Indian designers play with riot of colors and motifs

By Prithwish Ganguly

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Indian fashion designers feel Spring Summer 2008 will be marked by traditional motifs fused with experimental cuts and detailing over silk, velvet and cotton.

The Lakme Fashion Week which wrapped up in Mumbai on Wednesday saw designers create high-end outfits with traditional Indian embroideries and flashy embellishments.

The fusion was apparent in silhouettes which had modern geometric patterns and futuristic prints over Indian dresses and traditional handwork like leaf motifs and needlework over western clothes like jackets, shirts, skirts and tunics.

"We are seeing a fusion of Indian craftsmanship like embroideries and other handwork with western silhouettes for next year's Spring Summer," top designer Narendra Kumar said.

"The clothes will be mostly urban chic and vibrant as lots of colors have been used."

The designers also experimented with bold cuts in necklines, backs and slits and presented fluid outfits with asymmetric shapes.

Whites and muted colors -- the international Spring Summer hues -- took a back seat as designers used a wide palette from brown to blue to red and even black.

"Ours is a vibrant country with a lot of tradition and rich culture," said designer Vikram Phadnis. "People love colors in India and if you want to showcase India's tradition on clothes, your outfits cannot be dull."