Textured and contemporary is in

Gone are the days when the festive season marked a skyrocketing of sales for over-the-top, bling-bling ensembles. Traditional drapes are all fine "" sarees with stone-work and "Sabyasachi" borders are still going strong, but there is a distinct trend even among Indian couturiers towards the understated, at least as far as embellishment goes; impeccable cuts and sharper silhouettes being now favoured.

While even designers like J J Valaya "" with a huge following in the NRIs segment "" have gone easy on the Swarovskis, everyone else too seems to be offering more contemporary stuff. So give up on ethnic wear and look at smarter, more contemporary evening wear by Indian designers.

In fact, a serious dalliance with the ready-to-wear market, focused on the young corporate clientele, is another big trend in the Indian fashion market. For instance, take a look at what this model (dressed in a Wills Lifestyle, Manish Malhotra outfit) is wearing.

The brand has, this festive season, brought out exclusive collections by Manish Malhotra, Monisha Jaising and Rohit Gandhi-Rahul Khanna. The model here wears a stylish corset with a hand-embroidered skirt. But the fabrics continue to be rich and diverse and textured clothing is in.

But Indian designers are also getting stiff competition from international luxury brands that have set shop in India this year and are wooing high-end clients "" Valentino and Hilfiger, for instance.