Beaming with pride
The colours of the rainbow have caught the fancy of designers the world over.
If one has to choose a colour for 2018 it would clearly be a mélange of rainbow shades because that’s so haute right now. It’s been a colourful ride for fashion lovers, who can’t get enough of the glitter and glam sprinkled all over the runway. Internationally, brands like Alexander McQueen, Alexander Wang, Karl Lagerfeld, and Gianni Versace have incorporated the pride elements in their designs and slaying the rainbow colours in many interesting styles. While in India, with the historic judgment of scrapping Section 377 of IPC, the rainbow effect on pride fashion is going to shine for long.
It was high time for India to come out of the closet, and the legal victory was just monumental, feels designer Ranna Gill. Speaking about the rainbow trend, she says, “The trend is beautiful and uniting for us all as designers. The elements are happy and are a breath of fresh air. This will give more freedom to designers to create gender flexible clothing, colour play and further freedom of expression. Although, wearing rainbow colours can be tricky but if worn the right way, it can make an impactful statement. A rainbow scarf over a white outfit or a belt in the same colours over a plain white tee and jeans, or vertical-striped comfy pants in multi-colours are a few of the many ways to work rainbow colours without looking like a clown.”
While designer Samant Chauhan lauds the pride fashion movement across the world and especially in India and shows his support towards the trend. He says, “It’s a beautiful trend that indicates optimism and positivity. For me, the bright colours of rainbow trend and the over-the-top glitter is actually a symbolic representation of love winning over the years of struggle and pain that the LGBTQ community faced in all these years. Wearing rainbow shades is not easy, but if you look at Paul Smith’s multi-coloured stripes or Burberry’s rainbow check interpretation for Fall/Winter it would come across as the most stylish trend for this season. One can wear a multi-coloured top with dull pants, or just get a rainbow coloured hemline on a plain outfit or blazer to look trendy.”
While supermodel Gigi Hadid’s sultry looks for Missoni’s rainbow coloured knit-wear is already a hit, it’s hard to forget model Cara Delevingne’s iconic rainbow trench coat for Burberry’s runway show this year. Designer Rina Dhaka, who was part of the rainbow finale show at the fashion week this year, feels that India has always been a great supporter of multi-coloured shades. She says, “If you look at the leheriya saris and tie-and-dye crafts or the Gujarati mirror work – you’ll always find rainbow shades shinning out. We have been wearing these colours with pride since ages, and there is no stopping. If one wants to wear the rainbow colours, pair it with neutral shades or white with minimum accessories.”
Not just apparel, but even in terms of accessories, the rainbow trend is quite upbeat this season. Accessory designer Akassh K Aggarwal says, “The idea is to wear the colours with confidence as these are shades of pride. One can choose how to play it up or low but mixing it with other contrasting and neutral shades.” Whereas, designer Jenjum Gadi recalls his runway show with two male models walking hand-in-hand to educate people more about the LGBTQ community. He sums up this trend and says, “The best way to work rainbow trends will be it to not go overboard with it. For example, if you wear a rainbow shirt then pair it with a solid bottom. Or if you are wearing a rainbow coloured dress than keep the accessory neutral. The pride fashion is all about expression, and everyone has a right to express freely.”