Neetu Kapoor at Sahchari foundation exhibition

There was a Spring in every step at The Summer Closet this Thursday at the Four Seasons, Mumbai.

This year The Summer Closet failed to let anyone down as usual. Shoppers have been waiting with anticipation for this day to come. The doors opened at 10 AM where Mumbai’s ‘shopaholic elite’ began to pour in as they waited with baited breathe to see what the stalwart designers who were showcasing their latest Spring/Summer collections had up for grabs. Dedicated shoppers could select from a wide range of creatively designed leisurewear, formal wear, young and chic prêt lines that were made in a magic medley of colours. Apt for Spring/Summer, light day-jackets, tunics, kimono tops and chic cocktail dresses were up for grabs.

The ladies of the Sahachari Foundation, Gauri Pohoomal, Nilima Kilachand, Mala Goenka and Minakshi Bajaj, Parul Choksy and Laxmi Nair welcomed friends, designers and shoppers that came dressed for the occasion with open arms and big smiles. A few guests and designers present at the Spring/Summer affair were Divya Mohta, Sangeeta Assomul, Bijal Meswani, Smeeta Parekh, Vasudha Ruia, Rati Godrej, Raanu Chadha, Sharmila Thakeray, Kavita Khanna, Tanaaz Doshi, Champa Doahi, Kiran Daswani, Mala Hemnani, Priya Nathani, Shalini Shahani, Falguni Mehta, Malini Agarwlla, Gauri Tandon, Laila Lamba, Rashana Talati, Varsha Patel, Madhoo Shah, Haseena Jethmalani, Amrita Kilachand, Smriti Ruia Kanodia and Ritu Bagrodia along with Shilpi Jatia of the FOUR SEASONS. Also coming to support the Sahachari Foundation and their initiatives were, Aashika Mehta, Mansi Choksi, Priya Alwadi Tara Jhaveri and Neetu Kapoor

Leherias and Pastels seem to be the trend this Spring/Summer. To name a few, there was Gopi Vaid whose clothes never seem to let anyone down. What stood out was her pastel shaded leherias with embellishment, and also ‘Rivaayat’ by Meera Rohit had an eye-catching stall, which was almost full almost all the time! Her stall stood out with Leherias in bright colours. Another designer with interesting Indian wear was Meghna K., an interesting outfit that was picked off the racks was a ‘Kimono-esque’ wrap around kurti, which she had in a variety of colours. From Indian wear, there were also some western shifts in a variety of colours. Designer label, Paprika seemed to do justice to the upcoming summer that is going to hit with dresses in different cuts, in solid pastel hues – Yellow, Blues, Greens and Whites. Going with the same flow was designer label Ravage, whose collection was cooling and refreshing to look at, a welcoming sight to look at as it was directly across the entrance of the room.

Ravage had dresses made of the finest mal-mal that were solid white with an orange piping, along with ‘dip-dye’ shaded dresses. Another stall that caught people’s eye and was perpetually full was designer label ‘Cherie’, her racks were adorned with embellished garments made in solid pastel hues and other bright colours.
Also available was a collection of couture accessories ranging from the?bohemian to the classy: bags, footwear and Jewellery. Malini Agarwalla enthusiastically sold her bags and shoes under her well-known brand, ‘Malaga’. Her stall was bust throughout and stood out with colourful footwear and fun bags from her latest ‘Funtoons’ collection. Also present at The Summer Closet was ‘Isharya’, a relatively new accessories label started by Gauri and Radhika Tandan. Their stall was full at all times and rightfully so, their jewellery comprising of big ‘kadaas’, glamoures rings, earrings and neck pieces, justifying the crowds of women around the stall. Other accessories and Jewellery designers comprised of Kokomo, directly opposite Malaga and Falguni Mehta who was exhibiting some stunning ‘jadau’ and pieces made of pearls. Kokomo’s stall stood out with its colourful slippers and bags, which she is known for!

From Sahachari Foundation’s many fund-raising initiatives, the ‘Design One’ exhibition is the most high profile and widely publicized event. ‘Design One’ (promoters: Sahachari Foundation) and ‘The Dressing Room’ (promoters: Shilpi Jatia and Ritu Bagrodia) combined for the second time to create synergy at an exhibition of trendy Spring-Summer wearables, aptly called ‘The Summer Closet’.

As mentioned earlier they never fail to disappoint the shoppers that wait in sheer anticipation to stock up their wardrobes in time for the holidays and in time for the summer.
Lets see what they have in store for us next year, till then lets wait for the ‘Design One’ exhibition which will take place in September at the World Trade Centre, Mumbai!