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A fun event with lots of creativity thrown in — the NIFT graduation show had its share of variety and versatility, reports RADHIKA RAJAMANI
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THE GRADUATION show of the students of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) throws up new talent which explores new vistas and keeps the fashion cauldron simmering. Design 04 too was a step in that direction. The show had new choreographers this time - three of the faculty members Malini D, Sanjay Shrivastav and Anupreet Bhalla. The canvas was wide with quite a few themes. It was a contemporary pastiche of fashion fusion - but the Indianness was inherent in the fabrics and embellishments. Top models like Jesse Randhawa, Candice Pinto, Tapur Chatterjee, Aryan Vaid walked the ramp with panache wearing the creations of budding designers for a change. The flow of creativity at NIFT does not ebb. New themes, silhouettes, textures, fabric development, new treatment and a kaleidoscope of colours appear each time. Last year's show had more students as well as some issues like AIDS were taken up. Compared to the previous years where spirituality was the undertone of many collections, this year the garments were more casual and informal.
For the student this show symbolises creativity - research and burning lot of midnight oil. In this show the garment construction sparked off the wearability factor. The impracticality of most was visible. Since it is a show of creativity, perhaps the practicality aspect may not be the dominant factor.
The opening collection by Jaishree Bansal - `An End to the Supreme Search began with a bang. An awe-inspiring theme combining the traditional jamewar silks with the age-old temple textiles and accessories , it was enhanced by the synchronised music and lighting. Inspired by the Hindu mythological goddesses, the ensembles had a serene, spiritual feel.
Some students sought inspiration in art and craft. Bhakti Reddy's `Divine hues' (stimulated by Tanjore paintings) and Ashu Gautam's `Strong on strings' (motivated by puppetry) were characterised by rich colours which is inherent to the painting and living tradition. Bhakti, for instance, used Kanchipuram silks (with beautiful motifs) to show off the richness. "Normally people don't use Kanchipuram for such things. I developed the fabrics along with the weavers in the temple town." Ashu did quite a bit of surface ornamentation on her chiffons, organzas and raw silk.
The emphasis in this show seemed to be on the casual, street look. Prachi Bajaj's `Out in the Wild' revolved around the attire of a cowgirl. Prerna dished out a `khichdi' in `It's a filmi khichdi' (where Bollywood provided the stimulus and there was a certain retro feel). Neeraj Kumar `Contort cult' was based on the Samurai of Japan.
Neha's trendy street wear (based on panchatattva elements) used crochet. Meenakshi Sirkha in `It's a Mad Mad Ad World' used billboards, posters and hoardings. `Basanti meets Madonna' (by Neha Celly) was a fusion in terms of idea (a meeting of the rustic and the modern) and the couture.
Krishna Mukhi looked at the contrasting world of the prostitute in `She comes undone'. Renu sought inspiration from the air force and the shapes of the fighter planes inspired the cuts and panels (`Into the horizon'). Megha Shah tried to portray the roots of one's identity in `Kachche dhaage' which showed traditional embroidery with contemporary styling.
Subhashree (`The Biker brats') and Sarmista Pantham's (`The Troupe') collections stood out as they were modelled by five children and NIFT students. Kids sported rugged `street' wear which had a strong bike look. Sarmista brought back the lively circus fun through her colourful clothes.
More examples of versatility were evident in Sathya (`Facades'), Sruthi Reddy's (Let's go get lost), Meenu Meena (`O' Peace Come'), Kadambari Deepak (`Glam Slam'), Bhoomika Kathuria (`Con' jonnection'), Rohit Chandola (`The pain, deep inside'), Rinkee Sinha (`A beautiful mind') and Sweta Mendon (`Virtual Insanity).
One would like to add that NIFT should perhaps pay more attention to the organisational aspects of the show (entry and seating) and issue invitations/passes commensurate with the seating capacity. Viewers had to jostle for many minutes to get into the hall.
Such a show provides a platform to students giving them a headstart in their creativity. From then on it's for the students to leapfrog in the fashion circuit. Some students are already on the job of thinking what to do next.
While Bhakti Reddy wants to study further in London (she has got an offer to design for a Telugu film), Rinki wants to work in an export house , Renu wants to work with a well-known designer, Ashu's interest is in fabric development and surface ornamentation. Is not creativity about fresh ideas and forging ahead ?
Different steps
IF ONE had seen the choreography of the graduation show of NIFT one would have felt like saying, move over Prasad Bidapa, Harmeet Bajaj (who had choreographed the earlier shows) and other choreographers.
For the choreography by the in-house team comprising faculty members Malini D., Sanjay Shrivastav and Anupreet Bhalla was as good as any professional/trained choreographer. Good patterns complemented by excellent music and lighting were the key ingredients. Models were not hurried on stage - the pace was just right for viewers to take a close look at the garments.
What made the faculty members turn to choreography? Malini D says: "We have done shows before (of course, not the graduation ones). Over a period of time we picked up the nuances. Moreover, we have been working with the students closely and know each one's intensity of involvement with his/her collection. So we felt why not experiment and depict their ideas well." The whole show right from organising the backdrop to the final execution was planned within a week.
"We had to have a common backdrop to depict the various moods and looks. Also, we had to depict in a dramatic way, yet maintaining a simple look throughout," says Malini.
The music was eclectic and even included some Indian tunes, which were blended to get the fusion sound. Music was sourced from the music bank created in the institute.
"In some cases students came up with the kind of tracks they wanted. Otherwise, we chose them keeping the collection in mind," says Malini. On the whole, it was a satisfying exercise to choreograph the show. The trio is oriented to choreography and is now open to doing more such shows. Is anybody listening?
The award goes to...
Here are the prize winners:
Best Design Collection: Jaishree Bansal
Most Creative Collection: Ashu Gautam
Best Use of Traditional Skills inContemporary Styling: Bhakti Reddy
Best Garment Construction: Satya M.
Most Practical Collection: Renu
Best Ramp Appeal: Sarmista Panthan
Best Academic Performance: Jaishree Bansal
Best Use of Creative Surface: Meenu Meena
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