Bridal Bouquet

Weddings are a year-round affair and bridal expositions are popular in the city. The latest is "Bandhan", a two-day wedding exhibition that is set to roll out at Taj Chandigarh on June 23. According to its organiser, Neha Singla, "Most exhibitions don't cater to pre-wedding and post-wedding events. We are looking to address that gap." Apart from designer apparel, there will be home decor options, live make-up stations, jewellery as well as accessories brands that will participate. Customised honeymoon packages and wedding planners will also offer their services. The exposition has also partnered with Amarsons, a city-based apparel store that has launched Exclusives, a multi-designer wedding wear brand. A preview was held on Wednesday and showcased the new styles on offer that were very blingy in nature but boasted of modern silhouettes.

Vibrant Collage

It is one of the fashion shows that the city looks forward to. "Anukama", the annual design collection show of the graduating students of Northern India Institute of Fashion Technology (NIIFT), Mohali and Jalandhar, rolled out on Wednesday evening to a packed house at Tagore Theatre. Choreographed by Hemant Mehta, the show presented 54 collections by student designers encompassing five garments each. Prominent among them was Western wear, beachwear and collections based on themes like Sufism, traditional folk art of Punjab and women empowerment along with a special collection for infants. "Ethnic Outrage" by student designer Akash Kashyap focused on the artisans of Punjab who are working on Phulkari, the state's traditional embroidery, while another student Mahendra's vibrant collection titled "Galletas" kept cookies for a party as the moodboard. While many ensembles were original in design and saw the students experiment with non-conventional fabrics and mediums, a butterfly dress worn by model Tina Chatwal on the ramp seemed to be a direct rip-off of acclaimed designer Manish Arora's Butterfly Dress, part of the "Pop Art" collection showcased at Paris Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2008. The similarities were too obvious. A collection inspired by Indian hand fans by student designer Anju was noticeable for the use of the shapes and motifs of fans in the form of embroidery and patchwork on the garments. Numero Uno, a denim brand, partnered for the show. Cash prizes were given to Parbhat Kumar, who bagged the award for Best Commercial Design and Parul Singh, for the Most Innovative Design Collection.

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