LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Fashion may condemn us to many a fad, but “the most important thing you can take anywhere is not a Gucci bag or French-cut jeans but an open mind”. It is precisely this spirit of rugged individualism that Spice salutes in this fashion special.
Mercifully for all pilgrims to the grand, impeccable temple of style, fashion teeters on a much more democratic platform now, where innovation is the new classic and imagination the new tradition. From functional to formal, menswear may just be the new bearer of the whimsical yet wonderfully wearable fashion card. Spice explores the boho chic quarters of some of fashion’s newest Turks who insist on revolutionising the way men think and don fashion.
While Josh Goraya’s designs are naturally masculine and discreetly sexual, his work is an interesting mix of the classic and the contemporary that revels in the clash of the two sensibilities. Nikhil Thampi’s clothes on the other hand may stick to old school cuts for the most parts, but it’s his fascination with black and gold that makes a statement. Kunal Rawal’s work can best be described as thematic with tons of chaos with prints. Partial to an Indo-western touch, his designs play with what’s clean and what’s grunge lending his clothes a distinctive touch and feel.
After all, no passion is as consuming as the obsession to stand out. And nothing elicits the kiss of innovation more evocatively than a classic. We conjure a mellifluous medley of history and glamour with an innovative twist to the time-honoured tradition of the saree as Masaba Gupta unravels the newness and fun in embracing the saree as wearable art where rules are rewritten every day.
Here, the underskirt can now be replaced by leggings, pants or even shorts in some cases. They can now be worn as kaftans, maxi-dresses, pulled up as pants or just draped over shararas. The idea is to remain loyal to what defines you. Nothing beats the scourge of monotony like change: “to improve is to change. To be perfect is to change often”.
Unlike fashion with its blink-and-you-miss trends, jewellery, moves at a more sedate pace. Superlatives may define the spectacle of pirouetting gemstones, but it’s colour that’s storming the bastions of the sparkle brigade. With coloured stones as the trend du jour, a rainbow sensibility dominates as the palette broadens to include colours made up of rare and unusual stones from around the world. Pink and blue chalcedonies, smoky, rose and lemon quartz, chrysoprase, tourmalines and blue topaz further glamourise these haute hues with flower power nuances.
For those still addicted to the cult of classics can tune in to Sir Paul Smith who details for Spice the five staples of a man’s wardrobe that extol fashion’s sartorial tryst with forever.
Spice however, remains loyal to the cumulative rigour of creativity and craftsmanship that releases the sensual potential in the minutiae of everyday life. Over High Tea with French legendary chef and pâtissier par excellence Pierre Hermé, hosted by us at Le Cirque, The Leela Palace New Delhi recently, the Mozart of Macaroons eloquently stated: “creativity is a state of mind”. Spice couldn’t agree more; on our journey, “pleasure is the only guide”.