Rag Time : Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week

Designers Aparna and Norden Wangdi gave a sneak peek into their line for the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week at the trendy restobar Chakraas at Hotel Samrat . While the inspiration of most designers has been esoteric - from Russian abstractionists to Turkish pottery - the Wangdis are spurred by rag dolls. "Our collection 'Back to Nevernever land' is a magical journey through childhood," said Norden. The two, who have been around for a while are known for their eclectic silhouettes and peppy stylisation and in this collection too, there's a reflection of that. There is a profusion of colours - from dazzling oranges to muted whites. With prints of rag dolls with vacant smiles on skirts, multi-layered dresses, trousers and overskirts, the collection has a relaxed, childlike feel that evokes a hint of nostalgia.

Baichung Bhutia : Iconic Hero from Sikkim

Baichung Models for Sikkim Designer Norden & Aparana

On the eve of India’s historic triumph at the ONGC Nehru Cup 2007, the man who led a nation’s hopes on the soccer field, skipper of the Indian football team, Baichung Bhutia got a first hand experience of the nation’s hauteur couture.
Luminaries of two diverse worlds of soccer and fashion came together on a sunny August afternoon at New Delhi’s Le Meridian for a brief but unforgettable rendezvous. The charismatic footballer agreed to a different ball game when he obligingly sported the creations that have put designer couple Aparna and Norden Wangdi firmly on India’s fashion map.
Behind this curious merger of two starkly unrelated fields are the roots that bind one half of the designer duo and the iconic sportsman. While Baichung hails from a little village in Sikkim, Norden’s ancestral home in Darjeeling, lies on the brink of the state’s border with the neighbouring West Bengal.
The two sons of the mountains have come a long way, both literally and figuratively. And thus the football hero took a brief hiatus from the pressure of breaking the jinx that had kept India from making it to the final of any ONGC Cup since its very inception.
With a relaxed demeanour and boyish grin, Baichung betrayed not the slightest hint of the world of expectations weighing on his shoulders as he struck poses a plenty in some of the highly anticipated threads from Ollatin being readied to preview at the upcoming Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week next month.
In the pristine interiors of Le Meridian, one could almost catch the chanting of Buddhist monks and the crisp mountain air, as the natives of Khangchendzonga foothills struck a harmonious note. It was East meeting East in ways that Kipling didn’t quite foresee.

Designer outfits make a mark in Sikkim

Gangtok, Aug. 26: Designer outfits are creating a buzz in North East India, and particularly in Sikkim, thanks to a New Delhi-based designer duo.Norden Wangdi and his wife Aparna Wangdi have established a name through premier fashion weeks.The duo's fashion showroom "Ollatin" is a major draw for people in Gangtok.The fashion conscious are interested in purchasing designer collection at reasonable prices.Norden has immense faith in the talent of his people and believes that opportunities like this will help the region to prosper."There is a lot of young talent here. I do not have any doubt about it. Things are changing everyday. Keeping these things in mind, we feel the North East has a very bright future," said Norden."Everybody is very style conscious. It's great. In the North East, I think they are quite European in their outlook," said Aparna Wangdi. Ollatin Export promotes linen clothing, leather products and kids' wear. It is also exports products to Singapore, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and the United States. The USP of the garments lies in their cuts and silhouette, accented seamlines and textural embellishments like printing, painting and layering. Customers too are happy.Rinky Dolma, a customer, said: "It is interesting to notice so many clothes in such a wide variety. I am quite excited to notice such a great colour combination in clothes. It's really fantastic." The Wangdis have shown that designers from the north east can do wonders if given an opportunity. Though presently settled in Delhi, the idea of opening up a boutique in Sikkim came up with time. Today, the duo says they are proud of their decision.The fashion outlet is called OLLATIN from"Free Falling Design Studio".

Aparna & Norden : FREE FALLING

NORDEN BHUTIA

After completing his graduation from St Stephens College, Delhi University, Norden went on to arm himself with a post graduate degree in Garment Manufacturing Technology from NIFT (national institute of fashion technology) New Delhi .
He worked as a manager of production in an export house for three years in India , where he had to coordinate the procurement of fabric, dyeing, printing and the manufacturing of the garments. After this, he went to work in New York, USA the hub of the global fashion Industry with a prominent buying house supplying to fashion power house, the likes of Bloomingdale, Kenneth-Cole, Wal-Mart, Ms Erica, Danny and Nicole, Kenwood, Macys.
As the merchandiser and Production coordinator he had to get production done from China, Dubai, Indonesia and in India .

APARNA

Aparna did her graduation in Fashion Design from NIFT. She did projects in various fields of design after NIFT like product design and furniture design in wrought iron and wood, interior design with soft furnishings, costume design for theatre and shawl weaving, apart from doing projects in Fashion.
This gave her a lot of knowledge of different materials and the flexibility to use them in her design process. She did three extensive researches, design and development projects in shawl weaving in Kullu.
Apart from this, she did costumes for many theatre productions. Her forte lies in the unique juxtaposition of different fabrics, colors and various surface ornamentation techniques in a single garment. Her design credo is to explore, innovate, experiment and enjoy.

OLLATIN:SIKKIM'S FIRST DESIGNER BOUTIQUE

OLLATIN: SIMPLE STYLE SENSIBILITY OF APARNA & NORDEN

GANGTOK, August 8: Here is finally some good news for all those fashionistas and aficionados alike looking for some new trends and good sensibilities in clothes.
A designer boutique is all set to open in town, which promises not only clothes that look good but also give you that distinct look with the latest trends across the world.
And no, it will not leave you with a big hole in your pocket.
Ollatin, an exclusive ready-to-wear boutique opens in the Capital on August 8, which will house some of the best known designers we have in the country today.
Started by fashion designer couple, Aparna and Norden Wangdi, Ollatin is the first designer boutique to come up in the entire North Eastern region. The design store will not only house the couple’s signature “Freefalling” line, but will also showcase the clothes by another well-known designer duo Gunjan Arora and Rahul Jain and also Sunita Shanker.
For the first time, Gangtokians will be able to sample Sunita’s Anushka collection, Aparna Gunjan and Rahul’s Sirali and of course, Aparna and Norden’s Freefalling collections.
Norden, who is a Sikkimese from Gangtok, and his wife, Aparna are well-known names in the fashion circuit in the country today.
So what made them open a designer wear store here, where most of the people are used to ready-to-wear smuggled in from Bangkok and Singapore?
“It’s high time that Gangtokians moved on and tried out designer wear. There is definitely a huge market here for exclusive designer wear, and there are people with discerning taste for clothes. We think Gangtok is ready for exclusivity and style,” says Norden.
“And also the fact that we have our roots here in Sikkim. Its part of the natural progression,” adds Aparna.
Their Freefalling collection consists of ready-to-wear mostly in natural fabrics like cotton and silk with a minimum of embellishment with emphasis on great cuts and perfect fittings, finish and quality. “Our cloths are simple, yet stylish. We use lots of earthy and neutral tones with a dash of colours,” says Aparna. The detailing is in the contrast thread work, accentuated seam lines and textural embellishments and dyeing, painting and layering. “Our clothes give a strikingly individual look to the wearer,” she adds. Most of their designs have unconventional styling, which is yet vibrant, colourful and comfortably contemporary.
The clothes have been priced keeping in mind the local market and demands. The clothes start from Rs 500 up to Rs. 10,000 and are suited to all pockets. The clothes are designed at their Freefalling Design Studio in New Delhi was established in 1999.
Both Aparna and Norden are products of prestigious National Institute of Fashion Technology New Delhi. With Norden having worked both in an export house in India and a buying house in New York and Aparna having done several different stints in design, they got together to set up a design house which was a perfect amalgamation of both their skills.
Their clothes are sold through stores in USA, Singapore, Italy, Saudi Arabia and UAE and also from well known design stores through out India like Kimaya, Mumbai & Dubai, Ensemble Mumbai & Delhi, Ishna Mumbai, Purple Porcupine Mumbai, Manan New Delhi, Marichika Hyderabad, Cinnamon Bangalore & Cochin, Grasshopper Bangalore, Ffolio Bangalore and Sosas Goa.
And now, from Gangtok.

For a Look on What you CanGet at Ollatin from your Home - Click here:http://www.ollatin.com

Fashion 5 Store in Sonam Gyatso Marg (Tibet Road), Gangtok

Gangtok, Aug. 3: Naomi Campbell and Mallaika Arora Khan have sported their designs. Now, Gunjan and Rahul’s ensemble will be available at Ollatin, a boutique that opens in town on August 8.
Fashion designer couple Aparna and Norden Wangdi, who are setting up the store in Sonam Gyatso Marg (Tibet Road), here, have got Gunjan Arora and Rahul Jain on board, along with another designer, Sunita Shanker. The store’s shelves will be lined with their collections: Sunita’s Anushka, Aparna and Norden’s Freefalling and Gunjan and Rahul’s Sirali.
The price range of the clothes will start from Rs 500, though accessories may come cheaper.
All the five designers have made it big in the country’s fashion scene and their products can be found in all leading stores.
“Our design sensibilities are similar,” Rahul Jain informed from Mumbai, as he talked about the three teams. “Our products are technique oriented, textured and Indian in looks and it is a great opportunity for us to be part of the Sikkim store.”
Rahul added that there is a big market for fashion apparel in the Northeast. “People in the rest of the country are not bothered about the Northeast and that is where they are making a big mistake,” he said.
Aparna and Norden share the same views, which is why they came up with the idea of a store in Gangtok. Though the designer duo are based in Delhi, Norden is a Sikkimese.
The two know Sunita and Gunjan from the time all of them were at National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), New Delhi.
Sunita, Aparna said, established her label in 1996 and the same year she was invited to Japan to present her range of textiles and clothing along with other Asian designers. Since then she has exhibited her work in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore and London.
Sunita has worked with crafts people and weavers in villages and her fashion philosophy is strongly influenced by traditional designs, said Norden.
Gunjan and Rahul, on the other hand, say their target consumer group is 30 plus corporate people.
Aparna and Norden, who were seen giving finishing touches to the store today, said almost everything was ready and they were looking forward to the big day.