I am reminiscing after spending a few days in the city of fashion: Paris, France. My aim was to get a dose of fashion inspiration during this trip, mission accomplished! You can imagine the pure joy I’ve felt when walking into Galeries Lafayette. There is something about luxury department stores that calms me. I get a boast of happiness when I see all the designer brands lined up for me to examine. I would like to think (window) shopping is good for one’s health, especially for us fashionistas. My Champs-Élysées tour was quite interesting as well. I know fashion house Abercrombie and Fitch has received a lot of negative news recently regarding their store policies, criticism that is completely understandable, but I was surprised by the long line of people waiting outside to get into their store in Paris. Two amazingly attractive models functioning as bouncers were posing in front of a large gate, almost similar to the gates of Buckingham Palace, both dressed up in denim jeans and denim shirts. I wondered, were all those people waiting to catch a glimpse of the attractive models inside or were they actually going for the clothes?
An equally attractive man in another shop explained to me, that Paris knows different cultural districts; China town, the Indian neighborhood, the Arabic area and the African district. Paris is extremely multicultural in that sense. I’ve visited so many different shops, from sugar sweet ball gowns to bright African fabrics to shimmery oriental dance outfits, contemporary designer shops, high street brands, Moroccan gowns and Indian dresses. I’ve seen a little bit of the world in Paris! Now I understand the designer’s need to travel around the world. When it comes to clothing, there are so many different styles, cultures and trends to get inspired from, choices and possibilities are endless.
Kisneel by Pam Mehta: Indian fashion with a global appeal
High end couture designer Pam Mehta is an established designer who creates Indian clothing with a signature look. The Indian designer combines tradition and modernity and is not afraid the raise the bar when it comes to her designs. Her daring use of color is what catches my eye at first glance. The silhouettes are very modern, classic and elegant. What I like the most about Pam Mehta’s Kisneel label, are the tops (choli). Some designers tend to put all their energy into the fabrics, embroidery, the overall look of the gown and combine their lehengas or saris with a plain and simple top. Pam Mehta puts a lot of creativity into her tops, creative cuts and shapes, fine embroidery, they are sexy and extremely glamorous. The designs are of high quality, it really shows that Pam Mehta has an eye for detail. Her collection consists mostly of bridal gowns, designed for the contemporary bride. Her focus goes beyond the domestic market, as Mehta aims to create ensembles with a global appeal, her experience in Europe and on an international level add to her impressive cv. Her celebrity clientele is equally impressive, Mehta can count on Bollywood actress Sridevi as one of her loyal fans.
Bollywood trivia: Priyanka Chopra wore a Pam Mehta design in the movie Bluffmaster, she wore a luxurious white sari for one of the film’s songs.
New collection
The newest collection (see gallery) consists of jumpsuits, gowns, saris, sari-gowns, lehengas, shararas, capes and anarkalis. The design are perfect for a glamorous night out and ooze luxury. Mehta is no stranger to color blocking and comes up with some very creative color combinations. The fabrics are very wearable, georgettes, chiffons, nets, satins and silks are finished off with intricate thread work. Swarovski crystals, semi-precious stones, sequins, tassels and hand-made beads complete each look. The new collection is very classic, some pieces remind me of ensembles from the 20’s, a trend brought back onto the scene by Hollywood blockbuster ‘The Great Gatsby’.
The Collection is available at Pam’s store , The Opal, a bridal salon in the heart of New Delhi.
For more information about Kisneel visit: kisneelbypam.com
Fashion Orientalist Favorite: The green/yellow sari-gown shown in the last image is simply stunning! The choli/top is an eye catcher.