VHIMW puts Indian menswear on global fashion map

The 2nd edition of the gala Van Heusen India Mens Week (VHIMW) that concluded in New Delhi recently, got a thumbs-up from the fashion frat across India. Over the years the event has steadily tilted towards serious fashion and that has

added to its popularity. Prior to this, fashion was considered the sole domain of women as fashion weeks were supposed to be loaded with trend forecasts aimed at mostly women giving men the royal ignore. Among the many firsts this season were debutant designers Wendell Rodricks, Sanchita Ajjampur, Troy Costa, Smit Raj Gyanani who showcased their collections in men’s fashion.

The glitzy event cemented India's position as the 4th fashion capital for menswear in the world. The first day started off with a gala show by Designer Narendra Kumar who presented an Indo-Japanese collaboration, titled ‘Kagemusha’. Nari’s association with Maido India, an enterprise to bring Japan closer to India through art, culture and food, inspired him to come up with a Japan-based collection. On the same day Samant Chauhan’s show saw models sporting both short and long skirts while duo Shantanu-Nikhil dressed models in feminine silhouettes ponchos, a voluminous skirt, a toga and a gown. Then there was Robert Vadra inspired 1970s English line by Ashish Soni. And Troy Costa’s collection of suits and jackets were immaculate in style and fit.

The 2nd day opened with a dual show – one with a serene and celestial fee in whites by ANKY, the label by Ankita and Anjana Bhargav and the other with battle fatigues underlining the valor and smartness of ‘Men in Uniforms’ designed by Vijay Arora. He stole the show, with an unparalleled uber-chic military fashion collection the idea being to present an ode to the Indian Armed Forces on completing 63 years of glorious service to the nation since Independence. The fabrics used for all three collections were cotton, spun silk, wool, denim and linen. While ANKY’s collection was predominantly white they used soft gauze cottons to craft out kurta-shirts, sporty jackets and long textured sherwani length kurtas. The wow show of the day was of Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna’s. The duo showcased a rugged look with jackets and pants with utilitarian features in their collection named, ‘The Travelogues’. And when everyone was showing slim fitted pants, they stood apart with loose fitted trousers rolled up till the shin. So did Bollywood’s ace director turned fashion designer Karan Johar who made some serious style moves along with Varun Bahl. Their collection influenced by New York City was a spring/summer collection with shorts, trousers, denims and jackets.

Day 3 saw Goa-based designer Wendell Rodricks's simple yet vibrant clothes that managed to leave an impression on one and all. The sheer tones and layered looks, blended with sharp silhouettes. The collection included a range of draped kurta shirts, cardigan style shirts, reversible trousers, waistcoats, velvet patterned Nehru coats and even a wrinkled sherwani.
The grand finale by designer Rohit Bal aka Gudda had his collection titled ‘Sharaarat’. The show was applauded by one and all for its sheer scale and glitz. Joining the naughty league was Bollywood hunk John Abraham. Kicking off Bal’s signature vivacious, whimsical and Shakespearean drama, Abraham walked the ramp in a black velvet blazer that had an embroidered peacock spreading its wings, jodhpuris and aviators.

Aimed at diminishing boundaries and generating business, the VHIMW extravaganza managed the former with top designers from across India but is still waiting to take buyers by the horns.