Staying ahead, staying different－best dress

Neeta Lulla is credited with creating the look for leading Bollywood actors in a career spanning over 26 years with four National Awards in her bag.

“I have evolved with the kind of clothes I did for films,” said the designer who was in town for the Blenders Pride Fashion Tour 2015. “Each film surpassed its content of creative inputs. Therefore, for me to say that a particular film was satisfactory in terms of my creativity would be wrong. I worked on many films including Lamhe, Khuda Gawah, Jodha Akbar and now Mohenjodaro.

Speaking about the theme of the show, Neeta said: “I work on women-related themes. This time around it is U, which can be looked at as a woman, who is a semi-circle completing the circle of life. What I have done is very simple, I have used semi-circular biased cuts.’

Describing how she froze on the theme, Neeta said, “Till the time of the press conference, I had no theme in mind. I was feeling a little low. I was lying down in my studio going through television and sketching. My cross-trainer is kept there. I looked at the cross trainer and its handle formed a U. I looked at that U and drew it repeatedly without any particular thought in mind. Then, I drew a formal with a U on the body, I drew it on a drape, dhoti and within an hour, my collection of 32 garments was ready on paper. I had written a concept in five minutes. I guess there is a spiritual connect.”

Every season has its colour and this time it is definitely hot pink. “Generally for the bridal season, we mostly see classic red in various hues and shades. This time around there is a lot of demand for hot pink. I say this through research, and through the feedback I got from the brides.”

Fashion trends and faux pas go hand-in-hand, but is it always the case?

“Fashion disasters are less now thanks to computers and the internet. Earlier there was trial and error while designing. A trend would trickle down from a magazine or newspaper and one would follow it. Today one knows what the fashion trend is and what everybody is doing.

“With the Instagram, everyone knows what is getting maximum hits or likes. The fraternity has become very aware of what to wear and what not to wear. Somehow for me polka-dots never worked and nor did those balloon skirts.”