Menswear outshines womenswear at Indian beach fashion gala

Bright coloured swimming trunks, shirts with lungis and sherwanis with palazzo pants -- these fashion trends and more grabbed the attention at the three-day Gionee India Beach Fashion Week (GIBFW) 2015, where menswear stole the show. From the opening day to veteran designer Wendell Rodricks's closing show on Saturday night -- menswear turned out to be a highlight and delight for many.

Rodricks's collection clad both men and women, but what caught the eyeballs was when some male models started his show on a dramatic note. They got on the stage together and removed their robes only to reveal their toned physique and colourful (even pink and blue) swimming trunks.

But that was not all. There were more male models who mostly hit the runway sans their shirt, and highlighted their six-packs. The menswear featured collarless jackets, fluid trousers, pants with side flaps and pleated trousers with side fins. "I really enjoyed doing the menswear because it was very different. It was breezy and very Goa. I don't normally do such creative menswear, but I really put my heart into it," Rodricks Said.

Designer duo Debarghaya Bairagi (Dev) and Navonil Das (Nil) earlier presented their collection, 'The Journey', for men and women at the Lalit Golf & Spa Resort Goa. But it was the exciting options for men that found immense appreciation. Ankle-length trousers, printed black and white pants, kurtas with leaf prints and check suits from their collection can definitely make it to a style conscious man's wardrobe.

The same was for Niteesh Singh Chauhan's 'Ghats of Varanasi' collection. The colour story in Niteesh's collection spoke of acute devotion: flame-red moved to ruby, corals met shades of saffron, while honey yellow went lemon and mustard before ending up in off-white.

With the culturally rich Varanasi as the backdrop, it lent style and character to the silk and linen garments. From holiday to wedding wear, the fabrics were highlighted with Shibori and leheriya dyeing techniques to create original textures. There were Kalidaar kurtas worn with churidars and sherwanis teamed with palazzo pants, and much more.

James Ferreira, on the other hand, gave his male models, mostly a bare chest look. They flaunted the black and white outfits, which had unbuttoned shirts and bottoms of different lengths. Asked about the choice of colours for men, Ferreira told, "I thought that black and white are classic."

Savitri Akkaramas, a designer from Bangkok, agreed and said she liked her friend Ferreira's designs. "James's collection that had options for men, was amazing. Some of the designs were casual yet elegant," Akkaramas said. Asmita Marwa's collection, inspired by the powerful symbol 'The Bindu', was also lauded by many.

There were many appealing pieces, but the highpoint was the way the lungi (sarong-like ankle-length garment wrapped around the waist that is mostly worn by Indian men) was worn by the models. The traditional wear looked chic when teamed up with shirts.

Feroza Dalal, an Indian buyer, found Marwa's menswear collection very festive. "They were very chic yet relaxing which men would enjoy wearing during the festive season." Apart from the buyers, the male models are also all praise for the designers' decision to focus on menswear.

Udaybir Sandhu is happy that the menswear market is evolving and that male models are given more opportunities on the ramp. "The fashion scenario is changing. Men are getting themselves groomed and they want to look good. We as models are also getting noticed these days because of that," said the 24-year-old, who has been in the industry for two years.

Professionals aside, actors also turned up the heat of the gala, which concluded on Saturday, by walking the ramp in chic outfits. If actor Tarun Arora looked chic in a shirt with loose bottoms, designed by Marwa, ‘Baahubali’ star Rana Daggubati rocked the runway in a pair of shades and lime green kurta with black bottom and a dupatta.

The womesnwear at the gala saw a melange of ethnic wear, which forms a core part of India's burgeoning fashion market. However, even flowy and breezy western silhouttes in resort wear, made their mark at this beach fashion gala.