Merino wool shawls, stoles displayed at fashion show

Tribune News Service

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Amritsar, February 11

Fashion designer Nachiket Barve displayed an exclusive collection of stylish Australian Merino wool shawls and stoles at a local hotel here today. The fashion show displayed products of a company manufacturing woollens. The show was organised to promote the retail, manufacturing and buying of woollen products in the Punjab market.

The show was preceeded by a seminar by Woolmark to promote e-commerce spurred by the tremendous success and the growing adoption of lightweight, trans-seasonal Merino wool garments across different categories in India.

Putting together a utilitarian yet stylish collection, Barve created delicate pieces that can be worn without the limitations of age. “Fashioning statement pieces out of the beautiful wool shawls and stoles sourced especially for the purpose has been a wonderful experience. The show has provided a progressive platform to amalgamate forward thinking innovative design with a treasure trove of quality Merino fabrics from the key stakeholders in the industry. I am excited about this opportunity to showcase indigenous local textiles and skills with a global design sensibility.”

Barve is the winner of International Woolmark Prize for designs for 2016. His designs are the first Indian designs to be picked by the US-based retail fashion company Rent the Runway.

The evening concluded with a special live performance by the famous Bollywood DJ Aqeel, who also decided to dress for the occasion by donning an stylish stole.

Nachiket, who is known for his chic, uber designs, says, “The attempt is to re-invent the shawl. Mostly, shawl is considered as something that our mothers or grandmothers wear. Why can’t be it converted into a fashion accessory? It’s a beautiful piece that can be made a fashion statement, an all weather fashion must have with minimal cutting and using techniques like weaving, embroidery and jacquard.”

“We have interpreted it in way that it will appeal equally to Indian as well as international market,” he added. Bridging the gap between international fashion and local market, Barve says, “India is at an exciting fashion juncture, where even people from small towns can choose to dress up in the best of global trends and brands, thanks to World Wide Web.

“In terms of fashion, we are no more limited to any geographical domain as we can now choose how we dress. So, Amritsar will fare equally in terms of fashion trends as Delhi or Mumbai as we all have access to what’s trending,” he added.