Suneet brings his Enchanted Forest

As the fashion season has started, many designers from India are stopping over in Dubai and taking part in special pop-up events to give this region a sample of their new collections. One of them is Suneet Varma, an Indian designer known for his love of femininity. His designs conjure a feel of enchantment with his love of crystals, chiffon and corsetry. While there is a delicate deliciousness to his designs, they also make a statement. His latest collection called Enchanted Forest is inspired by the magical and mystical forests of India. 

A designer for whom romance is important - both in his work and life - this collection plays to that.  Florals, ruffles and fringing are all part of his Fall offering.  Suneet's forte is the way he adds French chic to all his clothes, thanks to the very European way he styles his Indian ensembles - and this could explain why Suneet is so popular in markets like Dubai, Hong Kong and London. 

"I treat the motifs, embellishments and silhouettes in a western manner so the clothes are not overtly ethnic. These are Indian clothes that can be worn in any part of the world," Suneet says.

But what makes this collection more interesting is that it will presented in Dubai ahead of India, the designer said. 

"These (designs) are from the new collection that I will be showing at the Amazon India Fashion Week in October in Delhi." This only goes to prove how important the Dubai market is to Suneet.

Suneet's work in Dubai is being presented by KS Dubai, a fashion curation consultancy that specialises in trunk shows run by Simran Shroff and Kamu Vachani. 
Showing alongside Suneet are Art D'Inox and Judith Leiber Couture evening bags. Both are perfect compliments to Suneet's creations. Art D'Inox is a home accessories company that celebrates steel. Suneet designs a special collection for them. The accessories will be available be at the Dubai pop-up. 

Judith Leiber is of course known as the red carpet clutch to own. The New York based accessory brand, whose crystal novelty bags are a favourite with Jennifer Lopez and Sonam Kapoor, has worked with Suneet previously on capsule collections. So this show is very much all about Suneet. "This is pretty much a coincidence. The KS Fall trunk show has a definite feel and there is overlap of sensibilities and this helps. Being cohesive is important," Suneet says.

Bags of beauty and fun...
A bag that instantly dresses up any outfit are these crystal covered clutches. Judith Leiber stands for glamour that understands how to be whimsical. Her novelty bags are what she is famous for - be it a butterfly or lipstick. Leiber bags are part of the permanent design collections at London's Victoria and Albert Museum and New York's The Metropolitan Museum of Art. There is a reason why the Judith Leiber brand has been able to stay on top of its game for well over half a century - it's a label that treats fashion as fun.