VOGUE: Bibhu Mohapatra Sketch to Street Style
Couture season is about to kick off in Paris and Fall 2014 Ready to Wear shows begin in T minus 27 days. So you can imagine that besides for amping up my fashion week travel arrangements as well as gathering fresh pens & notebooks for my reviews, the other lingering thought in my brain is… Street Style.
Devising ways to pull ultra glamorous looks off the runway and alter them into (almost) everyday attire may seem intimidating, but honestly it isn’t as complicated as you think. I had the honor of collaborating with one of the most talented designers/expert tailors of the moment – Bibhu Mohapatra – along with Getty Images to show you just how to pull it off.
Bibhu Mohapatra’s aesthetic is inimitable. While his design background cultivated at Halston and as Design Director at J. Mendel, his craftsmanship and hand are natural-born killers. As a designer myself with a tailoring background, there is nothing more humbling than working with an artist who exceeds your visions and constantly reinvents fashion’s greatest techniques. Therefore once presented with the opportunity to translate Mohapatra’s latest catwalk pieces onto the hard pavement, I jumped as high as my 127 mm stems would allow.
From a simple sketch to the catwalk and styled on to the streets by yours truly, here is an inside look from Bibhu Mohapatra’s Spring 2014 collection coming full cycle on A Shah’s Life and Vogue India.
Bisous NYS
Look 1: Pairing roughed up jeans with a fancy top is an easy trick to transform the super glamorous into something super cool and wearable. Also, blazers have a way of toning down eccentric items and wearing them off the shoulder adds a wink of style. Top by Bibhu Mohapatra, Blazer by Givenchy, Jeans by Diesel, Heels by Giuseppe Zanotti.
Look 2: Statement dresses are delicate and you never want to overpower them with too many accessories or colors. Without comprising the innovative structure and color story of the dress, I opted to accessorize only in metal with Gianvito Rossi’s ankle bows adding a quirky yet sleek touch to the look. Dress by Bibhu Mohapatra, Tiara by Ana Khouri, Clutch by Anndra Neen, Rings by Annelise Michelson, Tuxedo Heels by Gianvito Rossi.
Look 3: The composition of this dress is exquisite and the fabrication is quite complex. Hence it is extremely important to frame such a dress as an art piece. Here I found Anndra Neen’s cage briefcase and Bibhu’s sculptural metal collar to playfully mirror Mohapatra’s geometrical fabrication. Dress and Necklace by Bibhu Mohapatra, Cage Briefcase by Anndra Neen.
Look 4: What girl doesn’t love a gown, but often finds them too fancy and impractical for their evening events? Honestly with floor length hemlines making a come back, gowns are more relevant than ever. An easy way to edge it up is simply by throwing on a motorcycle jacket. A red lip always assists in the sass factor – I use MAC ‘Cherry’ lipliner as lipstick for a no smudge, matte look. Gown by Bibhu Mohapatra, Heels by Jimmy Choo, Leather Jacket by Balenciaga, Octopus purse by Aranaz from shoplatitude.com.
