Shilpa Chavan is the next John Galliano. She is. Fact. As the lights sparked on at her 'Little Shilpa' show on Day 2 of Lakme Fashion Week and a eerie soundtrack of crying, screaming and war sirens started up, a model with about five rifles jutting from her hair and shoulders came strutting down the catwalk. The model was also adorned with military badges and medals, made into chunky necklaces and bracelets.
The military theme has become a bit of a trademark for Little Shilpa (who interned with Philip Treacy), and her last collection, a more low-key rendition of the same idea but with military badges and lots of khaki, won rave reviews both in India and in the UK.
Highlights of this show included one jumper where huge rifles acted as shoulder pads, a headdress made of about 20 army caps, a hat with moving propellers on top and the final look- a sari-esque dress made from army parachutes worn with a bejewelled gas-mask. The pint-sized genius is rumoured to be receiving support from the British Fashion Council., I caught up with the designer after the show, and she revealed that next season she would be taking a much softer approach and indulging in a completely different theme.
Watch out for this one- she will be showing in London before we know it.
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IMAGES:
1- (AFP/Pal Pillai)
2- (AFP/Pal Pillai)
3- (AP/Gautam Singh)
4- (REUTERS/Punit Paranjpe)
5- (PTI/Santosh Hirlekar)
