Red hot

“There is no colour as striking as red and it is quite a confronting, vibrant hue which is proven to arouse stronger emotions than any other shade,” says fashion designer Cameron Kham. “It not only represents love and sensuality but is universally accepted as one of the most powerful colours. Red can make a statement all on its own which means that you do not need to go overboard on the styling, keep your look simple so that the bold hue is the focus of your look,” he adds.

Talking about the leverage of sticking to a single tone, designer Gautam Gupta reveals, “The prime advantage when it comes to wearing a single colour is that it makes you look more toned and controlled. Secondly, it gives you the maximum liberty to play with textures and a lot of accessories. Sometimes wearing the same colour may make you look very monotonous but with the help of accessories, you can make the look more striking and interesting.”

There are plenty of shades available in red. Talking about this, designer Archana Kochhar shares, “A novel way to pull off the head-to-toe red look with élan is by embracing different shades of red. Pair your bright reds with burgundy accessories, mix and match scarlets and cherry reds with crimsons and maroons. You can also opt for crimson as it is the perfect shade of red and strikes a unique balance between the darker and lighter shades of red.”

About the vivid styles, patterns and silhouettes where one could embrace this bold hue, designer duo Hemant and Nandita suggest trying out LRDs. “While we would not say, ‘ditch the LBD’, we would definitely suggest and encourage you to own a LRD and make it your wardrobe mainstay. A classic red blazer, tailored red trousers, turtleneck shirts, a red pleated skirt, jumpsuit, collared shift dress or a floor-length one-shoulder dress are some key pieces that you should try this season.”

While an all out head-to-toe red look is not everybody’s cup of tea, one can go for the classic red and black combo which is sure to turn heads if teamed right, shares designer Deepika Govind. She adds, “The colour blocking trend has also opened doors for the blues, greens and yellows to look just about perfect with red. So, go for a figure-hugging scarlet number, cinched at the waist by a black or gold belt. Give a miss to your blue denims occasionally and work out a fiery red pair, teamed with a scarf or a stole and chunky accessories. Wear a plain black or beige or printed white tank under your red blazer and red tailored trousers for those formal affairs. If you are not game adopting the head-to-toe red look, make way for the colour in your shoes, accessories, make-up, etc.”