VIVEK KARUNAKARAN SHOWCASES SPRING SUMMER 2015 AT WIFW
Tribal paintings from Australia travel across seas to meet modern edgy silhouettes for the woman who dares to dream.
Inspired by travels to Australia and ceremonial art of the aborigines, Vivek has sought to capture their inimitable signature in his latest collection for Spring Summer 2015.
The Papunya Tula paintings or dot paintings are the traditional style of body and sand ceremonial art which has evolved over the years to depict less of the original spiritual symbols. Papunya is the epicenter of the Honey Ant Dreaming, where songlines converge. The remaining dots, circles and lines form distinctive patterns that are linked to dreaming places of land, history and culture. These distinctive patterns are adopted in the form of dot embroideries and print. The juxtaposition of organic yet structured silhouettes, of being away from the body as well as clinched, in graphical color-blocking is created for the modern woman who dares to dream and has no doubt.
Playful volumes are created throughout the collection, just to be pulled together with belts and sharp tailoring. The silhouette of skirts and dresses this summer is created using various draping techniques and fabric manipulation, which is offset by delicate ornamentation on the body that is distinctive of Vivek Karunakaran’s signature textured look. Different characteristic separates come together to create the desirable edgy look.
Light, airy fabrics like chanderi, cotton silk, linen and poplins are perfect for the Indian humidity; while the fine gabardines aid in structuring the silhouettes. The white and black are taken from their extensive symbolic use along with tulip yellow from its common use as a background in the paintings. Flamingo Coral reminds one of the native desert sands that is home to the aborigines. The Electric blue acts as a gentle yet surprising visual contrast to the defined monochrome, grey, coral and warm yellow to tell Vivek’s gorgeous, edgy story.
ABOUT VIVEK KARUNAKARAN
Currently based in Chennai, India, Vivek Karunakaran graduated from the National Institute Of Fashion Technology, Chennai, India with an award winning Diploma in Fashion Design in 2002. He was awarded the Best Constructed Design Award for his Collection – Pavillion de’ Desir at the NIFT Graduating show 2002.
In the Fall of 2006, Vivek Karunakaran debuted at Lakme Fashion Week 2007 with his Autumn Winter Collection – “Dark Romance”. He was one among the ‘Generation Next Designers’ identified by eminent personalities from the fashion fraternity at the Lakme Fashion Week, with a promising future. After showing at the Lakme Fashion week over the last many seasons, today the label, “vivek karunakaran” retails with few of the best high fashion stores across the country.
Vivek Karunakaran was one of the designers TRENT partnered with in their latest project of launching a prêt line of clothing under the designer’s label – available in all Westside stores across the country. Over the years, Vivek Karunakaran has been associating with the ATP Chennai Open, Pantaloon Femina Miss India & various other prestigious events through the calendar year. He has also been styling eminent personalities from the world of India Cinema, Music & Sports.
Most recently Vivek Karunakaran conceptualized and created a fashion collection for the Handloom Export Promotion Council of India, Ministry of Textiles. This solo showing of Vivek showed 3 collections in handloom fabrics amalgamated with natural fabrics & intricate surface development.
He has dressed up celebrities and socialites some of them to name are Sonam Kapoor, Lisa Ray, Anil Kapoor, Vidya Balan, Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, A R Rahman, Yana Gupta, Sonakshi Sinha, Nagarjuna, Suriya, Chiyaan Vikram, Mohanlal, Tammanah, Nayantara and many more.
Disregarding the enduring compulsion to ‘make a statement’, Vivek draws inspiration from his favorite things or just his state of mind at a particular moment. The roots of his inspiration remain simple – tweaking what you see, into a modern contemporary statement.
