Neon is on

Manpriya Singh 

Last year when the fashion world sent neons down the ramp essentially meant for spring summer of 2019, many doubted the trend will actually trickle down in the right direction. A few months later, when several celebs on the red carpet, and off it, are looking like someone ran a highlighter pen over them, it’s safe to say - neons are here to stay! For a while, at least; making the summer look brighter than ever.  

Trend-o-meter

For those who like their wardrobe of the season to come validated from the ramps, there are plenty of instances starting with Prabal Gurung, who ensured the New York Fashion Week catwalk was flashy enough to be blinding. Neon yellows, greens, pinks; they all came shocking and striking, inspired by the designer’s origins in Nepal. 

Essentially a trend of 80s, we saw it come back in the mid-nineties when Channel V and MTV were essentially just music channels, and the Indian pop singers could be seen in them.  The latest to sport the hues were Deepika Padukone in the lime green at Cannes and Kareena Kapoor earlier this year for an event in Mumbai.  

Yellow fever

Fashion stylist and entrepreneur Pooja Ranadev bets on the colour yellow for all those who want to pick on one. “The hottest spring summer trend is the colour yellow. Bright and fun. From wedding to casual wears, it is the go-to colour for this season.”  

Bright rules 

There is no denying the fact that neon colours are hard to overlook. Wear them, only when ready for some attention.  Chandigarh-based fashion designer Neetu Arora, from the label Luvya, feels these shades perfectly accentuate even tanned skin and thus flatter a wide range of complexions. 

However, that is not to say there are no rules. “Ideally, while shopping for a neon outfit, ask your companion if the colour is soothing or blindingly flashy to the eyes before you go ahead and buy it.” She adds, “Don’t overdo neon combos. Stick to one colour at a time. And it’s wise idea to team it up with subtle colours. However, pairing yellow with green in a saree is always helpful for day events.”  Sakshi, INIFD passout, can’t emphasize enough the power of neon accents. “I believe in a little neon accessory or an accent like a trimming on shirt than a full-on bright outfit.” Sometimes a touch of luminescence is all it takes. 

manpriya@tribunemail.com