Floored by the gown

Style, they say, is temporary, while class is permanent. And gowns have proved to be a class apart, flattering the perfect frames of international celebrities on the red carpet.

At the Oscar Awards this year, if Angelina Jolie lost out on the golden statue, she scored with fashion critics in her black Elie Saab gown. From Jennifer Aniston to Kate Winslet, designer gowns have found pride of place in the wardrobes of a pantheon of international celebrities.

Now, the flowing gown has come to grace Indian frames, in all their off-shouldered and toga-styled glory. Fashion dos, cocktail parties or formal family dinners — one only needs a reason to slip into a designer gown.

The global attire got a further fillip in India when Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto made her Oscar appearance in a John Galliano gown. Her one-sleeved ensemble got the nod from fashionistas, and gowns caught on as a trend in Kolkata too. Model Sanjukta, a regular in the city’s party circuit, gives a thumbs up to gowns. “Gowns look great on me. It is one dress I’d love to flaunt at parties. But are there enough occasions in the city?” she asks.

Dev, of city-based designer duo Dev r Nil, adds that women in Kolkata are picking gowns over other Western dresses or saris for parties. “In Kolkata, occasions to sport gowns are only increasing. A lot of cocktail parties are being organised,” feels Dev. For fashionista Sarita Mohta, who has several gowns in her wardrobe, it’s the new style mantra. “There is no better dress, if you can carry it off well. Abhishek Dutta’s gowns suit me to the T,” she says. Tollywood actor Parno, too, has a fetish for gowns. “It’s a very feminine dress, and just right for cocktail parties. I want to look girly when I dress up, and so I prefer gowns,” the actor justifies her choice.
 
Rahul Khanna, of the Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna duo, who will showcase their creations at Kolkata Fashion Week, feels the trend of gowns has come to India just a couple of seasons back.

“We have some good designers who are into gowns. Even Bollywood has upped its glam quotient significantly. Just look at the dominating trends at awards functions. More and more young Indian girls are wearing it now, and we do find an increased demand for it.” And what makes for that perfect gown?

“The simpler the gown, the classier it looks. Colours and plunging necklines are a must,” he advises. So, with the Indian style file going truly global, will gowns rule the roost among the audience at KFW? We’ll have to wait and watch!