While Summer in India usually translates as sun, sweat and skin-burning sizzle (if you are a fan of tanned skin), the season ushers delightful colour, cool fabrics and breezy silhouettes in a palette that evokes nostalgic holidays in exotic destinations you dream about, but haven’t been to yet. I selected three of my favourite `go-to’ brands that are about personality, as much as they are about feminine power, comfort and all season individuality. Yes, their summer lines as delicious as cold ice golas in rainbow syrups and chilled water melon vodka shots.
Anita Dongre
Ushers in sun-kissed colours and season’s delightful surprises with motifs of nature. Printed and hand embroidered stories of love trickle onto her selection of sarees from her Songs of Summer collection. Easy drapes, light, exquisite fabrics with motifs borrowed from nature and soft, silken fabrics is Dongre’s solution to staying sexy and cool. Weaved in rich silk and threads of gold or silver, Dongre has indulged in beautiful Benaras weaves this season, journeying through age-old Rajasthani traditions embroidered on gorgeous sarees. Love stories, ballads and long evenings under majestic trees sipping lemon tea… I love Dongre’s idea of creating the illusion of breezy colours when heated temperatures hit the sanest of us all. Do they come accessorised with umbrellas?! Think not.
Pero
This season Pero broke the rules with a collection designed for winter, but created with a robust spirit for summer.
As Pero took the ramp at the recently concluded FDCI fashion week, all I thought of were sweet, sweet bougainvilleas — my favourite all time, all season summer flower that has now become my all time state of mind.
Bringing winter’s spring into her collection to brighten up gloomy winters for an intense statement, Pero used vibrant pink, coral, sultry reds, throwing them together with grey, black and off-white to create a dynamism of traffic stopping statements. Over sized block print trench coats with delightful appliqué flowers, trimmed lace to create texture, complimented with delicious geometric over sized tote bags I could fit all my sunny cats into. Delightful, tasteful, a display of mastery over skill, imagination and technique, and so ahead of the rut fashion ramps these days are plagued with. Pity it’s a fall-winter collection. At the risk of fainting spells, I would dare wear them when bravado emboldens that all risks are worth it.
Zara
As Zara India continues to hold top dog slot in India’s Pret contemporary fashion narrative – we are all there every season, every collection and every sale that hits town – this summer Zara takes us to Marrakesh with a travel inspired line that I wish came with a contest to win a holiday to Morocco. Exotic, comfort driven and earthy in tonality, weather inspired flares, roomy trousers, denims, polka dots have come home to stay this season. You should flaunt it if you have it.
Stay cool!!
