The AIFW finale saw an avant-garde take on beautiful brocades.

So "Born In Benaras" was apt subject matter for the Week's grand finale. Benaras has been known for its rich weaves for centuries.

There was one key trend that came out of Amazon India Fashion Week, which ended last evening in Delhi. For a long time Indian fashion has been all about ornamentation, with embroidery, surface textures and embellishments being the industry's focus. At the Spring/Summer 2016 edition of Fashion Week we saw that Indian Fashion is going back to the basics, as "cloth" became the most feted aspect of the event. From simple fine khaki cottons to specialist vintage weaves like mushru, it was all about fabric.
So "Born In Benaras" was apt subject matter for the Week's grand finale. Benaras has been known for its rich weaves for centuries. As far as brocade is concerned, Benaras' weaves are considered to be the finest. With 16 designers invited to be a part of the finale, it was all about taking the traditional and giving it a contemporary context, which is really what good fashion is all about.
Some designers like Tarun Tahiliani and Sabyasachi decided to keep things more traditional and stuck to pieces that had a feel of festive and trousseau wear. But with designers like Alpana and Neeraj on the list, we saw an avant-garde take on the fabrics of Benaras. Rohit and Rahul's, Rajesh Pratap Singh's and Arjun Saluja's sartorial brocade looks were about a new and very Indian take on minimalism. And as far as design intervention goes, Abraham and Theorem's brocade appliqué over sack jute lengha skirts teamed with simple shirts, was all about a show of technique. With so many designers showing on one stage, it was natural that there were some disappointments but seeing so many Indian designers on one platform gave the end of Fashion Week a real feel of camaraderie and celebration.
sujata@khaleejtimes.com 

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