TURKISH DELIGHT BY PRIA KATARIA PURI
Lakme Fashion Week – Collection F/W 2007
She’s timeless in her beauty, caught in a magical time warp, wafting through the teeming streets of ageless
Istanbul. She is all women, swathed in her femininity, enveloped in the luxe embrace of silk and velvet, a
deeper blue than the skies over Turkey. Asian aesthetics and European ingenuity combine within her, much
like the land she emerges from.
Just as Turkey bridges Asia and Europe, joining the heritage of Constantinople and its Byzantine past to its
Ottoman era and now a bright and modern present, she is split between tradition and modernity, the
embodiment of a charismatic woman she conquers with her worldly knowledge and slays with her charisma..
Pria Kataria Puri’s autumn winter 2007 collection is inspired by Istanbul, an exotic concoction of Europe, the
Balkans and the Middle East, the only city in the world situated on two continents, which has grown into an
international hotspot.
An Ottoman odyssey unfolds in the undulating fabric as prints abound. Some are drawn from the
weathered walls of the four centuries old Topkai Sarayi Palace, home of the great Ottoman Turkish
Sultans and their harems of bewitching brides. Others arise from traditional Turkish prints, washed in
compelling and contrasting colours and drawing inspirations from Art Deco allusions.
In Istanbul’s inspired climate she flits through the bylanes of the Grand Bazaar, sniffing the incense, picking
up nuggets of history at the incredible 6th century Islamic-Christian religious museum the Hagia Sophia and
on to the trendy district of Beyoglu in shadowed evenings, relishing sips of Moët Chandon as she sways to
the live music at Babylon.
Swathed in feminine fluid silk chiffon, satins, delicate tulle, as well as luxurious silk velvet with
lasered lace in metallic hues, she combines futuristic PVC leather with wet-look stretch satin silk in
gleaming metallic lacquer. Pria’s Turkish mystery woman drapes herself in soft Egyptian cotton and
cotton Lurex and soft jersey satin silk that skims her body delicately.
She cuts a compelling figure, donning playful frocks, baby-doll dresses, classic chemises and ankle-length
Grecian streamline dresses and teams them with mini dresses and tiny temptress shorts. Kimono, puffed
and bat-wing sleeves flow over low-cut necklines emphasizing her collar-bones. She slips as easily into tight
pant leggings in shiny lace leather metallic lacquer as well as saris and mini kurtis in memories of Ottoman
prints. Her hues vary from shades of blue – Klein, cobalt, turquoise, electric, corn-flour – along with lots of
black, in combination with off-white, orange, golden with metallic hues of copper, bronze and antique silver.
Silver and liquid steel embellishments are accompanied by shimmering sequins, chunky crystals and
antique silver jewels, complimented by tassels and fringes with silk threads and crystal edge.
And even as vast variety of hues and silks from Istanbul’s rich past are displayed in both the permanent and
temporary exhibitions at the museum at Topkapi Sarayi, Istanbul, it is the modern interpretation of a unique
history that colours Pria’s imagination – an indefatigable vision of history awakened by modernity.
Design Philosophy: This collection has a unique combination of exoticism inspired by Turkish culture and
modernity influenced by today’s era. The recall of tradition, the search of exotic and the nostalgia of the past,
all evoke languid romanticism. Being shamelessly young and staying that way forever is Pria’s design
philosophy for this collection.
About the Label:
Pria’s label represents multicultural, multifaceted lifestyles of women today, who believe in elegant,
luxurious, timeless piece of art as clothing. ‘Elegance doesn’t mean being noticed, it means being
remembered’.
About Pria Kataria Puri:
Among the original proponents of Indian 'Nouvelle Couture' Pria Kataria Puri stands in sharp contrast to her
contemporaries. Her collections are available at fashionable boutiques in the United States, Europe and the
Middle East. Pria received her formal training in fashion designing from FIDM, San Francisco where she
showcased her first occidental evening wear at the San Francisco fashion center and the rest as they say is
history. Pria runs her fashion business between offices in Kuwait and Mumbai.
Collection Summary: The highlight is on fabric prints inspired by Istanbul with dresses in variety of formsfrocks, mini empire dresses, classic chemises, the trapezium style-a throwback to 1960’s, evening baby doll
dresses, kimono sleeved wrap a around mini dresses and ankle length Grecian streamlined dresses.
Short hemlines are dominant in dresses, and shorts emphasising the legs and low cut necklines that
highlight the collarbone while strapless dresses accentuate the shoulder. Puff, Kimono, Batwing and balloon
sleeves make a statement and jackets scream artistic luxury. Leggings in silk, lace, shiny metallic lacquer
and stretch satin in plain and prints are seen in the collection.
NEETA LULLA
The collection is inspired by a very strong cause that is very close to my heart that I would like to support to
eradicate… Female foeticide and emancipation of the girl child…
The colours of my collection are olive and tan to signify mother earth and women in their strongest role.
These strong base colours are set off with pink giving you a glimpse in the joyous heart of the girl child when
she believes that the world is hers to conquer; saffron and yellow are used to celebrate the mature woman
who is ready to settle down and take on many responsibilities; turquoise symbolizes the career woman –
smart and sophisticated, this woman walks shoulder to shoulder with men while also taking care of home
and hearth and finally we have the woman who is all this and more, who knows that she is an ideal and is
looked up to and walks with style and glamour wearing smiles and projecting an image all the while hiding
her own pains and troubles….
These are the women I salute with my colours and my cloth. And I thank God that they live; because despite
all the strengths and joys that girl, woman, wife, daughter and sister bring, every day there is one less
of each.
LAKME:
Anil Chopra
Vice President – LakmeLever
anil.chopra@unilever.com
Neeta Lulla
6 RNA Classic, SV Road
Santacruz (W)
Mumbai 400054
26055580 / 26575599 / 9820735750
neetalulla@gmail.com
Pria Kataria Puri
101, Richoux Bldg., Chimbai Road
Bandra (W) , Mumbai 400050
26415998 / 9820516411 /
priakataria@hotmail.com,
press-pria@priakatariapuri.com,