Esteemed designers, Uffe Frank and Disa Guomundsdottir showcased their collections at the launch of Zeus properties held at the Ritz Carlton, targeting the above 30-year old women. The show had collections with colour blocks, wrap-arounds and free flowing gowns as well as leather infused with silk, chiffon, cotton and linen. Here is a sneak-peak.
Colourful Wraps
Noticing the trend of European clothes among people in Bangalore, the Danish designer’s collection has a mix of evening and wedding wear. A graduate from The Design School of Denmark and the Royal College of Art in London, Uffe Frank found his biggest break in his career when he worked for Valentino in Paris, then Giorgio Armani, Valentino and Enrico Caveri. He has also consulted for top labels like Krizia, Karl Lagerfeld, Piazza Sempione, Atelier Aimee e Acquachiara.
His collection is a combination of free flowing gowns, using minimal cuts and stitches in bright fuchsias, greens, greys, navy blues and oranges. Using mostly cottons, his collection has very strong vibrant colours and colour blocks for the Indian audience. Free flowing jackets and tapering long shirts with minimal cuts were used for colour blocking.
He says,”My collections target women who are 30 years old and above. This age group of women are very modern, having families and careers. It is the second liberation of women.”
Most of the gowns have simple lines and cuts and can be tied around the waist using a ribbon. Operating from his studio in Auroville with a team of 18 people, Uffe also sources out his fabrics from India. So far Uffe’s collections are retailed in Europe. He has further plans of spreading his retail presence in Goa and other parts of India.
Multi-purpose Wear
Icelandic designer, Vigdis Gudmundsdotti’s showcased her brand, Disdis through her very first fashion show in India. The eight year old brand is a collection of leather fused with cotton, linen, chiffon and silk. Vigdis’ came to India is 2000 to study Multimedia and later started designing in 2006 in Pondicherry.
Having noticed the drastic change in trends in India due to the influence of the West, her collection targets the 35 – 45 years old age group. Vigdis’ collection is a mix of European and Indian styles. She says,”For the first time we are marketing in India, so far we have only been exporting. The main thing at Disdis is the leather. So we added some silk, chiffon and cotton along with the leather to make it more flowy and easy for the Indian weather. The Collection is casual but formal. It is for women with a little more strong attitude.”
Targeting the core audience of women who have a busy schedules, the clothes can be worn at work and then transformed into evening wear. Focusing mostly on blacks with huge pockets with Indian gypsy style pants fused with linen, Vigdis’ collection is for the women who travel. She adds,”I have clothes that can be altered to be worn during the day to work and then altered again for the evening or while I go out for shopping. This gives women the freedom to change their look a little bit. Women these days have so many roles to play and there is very little time to go home and change into another dress. The designs are also simplified. The aim of the brand is to show multifunction and comfort.”
Vigdis also plans to open up her very first boutique and restaurant in Pondicherry and expand her retail presence in India, starting with Goa, Bangalore and Delhi later this year through a lot of fashion shows and collaborations. Vigdis operates from her workshop based in Pondicherry that specialises in leather goods, leather garments, knits and jerseys. She sources out her raw materials from Bangalore, Chennai, Kanpur and Italy as well. The brand will further expand to emerging markets like Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Mumbai.
