Fashion conscious? Think neutral hues and khaki

NEW DELHI - Winter is yet to set in, but in case you are planning way ahead, here’s what to wear next summer. Dump the shocking pinks, yellows and oranges and go for neutral colours, especially khaki, to make a style statement when the mercury shoots up.

“I personally believe 2011 is the colour of khaki. You can also call it a year of safari look; so anything to do with it - safari pockets, hats, trousers in khaki colours - will be one of the trends of the season. The fashion in the 1970s is coming back,” designer Reynu Taandon of the label Mynah told IANS.

Taandon’s collection is mostly offwhite, khaki colours and she has used special laser fabric for her line.

Designer Namrata Joshipura says neutral shades like sand, grey and ivory will also be “in” next season.

“I won’t say there is going to be one particular colour that would be popular; in fact the truth is a lot of neutral colours will do the round,” said Joshipura, whose line is dominated by neutral shades.

“Apart from neutrals, some colours like watermelon red, mauve and lime green will also be popular,” she added.

This time at the ongoing Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW), the majority of designers are staying away from bright colours and displaying more neutral or subdued hues in their collections to make it impressive and different.

Designer Kallol Dutta shifted from his favourite black to the lighter tones of green and mauve, designer duo Gaurav and Ritika have used subtle, muted tones of grey, beige and offwhite.

Roma Narsinghani, who is debuting at the WIFW, says a lighter grey tone has an edge over other neutral colours because it makes a person look slimmer and that is why not-so-summery slatey greys are dominating the ramp.

Other designers like Aneetha Arora of Pero and Gaurav Jai Gupta of Akaaro, who made their debut at the fashion week, showcased a line of hand-woven cotton garments in subtle tones of grey, white and black.

While Gupta doesn’t believe in any trends, Arora says striped garments would also be a big draw in the coming season and grey stripes have the potential to be used most as they go well with any body shape.

Dev of label Dev R. Nil believes layering will be another popular trend in the coming season and neutral shades do justice to such designs.

Most designers are forecasting that natural hues will dominate next season.

Gaurav Jagtiani of designer duo Gaurav-Ritika said, “Trend forecasting is like a cycle, if this season was all bright and colourful, we (designers) can’t repeat the same in the next. So that is why a lot of designers are showcasing neutral colours.

“Every designer has to do something new every time, it is all about taking new direction. If the last season was a riot of colour, this time it’s subtle colours - so we are maintaining a balance,” he said.

(Shilpa Raina can be contacted at shilpa.r@ians.in)