Add Some Quirk To Your Wardrobe With Dresses From These 10 Designer Labels

It was Bangladeshi designer Bibi Russell who was among the first to re-invent the humble gamcha and put it in the fashion spotlight. But Sanjukta Roy has taken it to quite another level with her boho-chic gamcha makeovers. You have to stock up on one of her stunning sarees in eye-popping colors and amazing combinations. Pair them with traditional blouses or boxy crop tops, sneakers or button downs and get a standout look. If a saree is not your thing, go for a tunic and a skirt or the fab wraparound pants, and dhotis.

This brand has major retro feels with its Victorian-era styling. Pick up dresses, bustiers, skirts, kimonos, and tops made from vintage saris and you will truly stand out this Pujo. The beautifully cut garments are feminine and playful. LataSita recycles cloth scraps or donates them to Goonj, an NGO making sanitary napkins for disadvantaged women.

If that name doesn’t get you, their fun and eclectic clothing and accessories range certainly will. Stylist and designer Anupriya DG has put together a patchwork of pop designs and colours {with elements like sunglasses and telephones) on her range of dresses, tops and jackets. Their car print dress is a must-buy. Their collection of chic blouses is to die for – like the KalamKaya blouse which is a lovely mish-mash of kalamkari and block prints. They also do sarees and home decor stuff like cushion covers and coasters.

NIFT graduate Karishma Siddique Roy’s label is known for statement jewelry – stunning, chunky neck pieces and bejewelled cuffs made from various kinds of materials such as metals, semiprecious stones, fabrics, wood, glass, ceramic, terracotta, seeds, and wire mesh. They are bold and the perfect foil for a plain tunic or dress. She also does a line of dresses coats and jackets made with handloom fabrics like the standout chest wrap skirts, trousers, and tie-up dresses.

You have to pick up a neck piece from their wonderfully eclectic range by mother-daughter duo of Ratna and Tanya Sen. They have an eye for tweaking the ordinary and making it into an eye-catching piece – like an anklet which was made into a a necklace with brass bells and turquoise {or coral} balls. Junk’s range of products includes necklaces, earrings, finger rings, bracelets, anklets and scarves.

If you have  a penchant for dresses with bold swathes and color blocking, try out Vedika M’s pret line. It is a blend of abstract block prints, hand-brush strokes, paint blotting and geometric shapes and patterns. The chic and fun store is located on Loudon Street.

You will love their range of comfortable shift dresses, funky crop tops and pants, the kaftans, skirts, wraparound and kimono jackets. The attention-grabbing subtle colour {and texture} combos, pleats and longer lengths look fresh. Most of their clothing is easy to dress up or down. Pair your buy with one of their handloom or block-printed stoles, and a signature copper earring and bracelet (we loved the ones studded with ceramic stones). Their ties and bow ties (made with up cycled fabrics) in a range of prints will add a dash of color to any outfit.

This is a design collective (they call themselves “visual bandits–outlaws of design”), who want to bring the local aesthetic of the city to everyday products. From apparel to stationery to household to accessories, they keep churning out new things that are exciting to make. All the products are handcrafted, organic, and sustainable. Accessories are upcycled using gamcha scraps. We adore the kaftan dress – a floaty lightweight garment, that will make Pujo dressing so enjoyable, the rich cream and resplendent red of the Bengali-pleated saree skirt, and their skinny tassels earrings with more colours than the rainbow!

Ditch Indo-Western and go ‘Firaangi Desi’ instead. This brand is all about mixing western comfort with ethnic beauty. Along with customisable clothes, they have a range of sarees in bright colours and vibrant prints. Get your hands on a double-layered dress or a printed fish-tail skirt. They are perfect for the pujo – fashionable yet comfortable enough to pandal-hop the whole day in.

Urban Pataka seems to have fine tuned the mix of local and global. The store near Forum Mall has gorgeous feminine silhouettes on display. The dresses range from floaty to crisp and look extremely comfortable. The outfits are tailor-made and customised to suit your personality as well as body types.Their range (skirts, maxi dresses, crop tops, co-ordinated sets, midis, tops, jeggings, rompers, stoles, kimonos and hangbags) is punched up by way of fanciful prints.