Pia Pauro – LFW Summer/Resort 2012
The journey of Ibn Batuta one of the most famous globe trotters in the world was the theme that inspired Pia Pauro's collection at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2012. Calling the line "Shamal" which is the name of a north-westerly wind blowing over the Middle East deserts; Pia created quite a storm on the catwalk. As her exotic mysterious yet daring line of women's wear moved through countries like Morocco, Mamluk Empire, the Arabian Peninsula and finally the Byzantine Empire, the creations reflected the glory of an era gone by, featuring the fabulous hand embroidery with different techniques. Divided into four parts, Pia stayed firm on the tribal concept, but separated the sections into bling, rocks, de Luxe and tunics. Splashes of neon covered the ramp as garments in vibrant hues of indigo, orange, naturals, pink, electric blue, dazzled the viewers. The fabrics matched the youthful tones as jerseys, chiffons, georgettes, cottons and silks were beautifully created into cool sundresses, comfy tunics, flowing kaftans, elegant saris, slinky evening wear and the designer of course added on resort wear like swimsuits, beach bags and handmade accessories. There was vibrant colourful energy as the show opened with a fresh white embroidered yoke cotton blouson batwing mini. Soon there were exotic mirror work waistcoats with beautiful embroidery, while coins played a major role as they edged fan sleeves or were splashed on sexy minis. Hipster skinny pants and beaded bundis made a stylish impact and mini kaftans in georgette glittered under the ramp lights. Sequin sheeting was used lavishly for exotic kaftans, and the African touch was noticeable in the colourful embellishments. The striking sari with tasselled edges got a round of applause along with the purple beaded tribal halter mini. Mention must be made of the imaginative tasselled gold high heel shoes and the very ornate giant bags that the models carried. Tara Sharma, the very elfin Bollywood star ended the show in a gold metallic sheath that followed the fabulous tribal inspiring. Pia Pauro gave her Summer/Resort 2012 collection a perfect nostalgic feel of the past and varied colourful global regions with large doses of stylish contemporary touches.
