Signature Premiere Kolkata Fashion week Day 2( First Half)

The Second day of the Signature Premiere Kolkata Fashion week was as buzzing with people as it was on the first day, if not more. The torrential rains did nothing to dampen the spirit of the Kolkata fashionista. We went in the afternoon session and walked in while Pallavi Mahindra showcased a melange of shades that can be easily identified to be Indian shades and the silhouettes were one to suit the Indian body type. She worked with traditional Indian fabric from Karnataka. An excerpt from an interview with her follows:

We witnessed your show and really loved it! We would like to know a little about the collection and how you were inspired to do this.

 My collection is called Nomadic Renaissance and it is inspired by a weave called egul from the Bagalkot district of Karnataka. This is a handloom weave and this is an initiative to give the weavers a global platform and employment because when I went to Karnataka 10 years back there were 4000 to 5000 weavers and when I visited 5 months back, it had come down to 400 to 500, an almost 95% decrease. It was a handicraft, but it did not have a big market and was not appreciated. I wanted to bring the craft on a global platform. 

You have worked with handloom weavers in Karntaka, are you looking to do something in Bengal, because we also have our indigenous handloom products?

In fact, I want to explore with Dhakai and cotton weaves of Bengal, and surely, by next season, I would be doing that!

                                                             Designer Pallabi!!


The next collection that we witnessed was by Soham Chakraborty, who made his clothes using denim, a fabric that is ever- so- worn by youngsters. The collection showcased different types of shorts, shirts, bags etc. A tete-a-tete with Soham revealed:

What made you do this collection?

What inspired me basically is that people want to buy branded denim wear but they don't find it. You will either find classic basic denim wear or basic denim wear, you will never find designer denim wear. That's what made me do this collection. It is a casual wear, lots of torn effects and shimmers on the garments.

So, you have made this collection for the masses?

Yes, this collection is for the masses as it is for the youngsters.

                                                            Designer Soham

Kirti Rathod was the next in line designer to showcase her clothes. They consisted of designs from Rajasthan- the polo breeches, the Bandhgala coats etc and they are exclusively for men. The showstopper for her was Sagar, who was the winner of the Gladrags Mega Model and Manhunt contest held in 2008.

An interview with her revealed:

Can you elaborate a little about your collection?
My collection is based in linen fabric. I work with linen only and I am a die hard fan of it. The fabric is eco friendly. Linen is a fabric that gives you a variety of colours and choices. You don't need to dye them and it is a fabric that can be worn in summers and winters both. Linen is never out of season. I did this collection with bold colours that men are shy of wearing. I wanted to break the trends into the man's world that they also can carry the bold colours, leaving the blacks and beiges.

You showed the clothes to be in perfect pair- the bandhgala with the breeches. Is there any way you can pair them with casuals?

Yes. The blazers can be teamed up with denims and they can be teamed up with dhotis also. In the collection, I had teamed a white blazer with blue pants. So, if it is a casual wear, you can do this. For a formal look, you can wear black in the evening or in a cocktail party. Nowadays, I believe, the look is the same. Whatever you wear, you should be able to carry it off well.

                                                 Designer Kirti with her showstopper

We had a great time in the afternoon session and were looking forward to the evening session!