Pune Arrives on the Star Studded Fashion Week Season II

StarBuzz Weekly, Toronto- by N. Balani via special coverage in Pune: The Pune Fashion Week  Season II was held in the best known secret of Koregaon Park - The Westin on Nov 18 – 20 2010. It definitely has put Pune on the fashion map nationally and internationally. It had all the glamour and glitterati one could ask for and more! Fashionistas and filmstars, socialites and jewelers, models and designers all came together to set the runway on fire on the 18^th, 19^th and 20^th of November 2010 at The Westin Hotel in Pune. It was a real treat to see such a super premium event put together so seamlessly and choreographed so beautifully in amchi Pune. PFW 2010 was led by Badal Saboo from NIFT Delhi and mentored by Vikram Phadnis and Nivedita Saboo. It was flawlessly executed and promoted by the PR and event management team led by BrandSpk Mumbai and displayed trendy fashion art by FAD (Fashion Art Design) Academy.

PFW showcased the designs of 12 Ace designers like Raakesh Agarvwal, Vikram Phadnis, Rocky S , Surily Ghosh, Mandira Wirk, Nandita Mahtani and Nivedita Saboo, It also showcased several local designers.The sophisticated, sexy, and elegant models, both male and female ( a total of 45 to 50), set hearts throbbing and pulsating to the vibrant music to suit the occasion.

Day 1 set the trend of stunning PFW showstoppers Raakesh Agarvwal and marked his couture debut influenced by the song “Diamonds are Forever”  echoed in sparkling crystals and stone work on a range of hot pinks and shell colors on shimmering satins and sexy chiffons. The main attraction in many collections was the sari churidaar – a modern twist on draping a sari for the contemporary woman. Also seen were sequined churidaars and leggings sprinkled throughout many collections. Veteran designer Satya Paul ended the first day with the celebration of his 25^th anniversary with a special edition of his tarot inspired collection – Art of Tarot which was sophisticated and had a sense of timeless elegance with his unique prints, fabrics and strong sense of colour. It was a full house at the Westin with eager fashionistas clamouring for seats to get a glimpse of this stunning collection.

For designer Mandira Wirk it was all about net, net, and more net ! Net saris in muted colours of cream, white gold bronze browns set with ornamental colored stones and crystal embellishments.

Day 2 saw collections by Payal Singhal, Nivedita Saboo and stunning showstoppers by Vikram Phadnis. A wide range of exquisite jewellery from Vijay Sandeep of Golecha Jewels set off the clothes beautifully and set Pune on fire. The trend seems to be large uncut diamond kundan work and other ornate stone collections set in gold in for the modern Indian bride. For designer Nivedita Saboo it was all about mysterious Morocco ! Beautiful elegant wear for men and women with a fusion of Moroccan palettes with Indian styles were displayed to a full house to throbbing Arabic sounds. It was an extremely elegant and wearable collection which echoed the sounds, colours and styles of Marrakesh mystique. Raveena Tandon graced the runway as the showstopper and Jackie Shroff, present  in the audience could not take his eyes off her! Malini

Agarwalla’s Flamboyart collection of accessories was mind blowing and stunning. It is available under the brand name Malaga ( an acronym created from her name) in London, Dubai and in our very own Toronto (check out Indiva)!! Stunning silver, pearl, and crystal delights never failed to mesmerize the women in the audience drawing audible gasps of delight. It was all about clutch bags and oversize bags with lots of embellishments and bows and beads. The showstopper was none other than Miss Ushoshi Sengupta, Miss India Universe and Miss Asia Pacific winner who carried her title crown worth a million bucks surrounded by bodyguards.

The night ended with Vikram Phadnis’s heart stopping collection with a full house and people clamouring for passes to get in! His collection of fine menswear and women’s wear was a full runway with all 45 models displaying his exquisite work.  The show opened to the dramatic sound of Indian temple bells and Sanskrit chants. His collection displayed dramatic black and gold ornate brocade, rich silks and heavy embroidery patchworks worked into elaborate jewel colored lehengas, achkan jackets and anarkalis and was set off with exclusive jewellery pieces by Nayaab. It was definitely a tribute to the contemporary Indian woman in all the style of royal gharaanas of days past.

Day 3 saw Seema Singh’s collection in muted tones with highlights of stone work on chiffons and silks and legging to complement the fusion wear. Deepak Shah added more masti with his elegant More Mischief’s menswear collection and had live flute music playing and showstoppers with Sandeep Soparikar, Jackie Shroff and Suniel Shetty gracing the runway. The focus was on jodhpur style pants and bandhgala jackets with embellishments of embroidery and brocade and western fusion in elegant formal wear. It was a media mayhem at the end of the show with women running behind the handsome hunks! Nandita Mahtani’s shiny, slinky, sophisticated and sexy disappointed slightly as it failed to deliver that special something.

The night ended with the curtains closing with the much awaited for Rocky S – the crowds were lining up and were impatient to get in and buzzing with anticipation to see what this designer had in store for them! It included a section called the Tribal Shock Collection with digital prints with floral and leopard motifs. Models gracefully sashayed down the ramp in lehengas, sherwanis with dhoti pants and exclusive saris and net gowns to thunderous applause!Though the collection was great, the design lacked the oomph factor.

All in all with the shows concluded, Pune has definitely arrived on the fashion scene to stay for a long time to come. This is just the beginning.Let’s wait and watch to see what surprises the gem in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra has to offer in the years to come!