From soothing tropicals to bright florals and contemporary artistic to the traditional tie and dye — prints are summer faves forever. Actress Susmita Chatterjee sports some styles for The Telegraph.

Summer soother

Going with the trending colour palette of the year, the clamp-dye printed, flowy chiffon knot dress from Dev R Nil has been teamed with satin pants in a bright contrast of yellow and grey. Minimally accessorised with dual-tone danglers, the hair is side-parted into a gel neat bun, brown smokey eyes, nude lips, and berry pink blush-on complete the look.

Designer speak: “For this season we are working on clamp prints and Warli art prints that are in production stage. We have prints in pre-production inspired by our love for nature, prevalent concerns regarding the environment and the need for conservation of resources,” say Dev and Nil

Quirky cool

Bobo (Ayushman Mitra)

I have always done smaller prints but this time I worked on larger prints. It is to tell people and to tell myself that this is something I painted during a time when I just had my partner and my dog. I could only see three people and that is all I had. So, it comes from a space of complete belonging and embrace. The painting has been digitally transferred onto fabric that people would want to wear. It is important for summer. It reflects upon what the artiste is going through more than fashion. I am an artiste and that is what my mind is going through.They are all done on pure fabrics like cotton or muslin. I paint on canvas with acrylic. So, it includes four-five mediums and it is a three-stage job that we did. Painting on canvas, then transferring on fabric, then making it into fashion. But it is the same story that travels. It is a human story, now I want these faces, hybrids or flowers to be larger, bigger or abstract in the complete sense of belonging and love because that is the need
— Bobo (Ayushman Mitra)

With a splash of bright hues, Susmita was one bright frame in this carefree silhouette from Bobo Calcutta. The brand’s signature eyes and head motifs are eye-catchers. The look is styled with metal accessories, bright red lips, blue smudged eyes and messy curls tied into a bun.

Designer speak: “The work all over the outfit are large paintings that have been scanned and then put onto a fabric. All these paintings were painted during the difficult months of the lockdown. The clothes of this collection are a result of those paintings. These paintings speak about belonging. Heads and heads. Eyes and eyes. There are hybrids. Everybody is in embrace together. There are colours of course,” says Bobo.

Edgy and sassy

Rimi Nayak

“Our brand is known for its unconventional prints, be it our signature Bengali typography or the quirky colour-block abstract motifs. Keeping true to our aesthetic, our Spring/Summer 2021 collection is a tropical-inspired range that has a lot of organic and graphic foliage prints along with tropical bird motifs. The prints are highlighted with hand embroidery. Summer 2021 is all about prints mostly with tropical motifs translating into a happy and vibrant mood after a gloomy pandemic-driven year. Be it graphic, florals or abstract, prints are going to dictate the wardrobe this summer. I feel prints have been popular in fashion forever” — Rimi Nayak

Prem Tame actress Susmita Chatterjee looks striking in this Rimi Nayak outfit. The co-ords comprise a draped, anti-fit top with elaborate sleeves and a pair of straight-fit pants with tropical prints. There are French-knot embroidery detailing on the prints. A mix of pretty pink and white contrasted with dark green and brown, the outfit is summery. The strings in front have been styled around the neck to keep the look fuss-free. The look has been accessorised minimally to keep the focus on the prints. The block liner looks dramatic and baby pink lips and messy bun complement it.

Designer speak: The outfit is from our Spring/Summer 2021 collection titled Bloom. We have used Livaeco fabric for this set, which is a sustainable and pro-planet fabric that is biodegradable and reduces CO2 emissions. Co-ords are extremely popular in fashion currently,” says Rimi.

Sumit Sinha

One of the best things about spring-summer fashion is that silhouettes become more laid-back and you let prints and colours do all the talking. While florals are the most popular print of the season, we have also chosen some of the coolest trends of spring-summer 2021 that you can amp up your closet with. Think pastel hues, or ditch your regular jeans for wide-legged picks to kick-start summer days on a brighter note. Rimi’s outfit is flowy and fun and follows the trend of sorbet colours. Bobo’s print is the ultimate show stealer and to add that va-va-voom, I’ve opted to layer up chunky gold chains. Since yellow is unmistakably spring, Dev R Nil ’s yellow set is perfect for brunch meets — Sumit Sinha, stylist

Abhijit Paul

“Thinking of the summer colour palette and brightly printed clothes, we have used colours like pink, peach and semi-nude shades. It is a combination of bright and semi-nude palettes complementing the prints. The hairstyles are kept neat, and tied up for a comfortable summer style” — Abhijit Paul, hair and make-up pro

Pictures: Pabitra Das

Styling and art: Sumit Sinha and Ballori Roy; Hair and make-up: Abhijit Paul

Accessories: Rimi’s outfit — Zaza by Somya, Bobo’s chains by stylist and bangles by Gauri Himatsingka; DevRNil’s outfit — Zaza by Somya;

Location: The Park

What kinds of print do you like? Tell t2@abp.in