At Mercedes Benz 2008 Fashion week , Sabyasachi Mukharjee carved his Spring/Summer 2008 collection out of anarchy picked from history books. At 28, this fashion designer, from India, Kolkata, has made waves with his unusual repertoire and this was the second time he was invited to participate in this show.
He maneuvered rich Indian fabrics in furious reds into bikini tops and slacks with voluminous flares; the layering in warm earth tones and greens doing a perfect job of toning down the ferocity. Sheer overcoats whisked the ramp and cream colored tops with symbols of various countries printed on them were paired with large green pants and similar. A lavish red trench coat, a cinched waist pleated red dress, a flat paneled cream and olive green ensemble looked classy and comfortable at the same time.
In his burnt-orange vest and hooded, over-sized formal wear there lied an irony; the irony thrown in consciously as a mix of shyness of a tradition with the impudence of breaking one. Subtle, simple, and not too cluttered, the designs oscillated between feminine and feminist. The remarkable combination of cream, red, military green, and henna dyes was young and serene, just like the beginning of a revolution.
His designs, they say, have an air of extremity and pander to sentiment. But whoever started a revolution without a sentiment overly expressed, a passion unfurled and a heart bound by ordinary rules? His impeccable cuts and perfect silhouettes, an ability to suffuse rude cosmopolitan streets with elegance have always been able to squeeze a wow out of his audience. Sabyasachi is known best for his flare of breaking traditions and merging cultures; and this collection is no different.
