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Ramani plays with flowing skirts by crafting them from printed materials and adding lots of pleats. Ranna Gill has knee-length full skirts in canary yellow, coral and strawberry.

Bloom Boom
AND although soft pastels are still popular, colours are brighter and patterns bolder. Big bold flowers dance across skirts and dresses, shoes and bags. ‘‘The colours are luscious,’’ says Charla Krupp, executive editor of Shop Etc magazine. ‘‘Turquoise is hot. Bright pinks and greens, and a lot of safari styles.’’
Indian
connection: Designer Rina Dhaka’s printed kurtas are filled with floral bunches. ‘‘They’re in pinks and yellows, with wide necks and deep backs,’’ says Dhaka.

Wear the Wedge
ALL you Carrie Bradshaw fans take note: The seriously sexy stiletto has been overtaken by wedge heels and ballet flats. ‘‘The great thing about wedges is that they’re pretty sexy, and you don’t have to wobble around in them like with stilettoes,’’ says Marshalls’ style expert Amy Gallagher.

Flats are all over the runways. Many of them are pretty and delicate, but decorated with jewels or ribbons.

Indian connection: Deepika Mehra of Ashley Shoes says their summer collection has lots of embellishments—flowers, shells, beads and baubles—in bright hues. And a new line of jewelled footwear, Vanilla Moon, will be in stores soon.

On Holiday
IF fall styles reminded you of piano recitals and high tea, spring is like a wild safari, or a vacation in Rio. ‘‘Everything has beads, sequins, details and sparkles. It’s a really fun season,’’ says Krupp. ‘‘Picture yourself on a yacht around the Mediterranean, wearing a turquoise tunic with white pants, and you have a scarf and oversized sunglasses on.’’

Indian connection: Ramani’s new Tropical Disco of Love is a sexy resort wear line. ‘‘Hibiscus appliques and sun motifs are perfect for island life,’’ she says.

Bright Sparks
BANGLES are hot—thick ones to be worn in clanking multiples. Wide cuff bracelets too. Belts are important—ribboned, beaded, cowboy, jewelled or stranded. Handbags are made of exotic materials, or in slouchy hobo styles. But the must-have accessory is the necklace—long, big-beaded, multiple necklaces, worn all at once.

Indian connection: Jewellery designer Niharika Khan at Mumbai’s Ishna Jewellers picks chunky bead necklaces that drop into the cleavage. ‘‘I’m using silver with watermelon tourmaline, smokey topaz and agate,’’ she says.

Free Flowing
GALLAGHER says women can breathe easy in the season’s tunics and kaftans. ‘‘Tunics can be really forgiving. You can get the fitting ones when you don’t have fat-pinching jeans on. Or they can be a little less fitting,’’ she says. ‘‘It’s casual attire, but you look dressed up.’’

Indian connection: Gill’s collection has kurtis and kaftans in sheer paisleys. ‘‘They have big kimono sleeves, are belted at the waist and can be worn over jeans,’’ she says.

LATWP/ with inputs from Parizaad Khan