Is an updo the wedding look for you? Here’s a primer on pulling it off.

The Vibe

Is your goal vintage glamour or modern sophisticate? Try variations on poufs and high or low chignons. Prefer bohemian beauty? Think braided twists and knots of cascading curls.

According to Gina Ludwig, owner ofHairComesTheBride.com, which employs hair stylists across the country and sells coiffure accessories, undone updos with lots of soft texture are super hot right now. These popular loose looks create a whimsical, romantic vibe, added celeb stylist Remona Soleimani of Bridal Hair by Remona. Smooth, refined styles, on the other hand, have a more formal air, Soleimani said, and hair fillers or extensions can amp up the drama.

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Practical matters

If you love the textured looks, keep in mind that hair with highlights and lowlights will give more dimension to the style, said Soleimani, while monochromatic hair colors work best with sleeker hairdos.

Any type of hair looks great in an updo, said Ludwig, but if your tresses are fine or thin, updos also have the advantage of creating the effect of thicker, fuller hair that you probably couldn’t achieve if you wore your hair down. In addition, they’re equally appropriate and practical for indoor and (hot, humid, windy) outdoor events, and with proper products and pinning, you can hit the dance floor for hours without fretting about your ’do going limp.

Complete the look

Updo’s won’t obstruct any aspect of your dress, so feel free to pick an on-trend bateau neckline or glitzy back details. But if the gown is big and features lots of flourishes, stick to simpler hairstyles – you don’t want to look overdone and the point of a showstopper dress is that it’s the center of attention.

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The last day of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015 could easily be said to have gone by in anticipation of the grand finale by couturier Rohit Bal. Sunday’s off-site show, held at Quli Khan’s Tomb in the Qutub Archaeological Park, was nothing short of a royal spectacle with the moon throwing a spotlight on the runway and the Qutub Minar in the background.

Models emerged from the domed monument and walked down the 50-feet grand ramp. The collection comprised 90 garments inspired by ‘Gulbagh’ and featured exquisite embroidered and printed peonies, chrysanthemums, wild roses, Bal’s ubiquitous lotus and chintz prints. Traditional designs included floorlength angrakhas, peplum blouses, lehengas, saris, capes and smart shrug jackets in white, gold, black, maroon and multi-coloured stripes. The men were treated to well-fitted achkans in the same colour palette. Bal’s show was a treat to the senses and adding to the ambience was classical singer Shubha Mudgal soulful raags.

Bal’s old friend and actor Arjun Rampal walked as the showstopper in a smart back velvet bandhgala jacket, with subtle black roses embroidered on it, teamed with black jodhpurs and leather shoes. While the finale was what kept many excited, a few shows during the day managed to satiate the sartorial needs of fashionistas. Annaikka by Kanika Saluja questioned the taboos surrounding women’s sexual liberation through her strong collection titled ‘Euphoria’.

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With her trademark style of fluted pleats and peplums with metallic studs, rivets and embroidery, Saluja looked at silhouettes including long capes, jumpsuits, dresses and tops with fitted skirts in shades of grey, orange, pink, and gold. For the strong-headed bride with an equally strong sense of personal style, the designer presented a leather lehenga teamed with a copper embellished blouse that was worn by musician Monica Dogra.

Nida Mahmood returned with another quirky line inspired by Mad Hatter’s chai party. Models walked the ramp with flowers sticking out of their hair, tea cup hats, nerdy glasses and socks with psychedelic print teapot brooches. The range comprised dresses, chiffon tops, and saris over jeans with prints of hot air balloons and teapots.

A show by Melbourne-based Roopa Pemmaraju, presented by the Australian government, was another colourful expression of indigenous prints for daywear. Her painterly prints on skirts, dresses, coats and shirts and coats in neon pop colours added a refreshing touch. Australian Commissioner Patrick Suckling’s wife Natalie Daalder walked the ramp as the showstopper. Others who impressed were Rahul Singh and Rehane.

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Fashion detectives at The Express Tribune had their magnifying glass out at the recent PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week (PLBW) 2014 to see what are set to trend this season. Here is a breakdown of our six favourite features from the runway.

Saris: The sari has made a real impact on the runway this year with every designer showing at least a few saris as a part of their collections. Saris are timeless and a great investment. They never go out of style and can be passed down from generation to generation. From two-way saris that merge nets, velvets and/or embellished paloos, wearing one of these funky sariswill help you make a statement. Another dominant trend on the runway was saris with long jackets. This look adds a layered dimension to the sari, making it stand out.

High-waisted lehengas and pants: Not everyone may feel comfortable wearing short cholis, so whether this was a conscious decision or a just a style statement on the designer’s part, we are bowled over by the high-waisted lehengas that were opted for. Be it pants or lehengas, this is a flattering cut as it cinches the waist and makes one look both slimmer and taller.

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Simple silhouettes: Designers played it safe with their cuts this PLBW, but went over the top with embellishments. So, while the silhouettes were muted, embellishments were just as loud. Nets embellished with gaara embroidery and sequins have got to be the biggest trend. Misha Lakhani’s kimono kaftan was a great example of keeping apparel trendy yet simple.

Velvet trimmings: Needless to say, this trend is here to stay. Velvet is a regal winter fabric, which has been reigning over wedding seasons for the last two years. This year also saw velvet stoles by Nickie Nina along with the fabric being opulently used by Misha Lakhani and Sana Safinaz in their collections.

Colours: There was a myriad of colours showcased this year at PLBW. From neons to dusky metallics, colours took charge on the runway and it all comes down to your mood and what you want to wear. From Nida Azwer’s white-on-white pieces to Sana Safinaz’s rich metallics to Fahad Hussayn’s discreet choices, this season is all about elevating your personal style with a diverse colour palette.

Prints: Prints, prints and more prints! This is the season to merge your formal wedding trousseau with some rich prints. From printed undershirts to printed lehengas to dupattas to lining, every designer juxtaposed such pieces with embellishments. So, pull out those old printed silk dupattas and explore how you can incorporate them into your wedding attire. From Zara Shahjahan’s printed lehenga choli to Sania Maskatiya’s printed underlining, this was a feature that will be all the rage this season. So, be the first to adopt it.

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Ninety-three shows, nine days, one fashion-crazed city.

The world’s travelling circus of fashion editors, buyers and celebrities waved goodbye to the cobbled streets of Milan and cried “Bonjour Paris” on Tuesday, bracing itself for the last, most colorful furlong of spring-summer 2015 ready-to-wear shows.

Tuesday’s a day for the up-and-coming fashion designers and stars of tomorrow. And it can pack some surprises.

Anthony Vaccarello, who has dressed Gwyneth Paltrow, gave himself an ego boost by plastering his name in huge letters all over his clothes, while newcomer house Anrealage tried to cook its models for the sake of art.

As they say, “fashion has no mercy.”

Here are show reports and highlights from day one.

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MODELS COOKED IN THE NAME OF FASHION

Japanese house Anrealage produced a highly original debut show in Paris.

The pressure is on for any newbie on the calendar to make a mark. House designer Kunihiko Morinaga took this literally — and cooked imprints into his designs, live during the show.

Several models in plain black and white trapeze-silhouettes, and stencil-like cotton and lace outer-garments, walked into a “grill” area, where they stopped to be heated up by intense beam lighting.

When they walked off stiffly, in plate-bottom stilettos, the audience applauded on seeing rippled “grill” patterns that had been imprinted on the parts of the techno-fabric exposed.

It resembled a sort of microwaved Jacquard.

The models wore stiff, plastic bob-like wigs — and certainly looked like they needed a cold shower following this grueling spring-summer show.

FROM TOKYO TO PARIS

Already famous in native Japan, award-winning Morinaga is known for his daring concepts that merge art and fashion — such as a 2009 creation: a square box that becomes a trench coat when the box ribbing is taken out.

Making the leap from Tokyo to Paris is a big step for a Japanese designer as it opens up the house to the international gaze.

“Tokyo is already an international city with our own big fashion scene. New York is too domestic, too American. But Paris is the international fashion window to the world for us,” said Hirofumi Kurino, senior adviser at Japanese clothes store United Arrows, who attended the Anrealage show.

“There are the highest level critics and buyers here, and like (Japanese brand) Sacai that shows here, Paris means more customers and is seen as the next level for a Japanese designer,” he added.

ANTHONY VACCARELLO BLOWS HIS NAME UP

Anthony Vaccarello is one of the biggest names on the first day of collections.

And he’s not afraid to show it.

The French designer was in a typically sexy mood for this print-rich show that featured his own name blown up on many of the looks.

He began his musings with the sartorial pin stripe and business jacket silhouettes — which were given a feminine lift with provocative, diagonal uber-miniskirts.

And the mood for graphic prints continued in the form of huge blown-up writing, which spelled out letters from the designer’s name and “spring” in black and white.

There was a certain feel for the Swinging Sixties, or the designs of Courreges, in the show’s later slashed, figure-hugging monochrome minidresses that had a nice disco-sheen.

Too many different styles meant, at times, there was a sense of overkill. But Vaccarello should be applauded for an enviable new scooped, U-shaped neckline that looks sensual without being trashy.

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Russian-born, Milan-based designer Julia Voitenko recently unveiled her latest Esme Vie collection in Rome at Italian couture fashion week “AltaRoma.”

Voitenko has been showing her made-in-Italy designs for the past three seasons, garnering critical acclaim and industry support along the way. She has emerged as one of the best young designers to come out of Vogue Italia’s “Who’s On Next” talent support program, and Vogue Italia editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani has been photographed wearing Esme Vie designs — high praise indeed.

Sozzani also included Esme Vie in the “Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience” last year, which launched a collaboration between Dubai Mall, the world’s largest luxury shopping center, and Vogue Italia that brought eight emerging designers and their collections to the United Arab Emirates for the first time.

The Esme Vie summer 2015 collection renews Voitenko’s interest in bold graphic statements while maintaining the purity of line and old-world, handmade craftsmanship that have become the hallmark of her brand. The precious materials used for the creations include Satin Double Gabardine, Double Duchess Satin and Silk Faille fabrics, derived from prestigious Italian silk weaving mills.

Known for horizontal lines that bisect her dresses and sophisticated color stories, the new motifs incorporate vertical stripes to give a lifting, slimming shape to her geometric volumes and a pinwheel-like effect perfect for warmer weather.

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Masterful draping and pleating were features for a number of dresses.

In Rome, she showed short, baby-doll cocktail dresses alongside full-length evening wear, all of which exuded an undeniable sophistication and an élan vital.

While staying true to her preferred palette of dusky, muted colors the Esme Vie collection also included a number of pale, champagne-colored dresses that brought to mind the glamour of past eras while remaining resolutely modern through masterful draping and pleating. Inspired by the colors of summer, the shades of seaside and sky blue, pink and violet hues bring to association the beauty of lush summer gardens in full bloom.

Making clothing that is sober and pure, Voitenko tempered the severity of her lines with floral collars and gigantic corsages. Because they were the same color as the dresses they adorned, they appeared as organic embellishments that add glamour and interest rather than extraneous distractions.

In a field where young designers often look to the street for inspiration, it is refreshing to see Voitenko take the high road and do it so successfully. The designs she creates seem as if they would be as equally at home at the most decadent cocktail party as within the hushed atmosphere of a restrained museum opening.

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