A to Z of fashion

The fashion capitals dabbled in art movements and found solace in soft sorbet shades this season. Shows hinted at fitness with luxed-up versions of sportswear, while the classic Oxford shirt won the vote. Baubles turned larger-than-life, bags became hard-cased miniatures and shoes followed the slip-on route. From New York to Delhi, the style stars have spoken - click through the alphabet for the hottest trends.

ART MOVEMENT

Hasty scribbles and lush strokes dominate this season as designers make art from fashion. Chanel’s prints featured samples of every shade on the Pantone card while abstract motifs made the cut with Phoebe Philo at Céline. Prada took the powerful (and feminist) route with colour-blocked prints inspired by murals from LA and South America, showcasing Miuccia’s sense of politics.

Photographs:Imaxtree.com/Alessandro Lucioni (Runway), Davide Gallizio (Backstage), Vincenzo Grillo (Street Style); Gulshan Sachdeva (WIFW)

Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Chanel, Céline, Versace 

BOTANY CLASS

Floral for summer is a no-brainer, but this season the trend went technical. Less exaggerated and more realistic, the blooms came straight out of a biology lab. Hermès’ prints were reminiscent of exotic jungles while Christopher Kane dissected flowers with a textbook approach. Raf Simons took the realism one step further by lending Dior’s classic verdant patterns to jewellery shaped to resemble elements of hanging gardens.

Christopher Kane

CUT SHORT

Designers collectively decided to do away with the extra – fabric, that is. Pants got shorter as Nida Mahmood, Hemant & Nandita and Autre by Gautam Gupta went in for Daisy Duke-style, beach-ready shorts while Bodice by Ruchika Sachdeva, Namrata Joshipura and Surendri by Yogesh Chaudhary brought back a take-to-work elegance with the city shorts.

Surendri by Yogesh Chaudhary, Pia Pauro, Hemant & Nandita, Autre by Gautam Gupta

DOTTED FRENZY

Looks like the circle will be the shape of things to come. Ashish N Soni turned out a polka-dotted’50s extravaganza while péro by Aneeth Arora celebrated the versatility of the dot through weaves from different regions of India. Masaba Gupta locked the circles in a monochromatic grid and Payal Pratap layered thecircles with embroidered florals for a crafty finish.

Ashish N Soni

EXPOSED MIDRIFFS

The waist is in focus this season as the runways were all about the abs. A tricky trend if you’re not acquainted with the treadmill, but take styling cues from Rahul Mishra and Dev R Nil, and wear a long jacket or pair high-waist bottoms with your crop tops to reveal just a sliver of skin.

Rajdeep Ranawat, Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna, Dev R Nil, Rahul Mishra

FEELING CRAFTY

Pleats, ruching and cutwork – all handmade texture, all the time. Nachiket Barve gave us a master class on fossils and rock culture through intricate surface ornamentation and Romance Was Born created a rainbow-hued cushion of frills while Rinku Sobti and Mrinalini made paper-like strips out of fabric to create dynamic movement.

Romance Was Born, Amit Aggarwal, Manish Gupta, Samanth Chauhan

GAME ON

More glamorous than your everyday gym wear but with all of the utility – sporty gets a high-fashion spin this season. Shweta Kapur’s minimalist interpretation at 431-88 is good enough to take out to dinner, as are Shivan & Narresh’s colour-blocked, buckled pencil dresses. Surendri by Yogesh Chaudhary brings back the tracksuit, while Sanchita’s rhinestone-embellished sweatshirt is the epitome of urban luxe.

Malini Ramani, 431-88 by Shweta Kapur, Surendri by Yogesh Chaudhary, Shivan & Narresh

HIGH SHINE

Metallics got more than a moment in the spotlight. Sparkle is usually reserved for the night, but with Altuzarra’s glossy pencil skirt, you now have an excuse to wear it to work. Emilio Pucci’s alloy parka, Lanvin’s line-up of lustrous separates and Proenza Schouler’s now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t foiled pleats are sign enough that shine doesn’t need a special occasion.

Emilio Pucci

INDIA REDUX

Reworking what we have come to expect of Indian textiles and shapes, designers took a restrained route with a heavy focus on craft. Rahul Mishra had sport on his mind as he experimented with jamdani weaves and Gujarati bandhani on jersey, while Payal Pratap decided to do over the salwar by creating a fresh, layered silhouette.

Paromita Banerjee, Rahul Mishra, Urvashi Kaur, Krishna Mehta

JUMP TO IT

Move over LBD, there is a new one-piece wonder angling to take over our wardrobes. The jumpsuit is versatile and comes suited for every body type and personality. Are you one for drama? Pick Gauri & Nainika’s sculpted yet fluid piece. Is comfort your criteria? Then Shivan & Narresh’s crisp but roomy overalls are for you.

Dev R Nil, Namrata Joshipura, Shivan & Narresh, Rehane

KEEP IT EASY

Footwear is in a ’90s mood with mules of every kind making an appearance. A follow-up to the ugly shoe: pool slides, packed with all their rubber-soled glory, are now perfectly acceptable at all occasions. The simple slide-on, slide-off formula has a glamorous bent, too – Sportmax’s satin version comes in soft, sorbet shades while Chloé’s slip-on wooden wedges are perfect for a bit of nonchalant boho-chic.

Laura Biagiotti, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Zero + Maria Cornejo, MSGM, Sportmax, JW Anderson

LACE LOVE

Delicate lacework was all over the runway. Aneeth Arora used the peek-a-boo fabric as a trim throughout péro’s vintage tea-party themed collection while designers like Paras & Shalini, Mynah Designs by Nikhita and Not So Serious by Pallavi Mohan used the webby fabric to give their designs an elegant backbone.

Rabani & Rakha, péro by Aneeth Arora, Mynah Designs by Nikhita, Abdul Halder

MONO MANIA

Opposites have a way of exploding into magic sometimes, don’t they? The strongest combination of the season, black and white made bedfellows in solid blocks at Wendell Rodricks and Ashish N Soni, while striped versions cropped up at Amit Aggarwal, Zubair Kirmani and Vaishali S.

Wendell Rodricks, Masaba Gupta, Vaishali S, Amit Aggarwal 

NAME CALLING

Logos are back! For his final show at Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs graffitied Edie Campbell while Alexander Wang made sure his name was on everyone’s lips by going Op-art and etching it on leather. Ashish did a sequinned take on retro pop brands and Raf Simons made words count at Dior with prints of psychedelic poetry.

Louis Vuitton

OXFORD GRAD

The button-down shirt gets sexier and sharper this season. Alexander Wang’s crisp but naughty version came unbuttoned and paired with bed-ready boxers. Tod’s and Bottega Veneta stuck to feminine styles in white while Prabal Gurung made his in poplin, with fanned-out sleeves.

Alexander Wang, Victoria Beckham, N°21, Prabal Gurung

PLEAT TREAT

Designers had fun with folded flares this season and added bounce to your step. Proenza Schouler, Rochas and Haider Ackermann sent out shimmying accordion-pleated skirts while Dries Van Noten made architectural patterns out of the crimped frills. Another running theme? They were all in metallic.

Dries Van Noten

QUICK STEP

Fashion shows became performance art as a slew of designers made a song and dance. Rick Owens’ powerful show had stepping teams replace the conventional idea of models – clothed in black, charcoal, beige and white, the grit-faced crew stomped through a crisply choreographed routine. Moschino had reason to celebrate – to commemorate their 30th Anniversary, Rossella Jardini revived some of Franco Moschino’s iconic pieces with yesteryear supermodels including Pat Cleveland, Gisele Zelauy and Alek Wek doing little jigs on the runway.

Rick Owens

RIOTOUS PATTERNS

Prints are getting all hot and heavy the lines are blurred, colours run amuck and shapes get distorted.

Leonard, Yigal Azrouël, Clover Canyon, Jeremy Scott, Peter Pilotto

SORBET STORIES

Summer hues take the softer route with fondant shades sweeping the runway. Prabal Gurung put out a cooler tone of the colour of the season – lavender, matched with pasty lipstick. Philosophy had the perfect shade of strawberry swirl while Rochas and Blugirl went with a minty-fresh, Smurf blue.

Burberry, Fendi, Christopher Kane, Blugirl

TRIBAL TERRITORY

Celebrating geographical and cultural diversity, Indian designers looked to exotic ethnicities for their Spring/Summer 2014 shows. am:pm by Ankur and Priyanka Modi unearthed ancient motifs and gave it an architectural turn, replete with edgy jewellery like face harnesses and lip rings. Pia Pauro took an African safari as the starting point to her collection with geometric Afrikaans prints, while Malini Ramani’s designs hinted at a gilded Masai inspiration.

am:pm by Ankur and Priyanka Modi

UNUSUAL BAUBLES

If there’s one accessory you must invest in this summer, it is the statement jewel. Think bold colours, larger-than-life proportions and a touch of punk.

Aigner, Chanel, Prada, Marni, Givenchy 

VAULT BAGS

With their hard cases and metal frames, the bags of Spring/ Summer 2014 are tough nuts to crack. The mini size won the popularity contest – Roberto Cavalli turned a hip flask into an elegant evening bag while Creatures of the Wind had the models clutching the miniature version of a briefcase.

Aigner, Maison Martin Margiela, Olympia Le-Tan, Lanvin, Chanel

WIDE-LEG TROUSERS

Pants got roomier and followed one motto – the bigger, the better. Pleats played a huge role in the expansion at Bodice by Ruchika Sachdeva, Mrinalini and am:pm by Ankur and Priyanka Modi while the ’70s flare was seen at Rajdeep Ranawat and Autre by Gautam Gupta. Look to Urvashi Kaur and Virtues by Ashish, Viral and Vikrant for a new update on wearing your palazzos – a peplum top.

Rajdeep Ranawat, Payal Pratap, Bodice by Ruchika Sachdeva, Virtues by Ashish, Viral and Vikrant, Mrinalini

X-RAY DRESSING

Mesh, organza and tulle make sure this season is all skin. If you’re not one to reveal, try Dior’s trick and add a sheer layer under a mini dress or, even over a dress like at Erden. If you’re not too shy, follow Burberry, Gucci and Antipodium’s dare-to-bare approach.

Valentino, Costume National, Gucci, Antipodium

YOUNG LABELS

Stella Jean 

A new label at Milan Fashion week, Stella Jean has its roots in Haiti and Italy. Jean’s strong collection was an explosion of colour with Creole prints and stripes on lady-like full skirts and crisp button-down shirts. 

Delpozo

A label established in Spain in 1974, Delpozo got an international launch only last year under the creative direction of Josep Font. Deeply feminine with voluminous silhouettes, soft colours and couture-ready embellishment, the brand is a fresh force to reckon with. 

Niharika Pandey

Quirky and playful, Pandey’s vivacious collection was filled with embroidered nostalgic motifs in neon colours. Frayed denim, sheer fabrics and sequined surfaces made her show a visual treat.

Josh Goraya 

Goraya’s Spring/ Summer 2014 offering is a refreshing mix of minimalism and sportswear. Designing for both men and women, his silhouettes are tailored and precise, but with an underlying layer of cool.

Maiyet

With ethics at the core of its design philosophy, Maiyet is an effort atcombining artisanal with fashion. Spring/ Summer 2014 saw the label successfully striking that balance with slip dresses and shirt-dresses in embroidered silk, sourced from Varanasi.

The Next Episode by Shantanu Singh 

Sculpted silhouettes, intricate pleating and patchwork – Singh’s collection was reminiscent of wearable art. Quirky accessories and candy colour-blocking made his show one to remember.

Stella Jean, The Next Episode by Shantanu Singh, Niharika Pandey, Josh Goraya 

ZIP-UP

A leftover from winter, the bomber jacket gets a renewed run. The urban staple’s new updates include a structured barrel sleeve, as seen at Guy Laroche and Marni, a longer length like at Stella McCartney and even waterproof neoprene à la DKNY.

Guy Laroche, DKNY, Acne, Stella McCartney