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Sandy Dalal Stands Out From the Crowd
By J. J. Martin
Photos by Gruber-FWD
MILAN, Jan 16, 2003 /FWD/ --- It's highly likely that Sandy Dalal had a recent viewing
of the Tim Burton classic "Edward Scissorhands" before sending out his men's collection
in Milan last Tuesday.
Scissorhands, the goth-looking protagonist artificially created by a well-meaning scientist,
must have felt just as tormented and out of place in cookie-cutter suburbia as Dalal's men
will in 2003.
Dalal, like Burton, seems to favor a strong iconoclast, someone who in addition to a pale
face and crow's nest plastered hair isn't afraid to stand out alone among the crowd.
Maybe that's why Dalal's show was heavily populated with Japanese buyers and editors.
The Japanese, who celebrate the haphazardly tinted hair included in Dalal's show throughout
Tokyo, are also renowned for sniffing out unexpected, bold looks.
Dalal's show was full of both.
Strongest on the slow, emotionless models, were the twisted plaid and striped suits,
overlaid with either paisley prints or sponge-paint effects.
Special details, like carefully sewn together thread patches, formed a web of delicate
beauty on thin shirts and sweaters.
All reflected the careful research the designer has done with fabrics and treatments while
in Italy.
However, the youthful naivety of this 26 year-old American-born Indian designer was evident
in this show.
The presentation billed itself as having an aggressive platform, and the invitation
included several anti-war statements like "enough blood spilled" and "fighting solves nothing."
The outside-the-box theme lost its focus at times though and lacked sharp editing.
Particularly out of place was the last segment, featuring lifeless gray and white suits
paired with 3/4-length coats.
That said, however, the core vision and enthusiasm of this creative designer are still
enough to keep Dalal on the fashion radar in 2003.
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