A Great Extravaganza fashion presentation by Saaksha Bhat and Kinnari Kamat for their label ‘Saaksha and Kinni’ has always been a visual explosion of colours and prints.

 Their inspiration was a mélange of   great prints, crafts and colours. Ikats of Gujarat and leheriyas of Rajasthan.

Highlights

 Mix of metal and mirror work with embroidery.

The layering was intense but the ensembles had a romantic, fluid quality.

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A mix of “VIBGYOR”, purple being the highlight. A black swim wear suit along with a multi coloured kaftan gave a very beachy vibe.

Eye Catching Elements

An interesting merge of plunge necklines with deep cut backs, was a creative study in fashion and style. Detailing appeared with care when smocking, hand micro-pleating, thread work and hints of quilting were seen on the garments.

Fabric Story

Chiffons, satins, silk cottons

FARHAN AKHTAR AND SHIBANI DANDEKAR FOR PAYAL SINGHAL

 

Payal Singhal’s celebratory 20^th anniversary collection was extra special as it synced with Lakmé Fashion Week completing 20 years in the industry.

Selecting her showstoppers carefully to match the theme of the show, Payal brought Bollywood’s favourite couple, Shibani Dandekar (who is Payal’s favourite muse) and her beau the very handsome Farhan Akhtar. The pair looked ultra-stylish in coordinated ecru creations. Shibani looked dazzling in a georgette lehenga and choli topped with a tasselled, 3D embellished cropped blouse; while Farhan looked totally dashing in a printed kurta, churidars and dupatta.

HARDIK PANDYA AND LISA HAYDON FOR AMIT AGARWAL

Amit Agarwal’s showcase had the very graceful and elegant Lisa Haydon gilding down the ramp in a purple draped sari gown with micro plissé pallav and high slit skirt. Keeping her dashing company on the ramp was ace cricketer Hardik Pandya who strutted down in a matching purple neo style, long-line, jacket teamed with narrow pants and shimmering flap detailing.

ESHA GUPTA FOR PALLAVI MOHAN

Pallavi Mohan’s “Simply Studio 54” collection had the very sexy and sultry Esha Gupta as the showstopper, wearing a silver slinky gown with a feathered trail and high slit .

Not So Serious and Rara Avis Went for Glamour and Style 

The ‘Not So Serious’ label by Pallavi Mohan has always pushed the fashion boundaries at every fashion week.

 “Simply Studio 54” revived the glitz, glamour and glory of the feisty 70’s that was a decade of extravagant infamous fashion. The collection of fluid dresses,  off-shoulder creations and sexy halters had shimmer and shine as well as the liquid look surfaces.

Highlights

 Oversized silhouettes for blouses, ballooning sleeves and voluminous shapes. Staying true to the high gloss image there were satin and rich velvets along with lamé that was splashed with crystals, a sprinkling of sequins and seductive feathers. The colours matched the glorious theme as jewel tones like emerald and turquoise worked their magic for the garments on the ramp

 Show stopper 

 Esha Gupta who glided in wearing a silver slinky gown with a feathered trail and high slit that created the perfect end to the 70’s inspired creations.

 

SONAL VERMA’S RARA AVIS LABEL SHOWCASED AN EVOLVED FASHIONABLE COLLECTION 

Titled “The Still Life“ the collection was inspired by the 17th-century painter, Jacques Linard whose work was seen on the fashionable garments.

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 There were tonal hues like tan, midnight black, charcoal and ocean blue with sudden accents of fringes.

 Highlights

Embellishments too played a major role as abstract shapes and sequinned patterns were handcrafted in jewel tones.

The silhouettes remained somewhat androgynous.

Fresh Talent

 INIFD presented its second exclusive show “Launchpad”, when the institute unveiled the talents of fresh designers from its various branches in India. INIFD selected five designers from the thousands who took part from its various branches in the county. An eminent jury comprising designers, stars and IMG Reliance judged the contest conducted in five zones.

The winners of the Fashion Design section displayed some amazing collections:

Him Kumari Gurung & Amandeep Singh Dhesi, Chandigarh

Titled ‘Bandhan’ the colour-blocked collection had black and white as the key colours with some pops of bright yellow adding drama to the looks. Tight and loose weaves in different parts of the fabrics gave an interesting texture.

The Collection comprises flowing garments with several layers looked comfortable yet stylish as they came down the runway. Pants, tops, tunics, capes, a variety of over garments and scarves made an appearance in several outfits for the layered looks.

Deepali Jain, Hyderabad; Himayat Nagar

The festive collection ‘Modern String’ by Deepali Jain was inspired by the modern woman as the outfits were embellished with geometric contemporary zardosi embroidery.

 Classy festive shades of mustard, rust, brown, wine and dusky pink showcased the modernity of the collection. Silks with sheen had a beautiful fall in Indo-western, asymmetric drapes. Long golden earrings on the models complemented the golden placement embroidery.

The mustard tunic with big lapels and buttons was teamed with ankle-length pants and a draped dupatta – all with beautiful striped embroidery. The show ended with a wine pant-sari, a care-free blouse and geometric embellishments on the drape.

Sangeeta Aidasani, Jodhpur

‘Thapa Art’ by Sangeeta Aidasani is a collection of the western outfits showcased Indian crafts inspired by wall paintings of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Jackets, dresses, skirts, jumpsuits, had placement embroidery of thick threadwork and mirror embellishments. Fresh winter colours of deep teal and pistachio green were combined with classics of mud brown and olive. The thick cotton fabrics seemed perfect for the winter, and an addition of tan boots and scarves as styling pulled the looks together.

Chitra Singh, Kanpur

A fresh technique of tiny embellished holes in fabric was displayed by Chitra Singh. Inspired by self-love and removing negativity from one’s life, the collection, ‘Glayer Blaze’ had models walking down the ramp with their mouths covered by long polo necks with small holes. The collection was white, with hints of grey and black ombré, which added to the burnt look given by tiny irregular holes on the cotton fabric. There was a variety of silhouettes ranging from tops, tunics, shorts, skirts, capes, pants and dresses.

Rushikesh Bhivsane, Nasik

Rushikesh Bhivsane presented his uniquely woven collection ‘Trippy’ that displayed the negative effect of drug use. Rushikesh showcased broken faces on the outfits through thick strips of fabric that were asymmetrically woven together. Monochromes were the key colour palette, with a few highlights of colourful painted faces on the garments.

Silhouettes of anti-fit capes, pants, dresses and jumpsuits made it on the runway. An interesting styling being big sneakers, oversized hoodies and monochromatic rubber bands on the wrists of the models pulled the looks together.

A CONFLUENCE  OF FASHION & PERFORMANCE ART 

 Dividing the venue into two sections for the brands Poochki (by Ishanee Mukherjee and Anirudh Chawla) and The Pot Plant.

Ballet was performed to a mix of fast and slow beats at Poochki’s show. The performance enhanced the vibes of the soft romance of the collection.

A movement-based act depicting wild animals in a jungle was performed along with live painting at The Pot Plant presentation. The entire performance was a play complementing the ‘break-free’ theme of the show.

POOCHKI PRESENTED AN UNDERWATER PRINT WORLD

Highlights

 ‘Poochki’ presented ‘Moana’, meaning ‘the ocean’ in the language Maori, The flow of the sea and movment of underwater creatures was reflected in the free-flowing, fluid garments.The highlights were life-sized hand-painted placement prints.

Addition of coordinates, jackets and tunics – all in midi lengths – to complete the collection. Voluminous sleeves, a play of transluency, opacity and a use of various mandarin collars

Motifs of underwater life like starfish and string rays

Horizontal rouching with vertical stripes smartly played to complement the rest of the collection.

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Monochromatic palette. Hints of metallic tones like antique gold, bronze and grey

.THE POT PLANT PRESENTED AN ANDROGYNOUS TWIST TO INDIAN CRAFTS 

‘The Pot Plant’ by Resham Karmchandani and Sanya Suri showcased its innovative collection – ‘100% Wild’.

Highlights

 Several motifs built from the wilderness.

 An androgynous look along with a twist to the crafts of Bandhani and Shibori stood as key highlights.

Traditional tie-dye techniques of Bandhani and Shibori were used to create motifs of tiger stripes, leopard spots and abstract trees.

 Use of checks and stripes along with these motifs pulled the looks together. Staying true to its message of 100%, all the fabrics used were 100% natural.

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 Rustic orange, mint green and bright red were in a graceful contrast to classics like navy blue, deep green and monochrome.

GULAB BAGH

Strengthening the notion that people are beautiful in all shapes and sizes, Rixi and Tinka Bhatia’s ‘half Full CURVE’, promoted body positivity with their collection “Gulab Bagh”

While plus-size fashion is a relatively new concept from Indian designers, the label presented its range of luxury fashion for curvy women.Silhouettes were aimed at the amply endowed dressers who love to flaunt their style, so models and real women, in different sizes and shapes, conveyed the message of curvy confidence.

 inspiration

Interiors of royal palaces, textures of textiles and patterns of wall art, that created a mélange of unconventional designs.

Highlights

 Wearable gypsy and urban wear merged using intricate embellishments with surface textures and colour blocking.  

Resort wear comprised long/short kaftans and kurta/dresses, cocktail saris, and draped palazzo pants.These were interpreted with intricate embroidery that had an old-world charm. The fluid silhouettes enhanced the comfort factor; while silk georgette created oodles of chic emphasis.

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Rose pink, ecru, navy to sage green, aqua, olive and teal.

For traditional Indian wear, the fabric mix was Dupion/Habutai silk, with organza for dupattas. Gold and gunmetal zardosi work was juxtaposed, to create pizazz.

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 Indian pink, navy blue, dull teal, maroon and chocolate brown.