At the finale showing of Van Heusen India Mens Week on Sunday, designer Varun Bahl made a totally different collection from what he has done so far for the label Karan Johar + Varun Bahl.
This time around, the designer chose to play with the crushed look through his presentation, bringing a
grunge feel that spoke of youth along with the required style elements.
He managed to play well with softer looks in his line-up of menswear (cowls) along with structure (jackets).
Add to that the colour palette which included grey, denim blue, amber, mustard and pistachio, and the result was a collection that breathed easy.
Dressed for dinner
Troy Costa, at an earlier showing on the day, presented a look for the evening, with his models in bow ties and dinner jackets.
He kept his lengths short and played with tapered forms. Suits were immaculately made. Trousers were comfortable, yet stayed close to the leg, and patterns on the surface traversed through geometry, featuring black with white checks.
Rohit & Abhishek brought in a rather strong and masculine statement on the runway with their impressive presentation of traditional silhouettes such as jodhpuris and safari jackets in the most contemporary manner with metal buttons and expandable trouser hems with zipper additions. Jackets were tailored to perfection and had a very macho appeal from the first to the last.
Fitted for the fit
If you are fit and have a sense for style, then what designer brothers Shantanu & Nikhil presented on the runway will be apt for you.
The duo kept their trousers to the slimmest minimum while choosing to play with traditional garments made in a contemporary fashion, while adding some colours.
Surfaces were textured and treated carefully presenting an uncluttered clean look with plenty of style added on to their overall collection.
Manoviraj Khosla’s playful offerings for men consisted of shorts teamed with suits. Turned-up trousers and jackets and a combination of fun colours and smooth silhouettes made the collection easy on appeal.
Particularly interesting were his striped pants worn with grey linen printed jacket, a white trench jacket, a purple silk layered Nehru jacket and a smart-looking black waistcoat with coloured top stitches.
Unlike many other designers, Khosla chose not to make all his creations stay close to the body, leaving some with relaxed looks.
Van Heusen India Mens Week saw some of the most stylish wardrobe options for the male, with designers making it a point to make their collection more edgy and wearable.
At the last showing, designer Ashish N Soni put linen to best use through an impressive lineup of impeccably tailored suits. The designer’s ability to craft fine menswear was seen in various styles of lapels — peak, notch and invisible notches — along with patch pockets, two and four button formats, yoke detailings and some interesting colours like baby pink, orange that without diluting the masculinity, still managed enough style. Well-tapered bandhgala jackets added to the overall style of the collection.
Jackets in short lengths and sleeves, contrasting piping, crinkles and quilts along with traces of glitter in the form of surface detailing towards the end is what made Krishna Mehta’s offering for men aesthetically appealing this time.
The designer did impress the audience with her collection that spoke of minimalist luxury in ecru, black, orange and red.
ANKY by Anjana Bhargava proved that one can definitely play around with men’s clothes if one has the penchant for it. The whole collection was devoid of any sharp feeling, and was woven around ‘softer’ themes with drapes.
Diagonal reverse pleat fronted trousers, interesting jackets, trousers with ruched sides and double belt loops were executed nicely and neatly, and made the collection stand out on the runway.
Sanchita Ajjampur offered woodcut prints, oxidized metal details on jerseys, geometric and waves on creased cotton surfaces, rolled up ankles, pocket detailings along with crumpled twill pants and shorts.
Japanese philosophy
The collection evoked a sense of fun, along with conservatism. Shorts paired with Japanese jackets, contrast pipings, and a variety of lounge wear in the company of accessories and shoes made by the designer added on to the overall style of her collection.
Zubair Kirmani also made sure that he has a place on the menswear runway with an elegant lineup. Sharp tailoring with well-made bandhgalas, embroidered detailing on collars and pockets, shoulder detailing on some garments and texturing on others, and narrow silhouettes made up his collection.
Rajvi Mohan’s collection bearing the marks of a “modern take on tradition” lacked spirit in terms of style. Silhouettes seemed repetitive, even though the designer did attempt to make it interesting through blocking, contrasting and textures.
Four seasoned designers in a single show did not seem apt at this event. Check this out — Rajesh Pratap Singh, Abraham & Thakore, Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna and Abhishek Gupta… all worthy of having solo platforms, presented their collections together. Abraham & Thakore’s silhouettes stayed away from the body, with external pockets on the sides and pinstripe fabrics used on kurtas. Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna’s solid coloured suits, Rajesh Pratap Singh’s three piece suits with shorts replacing trousers, jackets with functional button holes, fluid trousers with double pleats and Abhishek Gupta’s range of menswear with an overall sporty feel were all impressive, thus warranted single showings.
