Festivities do not always have to be all about blingy Saris or the embellished Anarkalis. We can always make festive wear fun, stylish and pocket-friendly by adding a twist to it. Designers nowadays have come up with new ways to fuse Indo-Western style and are doing a great job at it. This year’s Indian fashion weeks have seen the biggest and the best fashion designers of the country come out of their comfort zone and experiment with colours, monochromes, prints etc. These trends are being embraced by most people nowadays because they seem practical and effortlessly stylish.
We have seen the entire Film Fraternity of India experiment with Anarkalis for all sorts of events in the past. This year the floor length Anarkalis debuted. These are often seen worn by many celebrities for weddings, film promotions and such events. They look exotically beautiful when paired with the right pair of accessories, and somewhat remind us of a fusion between Anarkalis and lehengas. They seem very comfortable apart from being breathtaking as well as there is no need for churidhars to be worn with them. These are easily available in small stores that sell Ethnic wear. You can always get it customized by getting in touch with a local tailor or get it stitched from the scratch. It is less time consuming, as you do not have to go looking from one store to another and is easier on the wallet. Sabyasachi Mukherjee, a renowned Indian designer introduced a new trend of striped blouses paired with plain satin sarees or skirts. It was sported by many celebrities after the trend hit the runways. These trendy blouses look edgy and wonderful when paired with Kundan jewellery as it adds a touch of ethnicity. They can also be paired with a monochrome lace skirt and a stole in case you find it difficult to pull off sarees. These sarees and skirts are easily available in the markets these days. Lace skirts look extremely trendy and can be worn for brunches, for a light breezy look or for dinners as per your preference and styling. These striped blouses can also be worn as crop tops if stitched well. You can always pair them up with high waist skirts, trousers and shorts. If you do not mind showing off that mid riff then pair them with a well fitted pair of jeans for a day out.
Fusion wear isn’t loved just on the runway, but is worn by many fashion lovers nowadays across the country. Varun Bahl’s peplum Kurtis paired with printed trousers are this season’s favourites. Interestingly, since these Kurtis are plain and bling-free, they can also be worn as a formal-wear if paired with minimal accessories and a nice pair of pumps. The best way to DIY this trend is by wearing a peplum top on top of a well-fitted long kurti and pairing them with trousers. They would look as good as the ones you see on the runway and is a much better option as you can use these key pieces in your daily wardrobe separately as well. You can also try and rock the Princess or Goddess look. Now who doesn’t want to look like Cleopatra or Aphrodite? Designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla’s gorgeous piece of work designed for actress Anushka Sharma can easily be called an Indo-Egyptian inspired ensemble. Go for plain black or white ensembles and pair them up with golds. A plain white or black maxi dress accessorized beautifully with a golden cuff, clutch or a bib necklace would look extremely classy and Egyptian/Greek Goddess-like. If you feel adventurous and want to look different or bohemian, try wearing a printed dress or maxi and pair it with these simple silver, gold or Kundan accessories. Kumbh Mela held in India every year has inspired ace Designer, Tarun Tahiliani for his ‘Kumbhback’ collection that debuted this year. There are tops with shoulder embellishments, sophisticated Palazzo pants, embroidered Sarees and Tulle dresses in this collection that give out an ethnic and rustic vibe inspired from these Melas that are held annually in our country. The tulle dress is a favourite among most fashioned lovers. All you have to do is get a tulle skirt in a bright hue and pair it with a plain or printed tube top, and accessorize well with ethnic silver jewelery which is easily available anywhere in India. Or buy a plain saree in Orange, yellow or any bright colour and get it embroidered on the sides. You can also buy plain tank tops and embellish them with glue and sequins at home and wear them with plain palazzo pants, a pretty clutch and voila! you’re good to go! Since we are talking about experimenting, Masaba Gupta most definitely has to be mentioned here for her out-of-the-box thought process and interesting experimentation. This festive season, wear amazing funky printed tunics or Kurtis like the ones from Masaba’s collection that hit the WIFW runways this year. Pair them up with leggings, printed or lace trousers, harem or dhoti pants or beautiful skirts with Zari embroidery, depending on the occasion. These tunics would look amazing as work wear or college wear as well, so you don’t really need to put them back in your closet once the festive season’s over.
Fashion is all about being artistic and experimental so use it to your advantage and think wisely before you shop. Before you buy something, you need to think if it is something you would use again in the future or not. You can always wear these embellished tops, peplums, palazzos, skirts, floor length Anarkalis etc, as a part of your daily wardrobe. Those tried and tested safe options are so last season and since these pieces are funky they can always be used later. There are loads of options and inspiration available nowadays, so think of that when you go festival shopping. Wish you all happiness and luck and don’t forget to have fun with these trends!
