Earthy hues rule day one at India Fashion Week.

New Delhi, Mar 12 : Earthy hues inspired by nature, ruled day one in India's most spectacular fashion extravaganza Wills India Fashion Week in the national capital on Wednesday.

'Save the Earth' by ace designer Vikram Phadnis, famous for his association with Bollywood, showcased dresses in neutral and earthy colours in stylised silhouettes.

The biennial event, witnessed a splash of basic colour elements from Mother Nature in tones of brown, green, blue and black with elaborate headgears, making their presence felt at the event.

In an effort to spread the message of saving the environment, under threat from Global Warming, the fashion fraternity is coming together this year, to do their bit for the cause.

This time a host of the country's celebrated designers will come together to weave-in the themes of global warming and saving the environment in their collections.

Vikram's collection comprising dresses, jackets, skirts and shirts in fabrics such as linens, silks, georgettes and jerseys all worked together towards that effect only.

"When I started doing this collection, I picked out the basic colour elements of nature which is soil, leaf, rose and water and my entire collection revolved around that. The day I started putting this collection together, I realised that what was most important was putting the presentation together, the music, the hairstyle, everything had to be just right for the kind of garments," said Vikram.

In complete contrast to Vikram's muted collection was designer Mandira Wirk's ensembles, where metallic colours added glamour and charisma to the dresses.

Silver, dull golds, dust of grey with a hint of black, all combined together to create this 'eclectic mix of glamour, elegance and luxury'.

'Metallic Luxe' showcased a variety of single piece dresses and an array of separates, in lurex jersey, cotton lurex, corded lace in this 'powerful collection with a very positive attitude'.

This feminine yet edgy collection stood out for its exuberance.

"We have crop jackets with flip-flop panels, ball shaped skirts, lots of sequins, embroidery on the jackets and skirts. We have angular silhouettes with clinched waist with stylized belts and turtle neck jersey tops," said Mandira.

Around 82 designers will showcase their autumn and winter collections at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week' 2008 for more than 150 domestic and international buyers, at the Pragati Maidan, a sprawling trade promotion complex in the heart of New Delhi.

Estimated at around 6-7 billion rupees, the Indian fashion industry is slated to grow further by leaps and bounds.

Events like the Wills India Fashion Week provide a platform for the designers to directly interact with the buyers and do good business.

ANI