Designer Hemant Sagar’s atelier is not far from the gently flowing River Seine or the 14th century classic Gothic architecture of Notre Dame. He is the only Indian to be part of the exclusive, even snobbish, Parisian club of Haute Couture that had just about 15 designers as members.
Sagar was trained in Germany and at Paris' Ecoles de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, the only school in the world that is said to teach the unique craft of haute couture, which, literally translated, means "high sewing". It is here that he met his design partner, Didier Lecoanet.
Lecoanet stands for liberty, and luxury; and Hemant, humour, and "habit," the French word for dress. The two alphabets - L and H-- on their logo reflect heady optimism.
Together they have dressed up Texan millionaires, Arab Princes and Hollywood stars. Mattel's Barbie Doll got three Lecoanet Hemant dresses in as many years. This is what Lecoanet Hemant aspires: joy through style. And in 2003, they came to India to dress up New Delhi's rich and famous and beautiful. The design-duo's clothes were sold out in no time. Hemant, whose mother is German and father Indian, says they have no plans to Indianise their patterns.
Their latest collection for 2008 has been inspired by Mumbai! This introductory collection for monsoon and summer 2008, entirely dreamt, thought and made in India is dedicated to and inspired by this beautiful style of the Art Deco buildings and monuments they call Tropical Deco, and Lecoanet & Hemant thus salute Bombay with a 'Grand Bonjour'. "
Sharp and angular lines assert their Geometry by contrasting curves ... the silver mosaics seen on Mumbai's Marine Drive have become metallic mesh, framed by patent leather to become a sleek top, buckled on bare skin with chrome ... sensuous dresses in gun metal lame reflect monsoon clouds and find themselves veiled by a shawl of 'seamiest' ... in silk georgette ... and tight body hugging tops are not sure whether they are shirts or jackets ... that's the tropics!
With a full line of fashion, including women's and men's garments as well as accessories, the designers introduced their collection to India for the first time at the recent Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai.
The traditional Indian silk was given a contemporary occidental twist, reminiscent of a sari at second degree. This progressive urban collection is India International, and was entirely dreamt, thought of, nurtured and finally executed in the country. The collection has been designed with the vibrant and colourful undercurrent of Mumbai in mind. The very spirit of the city during its fiery monsoons comes alive in the clothes.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Hemant & Lecoanet introduce Monsoon and Summer 2008 Collection
USA: Jes Switaj wins Designer of the Year award.
Jes Switaj from Phoenix won the Designer of the Year award at the Scottsdale Fashion Week.
She started her fashion design career on a tiny Singer sewing machine, the one her mom took to college. She displayed her collection on the runway.
As part of Scottsdale Fashion Week, which features marketplace tents, runway shows and parties, local designers were invited to enter the competition. Online voting narrowed the field to four finalists for another vote. The runway show featured Switaj and the other finalists.
Switaj, 27, also will meet with boutique owners and buyers to show her line, said Lesley Oliver, spokeswoman for the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, the sponsor of the runway show and competition.
Switaj sells her accessories online at jesswitaj.etsy.com and sells accessories and clothes at Bunky Boutique, Retail Laboratory and Gold Lion in Phoenix.
She also is an assistant sewing teacher in the fashion-design program at Phoenix College. She is one class away from her associate's degree in fashion design.
Switaj saw her friend's handmade purses and decided to do it herself. She started with handbags, improved on her technique with classes, bought a new sewing machine and expanded her line. Each piece is usually one of a kind, and at times Switaj makes a limited number of pieces.
She's inspired by nature and organic elements, typically using wool, silk and cotton corduroy fabrics. "I really like ocean stuff - you can see in the octopus dress," she said. "I like things that look like they move in the ocean, like jellyfish, just flowy and floating and organic-looking."
Friday, September 28, 2007
Latest Italian Fashion Shows & Trends, Makeup Tips & More
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Italian Fashion
I love clothes. I love classics, avante garde, artsy, retro, and antique clothes. I know that I am the same me, whether in vintage Missoni or something I grabbed off a rack in the market, but I have always found that people respond to me differently based on what I wear, and this also happens when I travel. And I have found that when you have passed the age when people whisper "Sexy! Beautiful! Wow!", you can still make them say, "Elegant!" So, shall we talk shoes?
I live in India and
Monday, September 10, 2007
Fashion Designing
Fashion design is the applied art dedicated to the design of clothing and lifestyle accessories created within the cultural and social influences of a specific time. Fashion design differs from costume design due to its core product having a built in obsolescence usually of one to two seasons. A season is defined as either autumn/winter or spring/summer. Fashion design is generally considered to have started in the 19th century with Charles Frederick Worth who was the first person to sew their label into the garments that they created. While all articles of clothing from any time period are studied by academics as costume design, only clothing created after 1858 could be considered as fashion design.
Fashion designers design clothing and accessories. Some high-fashion designers are self-employed and design for individual clients. Other high-fashion designers cater to specialty stores or high-fashion department stores. These designers create original garments, as well as those that follow established fashion trends. Most fashion designers, however, work for apparel manufacturers, creating designs of men’s, women’s, and children’s fashions for the mass market. Designer brands which have a 'name' as their brand such as Calvin Klein or Ralph Lauren are likely to be designed by a team of individual designers under the direction of a designer director.
Lakme Fashion Week 2007
The Lakme Fashion Week has announced the dates for Lakme Fashion Week Spring Summer from October 13 to 17, 2007.
The major Indian festivals such as Dussera & Diwali, which also happen to fall in the month of October, have been taken into account.
Accordingly, the dates for Lakme Fashion Week have been decided while taking these above important factors into consideration. Confirming the dates for Spring Summer, 2008 makes it easy for buyers to plan their visits. Moreover, designers get enough time to plan for the next season, keeping in mind their business commitments.
Current Exhibitor:
Manish Malhotra, Abhishek Dutta, Narendra Kumar, Nalanda Bhandari, Nandita Mahtani, Swapnil Shinde, Sanjay Malhotra, Surily Goel, Leonard, Nandita Mahtani, Allen Solly , Vineet Bahl, Shyamal & Bhumika, Julie Kagti, Savio Jon, Vikram Phadnis, Arjun Saluja, Payal Singhal, Debarghya Bairagi & Navonil Das, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Sun Goddess, Deepti Toor, Wendell Rodricks, Sandip Biswas .....
