There’s Elegance in Simplicity
Nilima Seth

FASHION, they say, is serious business. Starting from the fabric, the feel, fit and the finish, there are factors such as comfort, attitude and, above all, the ability to carry off a style with confidence that eventually determine a look. It isn’t always easy.

But there’s a flip side to this, which escapes most of us. Very often, outfits bereft of all complications in ornamentation and elaborate embellishments can look more stylish than the ones with the most ostentatious designs. It is in simplicity that we can derive elegance. And then fashion can be fun.

Take, for example, Aki Narula’s famous kurtas. They are very basic with minimal surface decoration, but are far more sophisticated than the printed or patterned kurtas every other designer produces. He sticks to a clean and bright palette — cream, olive, lagoon greens, chalk and sunshine yellow.

Today, Narula has extended his philosophy of understated chic to short-sleeve tunics, chogas, kaftans, sheaths teamed with lungis, pyjamas and layered pants — all very out-of-the-ordinary and in cotton.

The restraint is also evident in his evening coats and embroidered vests, only that the fabrics are silk and satin, with their sheen removed. Flowing kurta blouses, slim parallels and palazzos in earth tones and brown matte indigos celebrate the female form and add a touch of romanticism.

Narula is, of course, a master in what has now come to be recognised as "effortless dressing". You too can be just as restrained and devise ways and means of making a statement with some very basic designs, a muted colour palette and, perhaps, a complete absence of embellishments.

For instance, let a bright, embroidered dupatta lend that dash of colour over an otherwise monochrome salwar-kameez. Substitute for a colourful scarf or odhni on a trouser suit — even on sarees or a skirt-blouse ensemble. You’d be surprised at the impression you create.

There are many other ways to celebrate simplicity. Bangalore’s Sujit Mukherjee provides some clues. Best known for his structured jackets, he has now got into designing satin-silk pyjamas, which can be teamed with cut silk shirts (or flowing blouses) in oyster, cameo, salmon and rhubarb colours.

Mukherjee’s menswear is restricted to shirts with classic cuts and in textures of crinkles, waffles, seersuckers, diamonds, matts and herringbones. In cotton and linen, the shirts conform to a silhouette that typically sticks close, but easily to the body.

Then there’s designer duo Abraham-Rathore making the most of their "minimalist sensibility" with hand-woven cotton fabrics. Shapes such as those of the sarong skirt and wrap top are drawn from the classic Indian wrapped and draped garments and worn under over-sized jackets.

At times, over-sized shirts too can do the trick. Conversely, shirts a size short, like the mini kurtas (or kurtis), can work wonders. You wouldn’t need extravagant beads, mirrors, dori and kasab, any other form of embroidery, to highlight design details.

Stripes and checks are also convenient, especially when you wish to stick to earth colours like khaki and beige. In combination, they complement one another and given a silhouette that is contemporary and basic, the purpose of "dressing down" for an occasion can be achieved.

Yet another example of understated chic is provided by Monisha Jaisingh, best known for lines that are slim and tapering. Her cuts are soft and accentuated with the use of scoop necks, shoulder straps and empire necklines — very trendy but simple.

Some time back, Wendell Rodricks came up with some "couture-style cholis" to prove how starkness need not compromise with style. In a range of seven modern and essentially minimalistic lines, the choli that stood out was called "White Mala" and had become quite a rage.

It was shaped like a white garland, draped over the shoulders and fell strategically on the front — the entire ensemble held together with just one string! When worn with casual drawstring skirts or lehngas in black, brown or gold, the effect was simply stunning.

There are other designers like Rohit Bal, Shahab Durazi and Shreela Debi who are discovering the merits of "fun wear" and gradually moving away from the razzle-dazzle of heavy silks, jaali prints and jewel embroidery. Fashion effectively is returning to a very basic, understated and refined simplicity. (MF)