Discussions on experiments around men's print wear can never ignore the striking designs created by couturiers Dev and Nil's under their label Dev r Nil. They have almost ushered in a mini-revolution in terms of using the patterns in a bold and eccentric manner, yet keeping them classic enough for any fashionable man. This Puja, we chose four such stunning outfits from the label Dev r Nil's elaborate festive collection of classic print lines, for an equally experimental actor, Jeetu Kamal, who's our Puja cover this week.
"We have been working with men's print on print attires since 2008 when we introduced it at the Lakme Fashion Week and now, we see liberal employment of these printed looks in menswear since men, in general, have become more experimental and accepting of the varied design options," observes Nil.
Their whole new festive range for men consists of a lot of traditional wear which exhibits their classic prints. As the designers took us through the vibrant collection, we could spot a variety of tone-on-tone textures in a wide spectrum of rich colours like bright peaches, pinks and mustard yellows besides the usual whites and blacks that men are so comfortable with. The label has also made good use of thread textures on kurtas which are derived from both very traditional motifs like Mughal motifs to very fun and modern Lego block patterns.
"We have divided the whole collection between traditional kurtas and modern cut-paste kurtas. There are short bandhgalas, long bandhgalas and bundis. We mostly call our collections Pages from Memories since a little inspiration is drawn from the times when we used to sandwich flowers gifted by our loved ones between the pages of diaries or books. These prints of flattened-out flowers, petals and leaves are the bases of our print in one series of our collection," Nil tells us.
The other collection has a vivid range of wall art inspired by the ancient tribal wall art and a closer look at the outfits reveals the nuanced tribal art forms created in circular vertical horizontal lines and patterns. "Apart from the wall art series, there's another wallpaper embroidered series where the work is almost floating on top of the textile, courtesy our signature subtle threadwork which is close to tone-on tone yet very subtle somewhere," Nil explains.
For the Pujas, Nil believes in going traditional all the way with the quintessential Dhoti-kurta look, at least during the daytime. For the evenings, he feels, one can settle for a darker palette of kurtas. The colours may vary from bright pop-up shades like deep red, maroons and purples for the night-time to softer pastel shades of blush pink, powder yellows and baby blues for the days.
"You can wear formal bandhgalas, short bandhgalas with sleeveless jackets but a well-tailored kurta is a must since oversized kurtas are passe. Also, invest in a pair of good old white shirts and blue denim for the relaxed look that you can carry from day to night. You should also choose your shoes wisely and though mojris go well with traditional wear, brown tan walking shoes without laces too go well with dhotis. You can also try the funky sneakers for a cooler look," he advises.
Known for their eclectic women's wear, Nil suggests beautiful tissue silks, habutai silks and tussar saris with subtle cutwork, applique or embroidery work that one can also wear in the upcoming winter wedding season. "I always suggest buying versatile saris that can be worn in many ways and many times. Pair them with different blouses or drape them differently to get a new look each time. Apart from saris, we also have drape saris, skirts and tops, palazzos and tops for the festive season," he adds.
Price on request. 144 Remount Raod, Kolkata-27. On devnil.com.
Making right noises
A relatively newcomer in Tollywood, actor Jeetu Kamal turns out to be the dark horse who delivered the most successful Bengali film this year so far. The shining star of Anik Dutta's film Aparajito -- which chronicles the struggles of Satyajit Ray, during the course of making the iconic film Pather Panchali -- Jeetu has impressed the Bengali audience with his authentic portrayal of the maestro. The six-feet strapping actor, who can give any model a run for his money, was our obvious choice when it came to showcasing men's festive fashion.
The busy actor shares his ups and downs and festive choices with us on the sidelines of the shoot.
Puja Fashion: I love wearing mostly Kurta and dhoti during the festive season, but for the evenings, I also like experimenting with exciting Indo-western outfits. The first day of the Puja always sees me in formal wear since we are usually also working during that day but the onset of Saptami sees me switching to kurta and pyjama. Ashtami mornings have always been all about Dhoti Kurtas while Dashami means a nice black kurta and churidar look.
I like to accessorise the look with nice wristbands and small ear studs.
What Pujas mean to me: Pujas have always meant spending time with family and my childhood friends and this time too it will be no different. Also, during these five days, my diet goes for a toss and gets replaced with gluttony for all things fried and tasty. I gorge on biryani, if possible, on all four days.
Upcoming projects: A film based on the historic figure Titumir and Arun Roy's Aranyer Dinratri.
Pictures: Debarshi Sarkar / Hair and Makeup: Abhijit Paul, assisted by Sananda Mondal Laha / Styling: Poulami Gupta / Location courtesy: The Park Hotel Kolkata