Be a diva this Diwali

Amarjot Kaur

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his Diwali, light up your wardrobe! Toy with fiery reds and warm yellows; leave the darkness behind and shine bright. It’s time to bling in the festive season with sequins and sparkles. Don’t leave that gold choker behind, but just don’t team it up with a pair of heavy earrings unless you want to deck up with boughs of holly to ring it Christmas too. Stick with ethnic and traditional or contemporary and fusion wear, but make sure you balance it out.

Together, we will break all your mind locks on fashion. Let our fashion designers give you the key to finding the perfect equilibrium between fashion and trends. 

F for fusion

From Red Sister Blue, Nanda Yadav had recently designed a Diwali capsule for a store called Toile in Mumbai. With her collection, she roots for eco-friendly and sustainable fashion. She swears by khadi silk and khadi cotton. “We used a lot of khadi cotton, khadi silk and zari embroidery. To dress up the collection a little, we have also used golden metal buttons,” she says. 

Though Nanda is a big fan of sarees, she suggests a playful, contemporary look for the season. “I usually team up a dress with a statement neckpiece and a bindi. Also, the colours for this season are onion pink and golden raw silk. I like to keep the fabric simple, so that it could be balanced out with either a pair of heavy earrings or a choker. If you have a tanned skin, like me, stick to maroons and gold!” Nanda’s not the one to underestimate the power of wrist watches and advises you to team them up with your dresses and bindis. “I like bangles too, but wrist watches punctuate your contemporary, fusion look,” she adds. 

Roll the colour wheel

Dusty colour and sequins are the best fallback option for a dressy Diwali evening. Sonu Gandhi, a Ludhiana-based designer, cheers for a gazillion shades of pastel colours, rose pink, violet, slate grey, midnight blue, terracotta colour, greyish greens and mustards. 

“If you really want to wear bright colours, go for yellow and red. They’re really in too,” she says. Sonu roots for tulip pants, dhotis and sleeveless jackets. “Pants and dhotis look very chic. Also, people are tired of wearing pure traditional clothes, so give it a skip this season,” she says. 

Go the classic way

Ritu Kochhar, founder director of INIFD, is a bit of a classic when it comes to fashion. Romancing the traditional wear, she has all guns blazing on saree. Banarasi silk is her pick. “The industry is going gaga over sustainable fashion and a Banarasi silk saree with motifs is my big pick for Diwali. If not a saree, you can opt for Banarasi dupattas.

Brocade is in too; wear a brocade saree, trousers, or suits,” she suggests. For the festival of lights, which literally signifies the triumph of light over darkness, Ritu says vibrant colours like red, fuchsia, orange, blue, bottle green, and duel shades make for the best festive choice.  “Choker, heavy earrings, especially chaandbaalis are quite in, but don’t wear them all together. Just one statement piece would be good,” she says. 

Say no to

• Gota patti
• Formal gowns and short dresses. 
• Black and white, achromatic colours 
• Metal studs
• Synthetic fibre, nylon, or polyester 
• Maangtika and paasas 

(Inputs by Ritu Kochhar)

Your body, your type

• Top heavy or inverted triangle:
• Wear flared bottoms, Anarkalis, halter necks with V-shaped necklines, centre cuts, front-open garments or a belt to enhance your waist.
• Don’t wear bell sleeves, ruffle tops or heavy embroidery jackets. Take the attention away from your bust and neck.
• Narrow shoulders and heavy hips or triangular body type:
• Wear off shoulders, boat cuts, and bell sleeves. Go for a layered look. Wear jackets and accessorise with neck pieces. Go for voluminous and flowing fabrics like organza. 
• Don’t wear tapered trousers; got for straight-cuts instead.
• Narrow waist, top and hip heavy or hourglass body type:
• Wear anything that fills the waistline. 
•  Don’t wear figure-hugging clothes. 
• Tummy heavy or Diamond shape: 
• Wear jackets and add layers to your clothing and as you do so wear a belt to highlight your waistline. 
• Don’t wear dhoti pants. 

(Inputs by Sonu Gandhi)