ikonic Presents India Beach Fashion Week – 2023
IKONIC PRESENTS INDIA BEACH FASHION WEEK – 2023, Powered By Timex, Sponsored by American Tourister, Gatsby, Royal Falcon Music – Dubai & Como Collective.
The 9th edition of the India Beach Fashion Week Showcase was celebrated through 13th & 14th February at the Mercure Goa Devaaya Resort. This fashion extravaganza will go down in history as India’s first ever island fashion festival, thanks to the location, Divar, an 18th century island in the heart of Goa. This is one the most prominent calendar events in the country.
Muted luxury in the tropical paradise, surrounded with its lush forests, winding roads cutting through emerald green paddy fields and the gorgeous Mandovi river, were perfect settings for resort and travel destination wear. Divar Island is also known as “the island of love”, not surprisingly because one instantly falls in love with the aura of the place!
Nine shows exhibited 14 design talent & brands over two days from the USA & all over India. The venue had 3 highly experiential locations in its beautiful Portuguese-style colonial villas, the tropical gardens and the riverfront. The world witnessed India’s longest fashion runway at 150 feet, a refreshing change from old style ball-room set ups, making IBFW SHOWCASE a one-of-its-kind fashion event.
The timing was perfect. Goa’s Island of Love turned pink, purple and all shades of A’mor as Valentine’s Day wove its magic. Sceptics and cynics may well argue that February 14 is just another day while romantics assert that it is every day. In the words of novelist Elinor Glyn, “Romance is the glamour which turns the dust of everyday life into a golden haze”, and this was all too evident on Divar over the last two days as magic played itself on the runway and the Dubai-based Royal Falcon Music Production’s live band filled the air with music.
Day 1:
The event flagged off on February 13 with lighting of lamp by Mr. Michael Vincent Lobo Member of Goa Legislative Assembly & MLA-Calangute Constituency, a meet and greet sunset session in the open at which brand representatives, designers and content creators were introduced.
FUTURE BEYOND RUNWAY – “CONCLAVE – Powered by Dive Resort Collective”
IBFW showcase, believes that the future is great minds coming together and making an impact on societies as a part of evolution in design & fashion. The Conclave powered by Dive resort collective was conceptualised BY Jitin Hingorani, a seasoned journalist from New York. The conclave addressed from business to culture across the globe the evolution of fashion & future for the business in various elements of fashion. The visionaries and forward thinkers of the industry take centre stage at the Hill Lounge, Mercure Goa Devaaya Resort.
PANEL 1: WHAT IS INDIA’S ROLE IN STAYING AT THE TOP OF ITS FASHION GAME IN A GLOBAL CONSUMER MARKETPLACE?
Panelist: The panellists included Rayed Merchant – Co-Founder, Ikonic Professional; Deepak Chabbra – Managing Director, Timex India; Pradnya Somesh Popade, – Head of Marketing & Communications, American Tourister; Puneet Motiani – Designated Partner, Gardenia Cosmotrade LLP (GATSBY); and Pallav Ojha – CEO & Co-Founder, COMO Collective. They discussed key points to stand out as a global stylish brand and how brands have maintained momentum during and post the pandemic. And the panel insisted that the global culture is moderately moving into design & quality as core and time to collaborate for newer produce and markets to be explored.
PANEL 2: WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF INDIAN FASHION LOOK LIKE FOR A TECH-DRIVEN, AI GENERATION LIVING BY THE MANTRA: “REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE.
The second-panel discussion was on the need to be Inclusive of IT & tech driven changes in market as well as inclusive in amidst the growing demand of global consumerism. The panellists included Dive founder & CEO – Neha Asthana, Band-It founder Satyajit Vetoskar, The Ferias House director and co-founder Ayushi Chauhan and Shruty Tiwari – founder of VLW Global luxury wedding company, One Minute Saree founder Sasha Revankar, The discussion was concluded with ideation off individuals and brands who are reworking on innovating taking traditional wear for new needs or including reusable material as part of design evolution and future is about creating experiences for consumer via AI, Personal experiences which travels through time and how to reduce the single use waste.
They also emphasized the need to make something common with uncommon materials, making products by recycling materials using high-end technology. Pointing out that currently, the fashion industry uses 10 percent of the world’s carbon emissions, the panellists appeal for introspection and contribution towards saving our planet.
Reusing and recycling are integral to India’s culture with many of us growing up wearing hand-me-downs from our cousins and siblings. This has become more important today, with many influencers advocating the same. Recycling is new and has become some kind of a mantra and it is something we all should consider a fashion mantra today with reclaim and reuse being the buzzwords.
Collections & Designers
Vikram Phadnis,
BLOOM & DEFY:
Vikram Phadnis, presented his debut in resort wear, as a curtain raiser show for the season. February 13 with a collection that reflects his love for Bohemian prints, cuts and styling. ‘Bloom’ features shorts, swimsuits with capes and dhotis for women which are comfortably chic and eye-catching with bold black and white prints set off by pops of neon. It was a dramatic curtain raiser.
TIMEX PRESENTS ELIFEROUS BY SHRISTI:
CHIC O’CLOCK
Eliferous, a collaborative show presented by Timex and former Miss Teen Universe Srishti Kaur, bringing the curtains down on an eventful Day One. Srishti’s signature collection represents eloquence and freedom. Her designs defy convention. And her showstopper, actress, model and social media influencer, Sakshi Malik, embodies the modern woman who makes her own rules. It gave IBFW the wings needed to fly into Day Two which had a lot more to offer.
Silhouettes were sharp body cons with edgy embroidery, extremely elaborate jackets and stylised designs with multiple layer of chains, head gears, studs. A Hi energy show for Hi energy garments.
COMO COLLECTIVE
A TREASURE TROVE OF SARTORIAL SPLENDOUR
At its ninth edition, it showcased COMO Collective, featuring Wendell Roricks, Zero Tolerance, No Grey Area, Faith Over Fear and Tasuvure, showcased a treasure trove of sartorial splendour. Underlining COMO’s philosophy of exclusivity and individuality, it offered a curated selection of designer collections from across the globe. Products ranged from the finest garments to footwear, handbags, jewellery, other fashion essentials and even gifts.
THE HOUSE OF NIVII BY PANKHNIVI
BREEZE & BREATH
The House of Nivii by Pankhnivi impressed with its clean silhouettes for resort western casual. The USP of its ‘Breeze and Breath’ Collection is the use of breathable, organic and superior quality of Desi fabrics like cotton, khadi and sutti, making it ideal for a showing in Divar’s natural habitat.
PRASHANT MAJUMDAR
GEOTECH RESORT
Bengali designer, Prashant Majumdar, had brought tropical prints and patterns back into the mainstream with a set of clothing featuring palm leaves. At IBFW, his ‘Tropical Pattern and Art’ Collection was a mix of Indo-Western and ethnic patterns in a fresh colour palette. It draws inspiration from plants, flowers, fruits and animals flourishing in tropical climes and the wild foliage at Divar complimented the tropical prints and patterns in this rich and royal collection.
ONE MINUTE, LIBERATING SAREES
SASSY SAREE
This year, the only Indian-American brand on the IBFW runway was the Los Angeles-based One Minute Saree. A direct-to-consumer online saree brand, it was a homecoming for its founder Sasha Revankar who is originally from Goa and unveiled her eclectic collection on the fashion ramp for the first time.
Rooted in tradition but crafted for the modern woman, these custom-stitched sarees have sparked a fashion revolution for the next generation of Indophiles, helping them drape the fabric immaculately in under a minute. Sasha’s one-minute saree is not a skirt, lehenga or saree dress. It is a wraparound fabric, designed for all body types, with the flow and drape of a saree. The idea is to popularize sarees as a traditional yet risque, sexy but demure, subtly extravagant and above all, a liberating attire.
The authenticity of our national dress is maintained through traditional Nivi sarees, sequined sarees, Gujarati sarees, glam sarees and Kanjivaram sarees. Sasha has made them accessible and easy to wear for anyone anywhere.
ANUTHHII BY NISHANT AND PREETI
BAGH
The beautifully tended gardens at the resort could well have inspired Anuthhii by Nishant and Preeti’s ‘Bagh’ Collection. Painted in the vivid hues of summer, romantically warm and gentle as the breeze, the clothes have the bloom of the wedding season. Trendy and timeless, they can be worn repeatedly without sacrificing style.
ISHA KHANNA
AMALTASS
Equally versatile is Isha Khanna’s ‘Amaltass’ Collection. Every piece can be worn differently. ‘Amaltass’ means ‘Golden Shower Tree’ and the clothes in vibrant yellows, greens, pinks and purple brought the tropical Eden on to the ramp.
The silhouettes are modern and classy, desi in its Bandhani print twist. Embellished with Bandhej, delicate resham and cutdana embroidery, the Bagh collection is fun and chic, modern but rooted, vibrant yet modest.
AMOUR FAITH HOPE – BY RIPCI BHATIA
A VOTRE SANTE
While on the subject of parties, Ripci Bhatia Malhotra’s ‘A Votre Sante’ Collection gets its name from the French way of saying “Cheers!” A vacation wardrobe, it borrows from the topography of quaint Parisian cafes and their scrumptious dessert spread and is an ode to precious time spent in these cafes, digging into beautiful food, clicking photographs and making memories, raising a toast to health and adding ‘life’ to life.
Designer’s MUSE & husband Actor Sharad Malhotra graced the ramp as the showstopper.
DESIGNER – SWAPNILA
MOON LIGHT
A free-spirited Boho-chic look that unites individuals from different cultures and countries while promoting an alternative way of life serves as the inspiration for Swapnil’s ‘Moonshine’ Collection. The minimalist summer and beach dresses are white, shimmering, free-flowing fabrics. Comfortable and fashionable, they seamlessly transition from a casual day at the beach day to cascading evening wear.
MUSE: Laxminarayan Tripathi, A social activist Actress Author High Priestess Philanthropist Classical dancer TEDx speaker Influencer Spiritual and Motivational Speaker
AMIT BHARADWAJ
FROM MEEAMI TO PARIS
Love Day was referenced in Amit Bharadwaj’s ‘Meeami’ Collection which started with the models taking off on a picnic, the florals mirroring the Valentine vibe. Amit’s already-launched western party wear is perfect for a night of fun in Goa.
MANDIRA WIRK
VALENTINE EDIT
A veteran launched her first Resort Wear Collection in 2020, making an instant impact with her bold and unique prints. Her Collection at IBFW was a beautiful blend off femininity, sensuality, rich hand work, embroidery and statement draped silhouettes. Collection has perfectly merged with brasso, sequins & heat pleats.
The free-flowing range of silhouettes is an effortless style statement. They represent real passion and are a perfect fusion of brasso, sequins and heat pleats, with attention to detailing.
KEN FERNS
WALKING INTO DREAMS
Ken Ferns, who was felicitated for being among the top five designers in Asia, has been showcasing his couture and pret line at IBFW for five years. This year, he presented ‘Reverie’, a cluster of thoughts blooming out of his vivid imagination of a world that co-exists.
The Mumbai-based designer was a wardrobe stylist on some of the biggest reality shows, including Bigg Boss, Nach Baliye, Jhalak Dikhla Jaa and Voice of India. Ken has designed for many Bollywood films and Remix, the musical on Amazon Prime. He has been redefining fashion in costumes, corporate uniforms and business wear. ‘Reviere’ walks into his dreams with luminance, connecting with aspects that create to recreate.
GAVIN MIGUEL
LEVITAÇÃO
Gavin Miguel’s dreamy, dramatic & houte couture fashion sensibility elevated every fashion enthusiast. As a promising Grand Finale Gavin’s ‘Levitation’ Collection showcased in IBFW’s grand finale, plays on the need of the hour is all about evening power dressing.
As fantasy meets reality, sharp seam lines, structured and wittily eccentric silhouettes, and torso-revealing sheer opulence flowing with grace create a new dimension in empowering inner peace. Complimenting his motto, ‘Strength of a woman’, this collection resonates with women, past, present and future bringing the curtains down on a two-day fashion extravaganza. Thinking out of the box, the colour palette is used boldly and without inhibition, while fine detailing and craftsmanship continue to rule as the signature style.
Gavin Miguel is an integral part of the Indian fashion industry for over a decade. A red-carpet favourite with several Bollywood stars including Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan, he has designed for Disney musicals, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin & numerous creative achievement of Loreal PARIS
It’s a first for the label to flip the script and burst a bubble by blurring lines and fusing WOM (World of Miguel), RTW and Gavin Miguel Couture.
IN CONCLUSION:
The ninth edition of the India Beach Fashion Week was both a visual delight and a lesson in introspection. It went beyond fashion to promote Goa as a travel destination, building a large-scale platform for lifestyle tourism around the island state and its island of love. A Fashion festival celebration like no other!
