating a life-size maze in the show. Even this time, she did not miss on the surprise element.
We have often seen the ramps decorated with trees, flowers, wooden and silver artworks or a play of light and shadows for sure. But have you ever seen sculpted steel sculptures hanging in mid air? This naturally ignited the curiosity among the audience.
The spirals and movements on the screen throughout, clearly indicated towards her commitment to her experimentation. She said, “I am inspired by all kinds of movements, be it frozen in time or sculpted in a material. They have a sense of fluidity and this attracts me the most.”
Rimzim used her signature materials like steel wires and metallic cords to create structured yet fluid garments. Though the clothes appeared rigid from far because of the wires but were actually malleable and soft to wear.
The collection depicted sculpted fluidity in the form of silhouettes. It ranged from white floral shirts with black foil trousers and black belt bag to powder blue Nehru jacket with diamond shirt and white laptop bag to wave skirt paired with wave off-shoulder blouse and emerald bag. The collection was colourful as it was intended to give a festive touch. There were jewel tones of gold, bronze, emerald and teal.
Even the footwear of the models were made of steel wires which totally matched with their outfits. They had straight and simple hairstyles with glitter all over it to give it a shine.
The designer also launched her first ever menswear collection with metal bomber jackets, textured Nehru and sherwani jackets aiming to fill a gap in the progressive menswear fashion genre.
Photo: Pankaj Kumar
