Rohit Bal ends India Fashion week on Turkish delight

New Delhi, Sep 9 (UNI) The tenth edition of the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) ended in Turkish style here today with designer Rohit Bal's collection 'Siyaahi' oozing ancient styles of Iznik tiles of Turkey in the grand finale.

The prominent colour used in the collection was beautiful Indigo blue which traditionally forms the basis of Iznik style and had Turkish style and avant-garde silhouettes.

'' My creation draws inspiration from Turkish heritage which also evoked whispers of Mughal influence,'' the designer said.

About the Indian touch in his collection, which saw Bandhej work of Rajasthan, the designer said, "There is a strong Indianness in me. I am proud of Indian crafts and its incredible wealth." The show sans stars did not let the designer down who made designers like Rina Dhaka, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Varun Bahl and Ritu Kumar participants. "The real stars are the designers and their clothes, not Bollywood stars. It felt great to end the show with all the designers walking the ramp, " the designer said.

''The standing ovation I got for my collection is the greatist gift,'' Bal added.

The collection put forth a marriage of East and West, bound with form and structure, embellishment and ornamentation.

The story began with the shifting dunes of sand and time.

Neutral desert colours, a feminine soft feel, culminating in a crescendo of colour and light. The wild energy of sparkling blue, vivid greens and dark charcoal, brought to life the art of ancient history of rustling fabric and sublime garments.

The hall decorated with white artificial flowers keeping in view the theme added to the atmosphere.

The tenth edition of WIFW paid a tribute to designer Rohit Khosla, the 'de-facto founder of the modern fashion industry in India'.

The five-day fashion fete, which was made a bi-annual event last year in order to cater to international market segments, saw lissome models walking the ramp, displaying the spring/summer collections of over 70 established designers including Rocky S, Vikram Phadnis, Varun Bahl, and ten new designers as a part of the Hi-5 duo intiative.

The fashion exposition saw its share of Bollywood presence with actors Shilpa Shetty, Lara Dutta and Celina Jaitley, among others walking the ramp for designers.

Termed the biggest trade fair for the fashion fraternity, the event was organised by the country's apex fashion body Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI).

The venue this year moved to sprawling Pragati Maidan from the ballrooms of the luxury hotels with a view to accommodating the growing number of participants in the event.

UNI