Looking beyond sequins

At her Wills outing, designer Masaba Gupta reinterpreted the mundane shower gel in the form of lustrous gemstones embellishments. Namrata Joshipura whose brand's strength has been embellishments, didn't use much of sequins and kept them very limited over the last two seasons. Different kinds of beads, texturing and patterns defined her look. Sequinned sheath dresses have been done to death and seem like the most predictable party picks but let's see what lies beyond the metallic mayhem of the tried-and-tested sequins.

Applique embroidery is the new black
Tina Tahiliani Parikh, executive director Ensemble says, "The trend is moving more towards embroideries, floral motif, appliqués and dori embroidery. We saw a lot of stone work last season, this year we see more delicate work like Pittha and Resham."

Play with 3D beads and stones
Designer Shradha Murarka of Vizyon says, "Besides sequins, the new trends that are slowly catching up include 3D experimental bead shapes, epoxy stones, use of fabric cords, leather cords, and rivets. Our latest cocktail collection showcases a mixing of different kinds of materials such as fish leather, neoprene panelling, zipper detailing to give it a distinctive look. The use of floral appliqué pleats in rich silks, romantic draping, soft transparency, and draped and asymmetrical necklines also helps add to the look. Texturing techniques have also greatly evolved. We have recently used leather to create beautiful cutouts with beads along with a subtle addition of sequins. "

Designer Monisha Jaising's evening wear comprises of gowns and short dresses, which have been constructed with the help of various techniques such as — digital prints, 3-D embroidery, cut work and appliqué. "To complete the look, one can simply accessorise with statement jewellery to add a dash of shine to the ensemble," she advises.

Say hello to tone on tone fringes
Designer Surily Goel says, "Fringes are huge — on clothes, bags and shoes and with tone on tone self colouring. The sequins also are not in-your-face but tone on tone. Corals, semi-precious stones, neon beads and zippers are being used as statement pieces. Spikey shoulder patches and cutwork leather pieces are other big trends."