Goa Couture Fashion Week 2019, presented by HEMA Art and Fashion Company showcased an exciting assortment of masterpieces created by top fashion designers across the globe while also witnessing a talented line-up of designers in Goa.
Woven around the theme ‘Traditional Wear of India’, the GCFW 2019 was hosted by fashion entrepreneur Hema Nagvenkar at Museum of Goa, Pilerne.
The sixth edition of the GCFW 2019, showcased the very idea of Indian traditional culture through its display of traditional Maharashtrian and Goan sarees in six yards and nine yards on the ramp.
Held at the Museum of Goa “this was truly a Romance Between Art & Fashion,” stated GCFW Organizer Hema Nagvenkar.
This fashion fiesta saw presentations by renowned fashion designers, brief descriptions of whose collections are as follows:
Shilpa Reddy Studio
Amidst a circumstance where cultures are amalgamating and the idea of individualism is becoming more significant, Shilpa Reddy finds her fashion forte in understated glamour. Her muse, ‘the modern empowered Indian woman’, is a blend of home-grown cultural roots as she enjoys global exposure. Shilpa Reddy’s label is thus a chic concoction of cultural groundwork with contemporary interpretation.
Label ‘Shilpa Reddy’ strives to generate exquisite handcrafted masterpieces and showcased garment collections using traditional ‘malkha’ fabric famous for its cavernous connection with Indian textiles.
The GCFW 2019 has displayed an intense interest in recreating and reviving Indian weaves with a contemporary edge. While Shilpa Reddy has been the only designer from India to showcase her collection at the Eiffel Tower, Paris – where she proudly showcased Indian handloom-built silhouettes at one of the wonders of the world thus opening the gates for an international audience. The show stopper for Label Shilpa Reddy was Telugu film actress Laxmi Manchu.
Vinay Narkar
A corporate lawyer by qualification, Vinay Narkar graduated from the National Law School, Bangalore and was thereafter working in Mumbai with a well known law firm.
Passionate about Indian textiles, Vinay was fascinated with the idea of collecting and studying it. Having weaved a couple of sarees for his wife, which were appreciated by friends and relatives, the orders for his apparel progressively started mounting and he launched his own collection and thereafter shifted to Solapur, his hometown with a view to gain proximity to indigenous garment weavers, and became a full time textile designer.
The Vinay Narkar saree collection comprised majorly of Maharashtrian Textiles like the Chandrakalas and Paithani Shalus, thus reviving two ancient Maharashtrian traditions which were extinct about a 100 years ago. His parallel collections consist of Irkals, Baun Sarees of Uttar Pradesh and so on!
That apart, his contemporary Gadwals collection explored the celebrated ‘three shuttle’technique of Gadwal with a contemporary touch.
The show was opened by Nilima S Morajkar, director of Sun Estate Developers, the show stopper being Nivedita Dempo, owner of Studio 101, supporter of women’s health and fitness and promoter of Indian textiles and handlooms.
Besides, blouses made by the very trendy and popular Kapas & Resham and the momentous ornaments showcased by PNG jewellers, Pune were also part of the show.
Mohan Gowda ‘Ziva’
Mohan Gowda and his brand Ziva graced the ramp with stunning machine-embroidered luxury wedding wear prepared from velvet in majestic shades like purple, red and blue lehengas and tops. Ziva, as a fashion brand is extensively recognized for its ground-breaking and present-day design that envisions women as a living embodiment of nothing but sheer elegance and grace!
The show stopper for this collection was Lucknow based model and actress, Saavi Chauhan.
Vaishali Shadangule
‘Vaishali Shadangule’ is a brand that is devoted to the notion of creating wearable art forms out of hand-woven textiles. Since its inception, the brand has been loyally committed to handloom weavers and worked with over 900 weavers and explored 14 different techniques of weaving from various Indian states. Vaishali is the only designer to present her collection at the New York Fashion Week for the fifth consecutive year.
Her collection ‘Umber’, narrates the tale of the ‘Khunn,’ a hand-woven fabric that has been invigorated and reinvented to create an all new glossary of style. The combination of the aged with something novel gives it a modern-day twist thus prominently highlighting its significance and worth. The Umber silhouettes are youthful and jumpy, carrying with itself an ‘easy-chic’ vibe while still being true to the conventional perspective.
The show stopper for the finale act was Zhenya Marenych, Director, Charizma Entertainment.
Guests at the event included Prof. Alekssandro Giuliani, Subodh Kerkar, Ricardo Desouza and Neela Vasudeva Dempo
