Dressing up for Onam

Apart from traditional wear there’s a Bollywood driven clothesline for Onam this time. Dealers have already written the fashion rule, finds RAKHEE MOHAN

PHOTO: H .VIBHU

SEASON’S CHOICE Festival mood sets in with fresh arrivals

It’s time to pen down must buys, onto your shopping list, for the coming up festive season.

No, it’s not too early in the day for Onam shopping, if you think so, because stores in the city have already sounded the sales pitch. With stores either resorting to marketing gimmicks of discount offers or giving in to what the customer wants, new designs, shades and cuts the celebratory feel good mood has set in.

And it’s the ABC of shopping that the customer wants -

Affordability, Branding, and Collection of exciting designs. Beena Kannan of Seemati says, “For our special Onam collection we are going to introduce kathawar and ninjari jal salwars in the unstitched section and the present rage of Rani Mukherjee’s outfit in Bunty aur Babli in the stitched segment. The tight fit kurta with long sleeves and cut away collars.” They plan to introduce a new range of sari collections exclusively for Onam by mid month.

Jayalakshmi is experimenting with the pallu. Says Satish Kamath, proprietor, “Georgette saris with embroidery, cotton saris, Manipuri, tussar, semi silks and chikan work saris are being introduced in new designs. But the prized possession would be the exclusive ghagra with half sari in A-line and fish cut that will turn heads with its fluorescent multi-dyed shades. Also we are introducing 20 variants of pallu designs like the angle pallu and cut pallu that is going strong in the fashion circles up North. Though right now the fashion texts proclaim minimal embroidery and sequins work.”

For the metrosexual

Coming to the rescue of metrosexual male and his fashion fetish is Peter England brand of men’s wear. As part of its Onaghosham, it has brought out a prognostic range of collections that’s sure to set abuzz the fashion circles. In the formal wear segment it has replenished its market stock with an additional three new collections. Spun on cotton, subtle earthy colours are contrasted with bold pinstripes and double-decked checks. Says Baiju, Sales Manager Kottaram Garments, “Stripes are getting trendy again after a lull. In these collections we’ve experimented more with yarn than the stripes .” “In party wear, what’s going strong is cut away collars, diagonal front stripes and diamond striped collars,” informs Baiju.

As 40 per cent of sales are netted during the seasonal Onam shopping, care has been taken to introduce a variety of plains. Says Arsheed Hamza, of Peter England showroom on M.G Road, “as buyers select clothes for the onam kodi, men mainly go in for plains rather than printed ones to suit the traditional mundu. At these times our unmatchable range in plains is a total sell-out with sales tilting in the ratio 60:40, in favour of plains.”

Traditional

For those with a taste for the traditional, Kasavu Kada’s popular matching shirt or silk kurtas and mundu still remains a hit. Says Area Manager, Rajan, “Introduced last year we get shirts from companies like Zodiac, Dennis Morton and Furore. After that we process like colours onto the mudus. So every shirt here has a matching mundu. During Onam silk handlooms and pure jaris are in demand keeping with the auspicious aura of the season. Otherwise temple designs and mango motifs are preferred. You can also place orders for the silk handlooms according to the designs you want embossed.

Bollywood cut

For the young crowd at Utsav, on M.G Road you can delight in some stunning party wear. There are spaghetti strapped lehengas blouses, short blouse lehengas in pure crepe and net crush along with the flared trouser styled ghararas. Says Rajesh Manchanda, proprietor, “Bright colours do extremely well here. The fastest moving are the Gadwal silk salwars. But now knee length kurtis with heavy embroidery on the chudis is the next craze. We have also introduced Karachi suits from Pakistan that Priety Zinta wore in Veer Zaara. That’s the most exciting collection.”

In western wear, the styleometer points towards Mexican crocheted ponchos; mini crocheted shawls for kurtis, encrusted or beaded belts in genuine leather or plastic or cloth. Slinky, printed dresses and beaded short skirts are worth a pick too. So, it’s not too early for Onam shopping as the shelves are all ready with collections for the season.

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