India Men's Fashion Week: high on ideas low on business...??

India hosted its inaugural men's fashion week on Friday, September 11, 2009, which seemed like a long overdue nod to a growing and lucrative market often overshadowed by women's clothes. Van Huesen India Men's Fashion Week kicked off in the capital New Delhi with hopes to capture the interest of India's millions of young males, many of whom have so far only traded in traditional cotton outfits, shop-bought shirts and trousers. The Men's week is India's first fashion event for men, it showcased 15 shows by 21 designers.

As promising as that sounds, the men's fashion week...fell flat on the tall claims it made when a handful domestic buyers seemed to float around on the venue and preferred not to place any orders during the three day long celebration. As for international buyer's take - Indian designers have a long way to go before they make it internationally in men’s wear.

But none of that takes away from the fact that this fashion week for men. was a start ...a step in the right direction. And looking at how dutifully the designers turned up to support this initiative...we can only hope that the Men's fashion week does get its most deserved place in the ever expanding list of the Indian fashion weeks.

First of many...

A digital portrait made on a wacom tablet...my first try at it... :D

Saying it with Black, White and little bit of Pink...

Kimaya- an illustrious fashion house in Mumbai, decided to pamper its elite set of clients with a new service...these posters were designed for the purpose of spreading the word...

A Point to be Made...

A POP design for Fevicol, carrying forward their witty tone to communicate, a woodpecker with a broken beak perched tree branch with Fevicol tubes stacked on it...the design was made to be easy to transport and put together...

Hiding behind those eyes...

The World of Men's Fashion...

An article written during my internship with Kimaya - an illustrous fashion house in Mumbai. The article was published on Vouge India online -http://www.vogue.in/blog_detail.aspx?p_id=196&u_id=147

Since ages it has been believed that women have the exclusive rights to fashion and dressing up to look gorgeous. The world of men's fashion has often been overlooked. In the past few decades however, the fashion world has started to wake up to the fact that men don't just want bland grey suits and blue polo shirts. Finally men are getting their due. The very fact that specialist women'swear designers have entered into the male clothing segment is proof enough of the potential of men's wear in the market.
Today Ayamik is an integral part of all Kimaya ventures. This is not to say that the 80:20 ratios don't hold anymore, it is quiet obvious considering women's taste for fashion. Men have however plunged headlong into fashion, and our sales at Ayamik establishes that. Even though the area dedicated to Ayamik in New Delhi, Mumbai, Banglore and Chennai are low, the average sales per square foot are high.
However, it would be impulsive to say that men will ever catch up to women in terms of their interest and dedication to fashion has become as increasingly important component of the fashionindustry as most men seem to be discovering the importance that clothes have in their lives.
After generations of relying on women to shop effectively for them, men's interest in shopping is no longer atrophied. Today fueled by men's style magazines and the increasing focus of designers in catering to the preferences of male customers, the male focus on fashion has been successfully altered. Men are realizing that the clothes that they wear are a major statement on their personalities. Though men's fashion is not as diverse as women's, still the industry has an assortment of trends, appealing and sophisticated for men. We might soon have to revise the saying“it's the man that makes the clothes, not the clothes that make the man”.
A mens fashion week in India is just the beginning, a step in the right direction...there is tremendous scope for mens fashion in India, but we have been neglecting this sector big time as not many designers display their men's collections at their stores and even if they do, it is a sherwani or an achkan range. The choices are very limited, as men's fashion is all about brands and that too you can count on one hand. There are not many big players in the market as of now.
The men's fashion week is an attempt to tap domestic buyers because it is high time we understand the hidden potential this market has. We should leave no stone unturned to make India the ultimate fashion destination.
Speaking of emerging trends this year...having recently attended the Brazil Fashion Week in the month of January, I am of strong belief that Brazil carries the promise of being the next fashion hotspot, churning out fresh ideas and trends. The overall feeling of brazilian fashion is a mix of
influences, forms, shapes, textures and bright colors that come together to create sexy and sassy brazilian way-of-living.
Lastly, on recession affecting the fashion industry, there seems to be a loose tendency for bull markets to be associated with bare knees. A “new nostalgia” is pervading the fashion world.

The recession has induced a resurgence of seasoned styles. The unfamiliar and envelope-pushing is out. Few risks will be taken; meanwhile, there will be muted palettes aplenty. While the

migration towards styles that feel familiar is logical given the economic climate, classic pieces make more sense because you can wear them again and over again. It's less wasteful.
We are channeling to a more austere sensibility, to pureness of lines centered on cut rather than decoration, the laser geometry of shapes and silhouettes are all maybe signs of a graphic protection linked unconsciously to recession, just like at the end of the '80s.
When times get tough, people want things that are real and lasting. Black is certainly reflective of that. It's what you can bank on, and it's the most elegant color. Value for money is going to be the mantra; customers today want to buy more for less money.

Look through my lens what do you see.....NIFT !!

A series of visuals interpreting my college the way i saw it for the four years i was there...four whole years...

The beauty and the beast....

Series of pictures I shot to showcase a designer friend's garments...each garment had a distinct central theme and so the styling and the shots were attuned to the same...
The garment on the top predicated the beast concealed within the beauty...while the later puts through with eloquence and fragility a women lost in fond memories...struck by nostalgia.

To hold within....the feelings of a flower!!

A full-sized dummy representing the packaging for a feminine perfume - Asmara. It is the very name Asmara -connoting the name of 'a forest of flowers'; which gives the essence of the packaging thus designed.

Teasers designed for a hypothetical Indian shoe brand - VAYU. Light and swift as the wind the brand was concieved to be radical, confident and un-apologetic about it. The teasers denounce the other known brands in a brusque manner...the first one shows all the leaves blown off the 'Woodland

tree' and the 'Nike swooshes' flying away in apprehension of the new competition...

DENIM: fading away...

Denim is more than just a cotton fabric; it inspires strong opinions within the hearts of historians, designers, teenagers, movie stars, reporters and writers. From the 17th century to the present,denim has been woven, used and discarded; made into upholstery, pants and awnings; found inmuseums, attics, antique stores and archaeological digs; worn as the fabric of hard, honest work and as the expression of angry rebellion.The magazine American Fabrics rightly stated when it said “If we were to use a human term to describe a textile we might say that denim is an honest fabric - substantial, forthright, andunpretentious.
So how did this utilitarian and unpretentious fabric become the stuff of legends that it is today?Well a part of the answer could be the life and work of a Bavarian-born businessman who made his way to Gold Rush San Francisco more than 150 years ago – Levi Strauss. A brilliant businessman who saw denim for what it was worth even in its days of it being a work fabric. From the 1950s to the present, denim and jeans have been associated with youth, with new ideas,with rebellion, with individuality And with the denims making a smooth entry into the corporate world, it has become a permanent fixture in everyone's wardrobe. Another key factor withdenim is it never goes out of style. In any office, when it is casual Friday, just about everyonewears denim. The other great feature about denim is that just about every colour goes well with denim, and into day's fast-paced environment, anything that's easy is going to be popular.The very fact that during the 1970s, the coming of plaid, polyester, no-wrinkle flares put merelya pause to in denim's continued ascension to global dominion proves its vitality. A closer look shows that denim never really disappeared.."

With all of the new technology making some things obsolete, denim is one thing you can count on.Other new twists on denim are becoming popular. Denim jackets are popular again, with variationsin color, washes badges and rivets. It's a staple for all homes. There will be trends to dress up this fabric, with new colors and patterns, but it will remain a solid seller
Some prefer it dark, while some still prefer light wash denim. Some like it plain classic, some like it ripped. Some prefer it with button down collars, straight collars, and who knows what else. Be it lighter weights and heavier weights. The bottom line is that denim and twill are here to stay.Let's face it-some things are timeless. And there is no end in sight for this comfortable, casual, corporate wear, which entwines within its weaves the dreams, rebellions and individuality ofnumerous generations gone and to come. Then, as now, denim makes our lives easier by makingus comfortable; and gives us a little bit of history every time we put it on..

...smells like freshly ground heaven !!

It is said that ' There is no better way to douse a sunsire than with coffee' - this is my innate way of verifying it. :)

That butterfly smile..... :)

A pencil sketch of a zippy lil girl i met on my train to home once....

Look within....the secret is inside you!

A series of compostions done on corel draw and photoshop illustrating some of my drifting introspections.

Of birds and ladybirds...

Simple compositions attempted in achromatic and monochromatic pallettes...

Seeing the world in black n white...

There seems to be something strange and powerful about black-and-white imagery.Here's a series of still life's done in graphite pencils.