Verve

“Spring is the time of plans and projects,” wrote the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy in his seminal work, Anna Karenina. It’s also the time for some spectacular fashion and the season for refreshing new sartorial investments, as the spring-summer runways offer a host of new trends to choose from. Major international shows as well as the Indian runways have showcased a bevy of trends, from minimalist to bold. So, we find luxurious lace and silks sharing shelf space with utilitarian denims and organic fabrics and monochromatic palettes going hand-in-hand with pop colours. Here is a pick of our five favourite trends:

Blossoming forth

“It’s power to the flower for SS’15! There’s going to be newness in bloom this year and designs are going to be bold yet dainty,” says designer Monisha Jaising, whose creations have been seen on the likes of Priyanka Chopra and Malaika Arora-Khan. More a leitmotif in fashion than merely a trend, floral trends are definitely eclectic this season, as Jaising suggests. While oversized flowers were seen at Thom Browne’s runway show, Marni and Simone Rocha took a more tropical approach and Erdem displayed a nuanced display of lush foliage in their garments. Closer home, florals found a place in Nida Mahmood’s whimsical spring collection, inspired by the Parsi community. During the runway show, Mahmood’s models flaunted flowers not only on their outfits but as hair accessories as well (tip: flowers in the hair are an idyllic spring accessory). We also spotted delicate flowers on the summer designs of Ritu Kumar and Ash Haute Couture, and bolder motifs on Masaba’s free-flowing silhouettes. Gauri and Nainika, on the other hand, showcased florals in massive 3D avatars on solid hues in gowns and dresses, which have since been spotted on the likes of Deepika Padukone and Aishwarya Rai. Make the best of the trend by mixing florals with key pieces from other styles—wear a floral-print dress with a military-style jacket, or sporty shoes, as seen in the Péro by Aneeth Arora show.

A fashionable sport

Who would’ve imagined that sportswear could be fashionable? Of course, we aren’t talking about your average misshapen track pants here—instead, think polo shirts and mesh tops in pop colours, racer backs and athletic shorts crafted in high-tech fabrics, coordinated with something distinctly unsporty, or silk and satin combined with jerseys or jackets lined with prints and motifs to create modern interpretations of classic looks. Another way to introduce the sporty element to your appearance is through accessories. Sneakers in a plethora of colours, chunky watches, a baseball cap and sunglasses can add finishing touches to a sporty attire or simply introduce an element of surprise to your look. Activewear has been ruling the runways for a few seasons and, as designers point out, the trend is far from fading away. Pranav Mishra and Shyma Shetty who run Huemn, an emerging brand known for its structured, androgynous styles, say, “Sportsluxe is still a huge trend that’s just getting bigger in the domestic market, with more utility fabrics like interesting surface meshes coming in. Everything is also bigger, from fits to prints to garment details like pockets and collars.” Jaising agrees that sportswear is only growing in popularity, saying,“This year, the shapes and prints are very sporty. Stripes are back!”.

The Seventies show

When it comes to fashion, the ’70s are a treasure trove. While bohemian elegance lies on one end of the spectrum, the hedonism of the decade, best personified in the decadent soirees hosted by New York’s iconic Studio 54, was also a major influence on the style of the era. Little wonder then that a season influenced so heavily by the decade showcases a mix of styles that include everything from suede boots to flowing dresses, gold accessories and poker-straight tresses. The Seventies-inspired trend offers a wealth of options, which include tie-dye fabrics, long flowing maxi dresses and skirts.

On the runways, Tanvi Kedia mixed bohemian cuts with folksy Indian prints and embellishments while Anupama Dayal’s ever-colourful palette was combined with summer-ready long dresses, mixed prints and slouchy cuts. Fringes—a hippy and music festival favourite— were the highlight of Alberta Ferreti’s show, and closer home, in the collections of Hemant and Nandita and Surily Goel. The runways were awash with leather and suede. Peasant blouses, handkerchief style dresses, flared pants (try denims) and jackets are this season’s must-have pieces. The Huemn duo recommends “a lightweight luxurious summer jacket with unexpected garment details” as a key sartorial investment for the season. Think 3D appliqués, subtle embellishments, and textures on comfortable fabrics..

Au naturel

Almost like a breath of fresh air, one of the key looks of spring-summer is minimalism. Utilitarian garments and muted colours are the perfect style solutions for summer—especially in tropical climes, where comfort is essential to style. Classic summer fabrics such as cotton and linen are incorporated into structured shapes and silhouettes to create edgy, yet understated designs. The emphasis is on ease of wear and sustainability, with an increasing number of designers taking to organic fabrics, like Urvashi Kaur did in her bohemian-inspired collection dominated by whites, nudes and splashes of blue and indigo. Whites are a classic shade of summer and were an integral part of designer collections, like those of Victoria Beckham and Chloe, and, closer home, Wendell Rodricks and Ekà. If Indian fabrics are your summer favourites, Anavila Mishra’s linen saris may be your key investments for the season. Add nudes as well as earthy and pastel shades to the mix of colours and you have a classic summer wardrobe. Pair with luminous skin and barely there makeup.

Modern Indian

One can never stray very far from ethnic wear, especially during summers, when breezy silhouettes in organic fabrics create a welcome sensation on heat-blistered skin. According to design doyenne Anita Dongre, “Vintage fabrics in unique prints and textures are the highlight of the season. Think long jackets or anarkalis with palazzos and crop tops with lehengas.” For summer weddings, Dongre recommends investing in these key pieces, “They would be ideal for this summer, for day functions or even a sangeet,” says the designer, whose own springsummer collection is dominated by a colour palette of white, cream and gold, comprising jackets and anarkalis in nets, brocades, mull and/or net, digital embroidery take and a lot of flowy silhouettes. Payal Singhal, whose new collection focuses on flowers and architecture, identifies pastels, dreamy lightweight fabrics and off-shoulder silhouettes as the season’s key trends. Her spring-summer must-have? “A cropped choli paired with high-waisted full circle skirt lehenga.” SVA, a label by Sonam and Paras Modi’s summer couture collection is marked by its extensive blue palette—a homage to their travels in Istanbul—while Shyamal & Bhumika offer silks, crepes and fluid georgettes in summery hues of salmon pink, dusty blues, sand shell, coffee brown and frappe accentuated by rose gold, threadwork, crystals and antique finish. While staying true to tradition, designers are certainly leaning towards reinventing ethnic attire, with digital prints, unconventional fabrics and silhouettes.