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Get dolled up this Diwali
By Agnimitra Paul
 Agnimitra Paul, the lady who dictates Kolkata’s fashion trends, looks into her couture crystal ball and foretells what’s going to be ‘hot’ this Diwali.
There’s an obvious divide in Kolkata- while the younger generation wants to show more skin, a large part of the older one prefers sticking to tradition. Again, it’s a different style statement for Diwali- a lady may want me to design conventional outfits for her during the festive season and go in for cut-aways, skirts and halter-neck tops for a trip abroad. I think that’s the beauty of Kolkata- that people respect tradition and mould their outfits according to the season.
‘Multihued’ is the keyword this festive season, with a heady mix of Indian and Western silhouettes set to take over the Diwali fashion scene. The Anarkali style will be ‘in’- there’ll be lots and lots of kallis, a riot of colours mixed and matched, with tiny waistcoats worn over empire line kurtas. Ten yards of border are out of the picture in the ‘sariscape’. What’re going to be ‘in’ this season are blouses- their cuts, styles and fabrics are going to decide your position on the styleometer. Try teaming an ikkat sari with a raw silk blouse or even a tangail with velvet.
 Tunics will be selling like hot cakes. While its lovely silhouette has taken the place of the kurti, the garment’s USP is its sheer versatility. Venture out in just a bright coloured tunic, or team it with mid-calf leggings. The young bride who wants to do the balancing act between trends and tradition, can wear a collared tunic with a low waist belt and team it with full leggings with chunnats. A stole gives the ensemble an Indian silhouette with a western look- it’s a western version of the churidaar kurta.
The ‘70s trends are set to make a huge comeback this year. We may just see a hint of a style, which is taking the International world by storm, making its presence felt in Kolkata’s Diwali fashion scene. With polka dots, African and Ikkat prints influencing International labels in a big way, innovation’s the way to go while incorporating these elements into festive dressing.
 Those of you who have been eyeing dresses but hesitating to buy them because you don’t know exactly how they’re going fit into the Diwali backdrop, go ahead and pick those items off the rack. Dresses- short, knee or ankle length- are going to be in vogue. Go party hopping on Diwali night in one of these and enjoy the admiration. Full skirts are going to set the fashion scene on fire. Midway between a straight-cut and flared skirt, these skirts have some gathers around the waist and drape the Indian figure very well.
Of course Bollywood is going to influence how people turn out on Diwali. Shah Rukh’s ‘Kya aap panchvi paas se teez hain’ waistcoat is going to be a big draw. Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar sporting the same will only multiply the number of hands grabbing at trendy waistcoats in shopping complexes. Team it with jeans, trousers, skirts, or saris (yes, you read that right- just wear a tiny waistcoat over your sari like a second blouse and watch heads turn)- you just can’t go wrong with this garment.
 Bright, vibrant colous will take the place of softer pallets and pastels on Diwali. Burgundy, wine and purple will burst onto the fashion scene, while the popular shades of turquoise blue and the family of red will also predominate the festive hues.
Of course, the key to looking good on Diwali is knowing what to wear and being able to carry things off. Don’t just get swept away by trends. It’s better to flaunt the strong points of one’s figure and take attention away from the weaker points- dress according to the venue and occasion.
Girls who are voluptuous should stay away from tops that look like second skins if they mean to step out unaccompanied in the morning. The same thing goes for low-waist jeans- I’ve seen so many girls in Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, wearing low waist jeans that bare their undergarments when they sit. In New York, London or Washington, this sight may not even attract a second glance, but I hate the sleazy looks by the riff-raff to the girls who dress that way here.
 Yes, on the whole, our city is less experimental than say Mumbai or Bangalore- ladies here wouldn’t go below a 6 or 6 ½ neckline, whereas, in the other cities, they like going in for 8, 8 ½. But that definitely doesn’t mean Kolkata isn’t fashionable, one can be traditionally dressed and yet very fashionable. Look at the eternal charm of Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen.
There are some trends which are worn by a million people during Diwali. The full length crushed skirt- almost everybody was in one during the last festive season. Then you have colours just slammed together- bright yellow and pink, florescent blue and florescent green. You have women piling on jewellery, girls who have used war-paint so generously that it looks like a pancake, but that’s the flavour of the season. No matter how innovative I’m with the garnishing, I wouldn’t want our authentic festive flavour to change for the world!
(As told to Shreya Shukla)
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