Calico by Gaurang – rekindled the reminiscence of 11th Century colours, motifs and weaving brilliance. The sweetest spot in his show was ‘Mom to be’ Carol Gracias – who walked the ramp for GAURANG with absolute grace and confidence in his hand crafted khadi jamdani sari.
Gaurang Shah’s fusion collection ‘CALICO’ on Sustainable Fashion day at LFW this year was absolutely delightful. Paying reverence to the aesthetics of early 20th century Indian royalty and uniting traditional Indian textiles with vintage silhouettes, Gaurang presented his line of 40 Spring Summer ‘16’ collection, “Calico” at the Lakme Fashion Week 2016.
Song writer and singer Manasi Scott set the tone playing a beautiful composition of Indian Jazz music as 40 models walked gracefully at the ramp one after another.
Well known for his sarees, ghagra and anarkalis his ensemble of 40 collections that included 24 outfits and 16 sarees, its brilliantly woven trend-setter western flair is bound to awe the International stylists and every modern fashion consumer. It is something we never expected in hand-looms, each and everyone were heard saying after attending the textile designer show.
Each of those ensembles crafted from exquisite hand-woven textiles in Khadi, Uppada and Kota using the Jamdani technique were radiant and captivated the audience. Showcasing iconic weaves and techniques in all their unfettered glory, “Calico” flaunted the rich and vibrant history of Indian craftsmanship while championing the Indian woman of today.
What took the audience by surprise was when Mom to Be Carol Gracias walked the ramp for GAURANG, flaunting her baby bump. It was inspirational Gaurang said post the show. It brought out the brilliance of sari in its full grandeur. It will inspire expectant mother to drape sari with aplomb and coolness he added. Carol Gracias wore an olive green tree of life saree. The saree she wore was a khadi jamdani with a muga texture and the blouse was a chikankari on kota styled in a jacket style blouse.
Each of his ‘Jamdani’ style woven pieces from GAURANG’s CALICO Collection displayed an interesting interplay of textures in the warp and weft. It was the intriguing never seen before twists that he created in his saris that used khadi by khadi, khadi and muga and in another khadi and organza that awed the audience.
Gaurang evoked a unique nostalgia. The saris using his hallmark ethnic materials and fabric were draped in royal styles of 12 states and the gowns followed the silhouettes of the Belle Epoch period in beautiful earthen tones. He even used an unusual 28 to 30 metres of fabric for one of the gown that involved fine, light fabric and skilful tailoring.
This collection is a move to accelerate and draw the attention for international audience to Indian Traditional clothing and its timeless beauty Gaurang stated.
GAURANG states nowhere is this confluence more evident than in the fashion of this fascinating era, bedecked in jewels, respecting centuries of tradition and heritage, while embracing modernity the Maharanis of this era harnessed their aesthetics to make a powerful statement with their outfits.
It was truly a befitting tribute to Sustainable Fashion. His ‘Calico’ was truly a showstopper.
