Ruhi Gilder
Fashion’s biggest week, Lakmé Fashion Week, just concluded its phygital (physical + digital) show. Designers like Gaurav Gupta, Tarun Tahiliani, JADE presented their collections at the 5-day event.
Scroll to see the hottest trends on the runway, from bridal wear to resort wear.
Day 1
Arpita Mehta
Arpita Mehta wanted to “reimagine a bridal line which is contemporary in its vision and is brought to life by our brides and their tribe,” said the designer as per an earlier statement. Highlighting ethereal hand-embroidered creations, the collection featured scrappy bustiers, bralettes and boleros with mirror work. Created in vibrant hues of dust pink, mint, fuchsia, and scarlet and silhouettes, it was a dreamy line for the modern woman.
JJ Valaya
“Rumeli” Festive collection by the atelier is inspired by the Turks and Balkans. The amalgamation showed in rich fabrics, detailing, prints and embellishments. Valaya’s cholis had illusion yokes, tie-up backs, flirty, sheer, puffed sleeves. The colour palette moved from neutral ivory, ecru and beige to red, then onto tones of teal, navy, deep cobalt, jade, sun yellow and shades of brown.
Geisha Designs by Paras and Shalini
The designer duo presented “New Beginnings,” an edit that marries elegance and comfort. Silhouettes with beautiful cut-out work in signature maxis and tunics gave way to effortless weekend wear, in classic and timeless styles and powerful, feminine cuts.
Limerick
“Back to the Stars,” is inspired by zodiac signs, namely earth, water, fire, and air. Vibrant shades, statement eclectic prints and playful silhouettes spoke of the universe’s mysticism. Draped ensembles, flowy saris with structured pantsuits, kaftans and playsuits were part of the edit.
Lakmé Salon x Chola
CHOLA By Sohaya Misra presented “The Awakening,” a fluid collection, inspired by relaxation and experiencing the small pleasures of life. The clothes reflected this ease, with a burst of colour amongst a palette of blacks and whites.
Naushad Ali
Designer Naushad Ali won the Nexa presents “The Spotlight” competition, in which winners were to showcase at FDCI x LFW. Naushad Ali’s collection was rooted in his traditional past. Delving into the memories of his childhood, his presentation focused on organic materials with evocative prints. A red checked picnic shirt, A-line dress all coloured in natural hand dyes in shades of soft grey, yellow, mint, dull red and indigo made it to his collection.
S.W.G.T
Also rooted in the past, S.W.G.T took inspiration from the designer’s childhood experiences and local oral histories in Almora, where she grew up. The presentation reflected the connection she has with the surrounding mountains, people, and culture.
Day 2
JADE by Monica & Karishma
BaniThani by JADE rejoiced in the beauty of Rajasthani handicrafts. The label collaborated with award-winning Leheriya artist Mohd. Saquib to create hand-dyed Leheriya ensembles with sustainable colours derived from turmeric, madder root, and onion peels.
Aisha Rao
Subdued hues were jazzed up with traditional handicrafts such as applique, aari, zardosi, macrame, mukesh and basal in Aisha Rao’s “Paper Dolls” collection. The digital presentation was an attempt at a musical inspired by the 18th and 19th century bards dressed in fine silks and embroidered woollens by Aisha Rao couture.
Tarun Tahiliani
Tarun Tahilani’s LFW collection “The Reunion” took inspiration from the beauty of old friendships and the fact that they can be rekindled in a moment. The Autumn/Winter 2021 collection featured vivid reds, teals, purples, ivory, and pinks along with Tahiliani’s signature drapes, which stole the limelight.
Abhishek Gupta
The designer’s “Homecoming” used deep jewel tones of burgundy, teal, Prussian blue and black, highlighted with antique gold. Traditional handloom brocade fabrics, fine silks and sheer nets, juxtaposed with the label’s signature techniques of fine appliqué, pleating, textures and quilting.
MXS by Monisha Jaising & Shweta Bachchan Nanda
This duo made their debut with 80s-inspired disco and sportswear. Sequinned dresses, fringed sleeves, oversized denim jackets, psychedelic shades of green and orange made the edit fun and young.
Troy Costa
In the Men’s Edit designer Toy Costa paid homage to travel with vibrant neons, metallics and athleisure looks. The collection, named “Avido Tourists” was all things ‘cool.’
The Pot Plant
Liquid Love collection combined Bandhani and Shibori in innovative patterns and gender fluid silhouettes. The trans-seasonal garments were timeless and used fabrics such as cottons, silks and organza.
Mohammed Mazhar
A celebration of Indian handicrafts was the pivotal theme behind Mohammed Mazhar’s collection. It took inspiration from the designer’s childhood and reimagines traditional Indian handcrafts.
Day 3
Gaurang
Photo : FS Images / FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week / RISE Worldwide
Sustainable Fashion Day at Lakmé Fashion Week showcased “Chaand” an amazing line of ethereal Jamdani saris from all over India by designer, Gaurang. Gorgeous weaves from Kashmir, Paithan, Benaras, Kota, Srikakulam, Uppada and Venkatgiri coloured the runway. The lovely Taapsee Pannu walked as a showstopper for Gaurang.
Abraham and Thakore
Dia Mirza was the showstopper for designers Abraham and Thakore. Their theme of “Assemble, Disassemble and Reassemble” was achieved using Green Gold, a unique fabric created from recycled PET. The sustainable and eco-friendly fabric was created by R-Elan; it has a reduced carbon footprint and a traceable manufacturing process. “The process of the breaking down of PET materials to create textiles is a crucial step in the circular journey of responsible fashion production,” said David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore.
Bandit
Bandit by Satyajit Vetoskar, the winner of the Circular Design challenge showcased “Shourai” which literally means ‘the future,’ in Japanese. Satyajit used his trademark tarpaulin with billboard flex, canvas and car seat belts to make accessories like duffels, backpacks, and cross body bags. He also showcased a jewellery collection created from aircraft aluminium.
Cocccon
The brand whose mantra has always been ‘Creativity Can Care’ presented its latest collection “Abundant Paradise” at LFW. It is inspired by the life of tribes in Jharkhand, the native state of Cocccon’s co-creator Chandra Prakash Jha. The concept revolved around the biodiversity of the state, including sisal plants, culture, livestock and the presence of elephants.
Eka
For Eka’s collection, designer Rina Singh drew from the countryside, and told a story of love and longing, set in the town of Shillong. An unusual mix of colours combined with masculine and feminine shapes like free flowing, oversized jackets and sheer dresses to form the collection.
Tencel x Satya Paul
The closing show of Day 3 featured Satya Paul’s newest collection modelled by actress Triptii Dimri and actor Rahul Bose. The pair turned showstoppers for the collection “The Master’s Words,” where the city of Mumbai was the canvas, and the colours were the cues.
Day 4
Mishru
This Hyderabadi label presented their “Eternal Summer” collection at LFW. Off-shouldered blouses, scalloped necklines, scooped, deep backs of cholis dominated the edit. Mishru label’s Swapna Anumolu said, “We treasure colour, and have worked closely with our artisans to conceptualise new colour gradients that have been rendered in silk thread.”
Shruti Sancheti
Invoking a sense of wanderlust is the “Maverick” collection. The edit of free swinging and fluid resort wear was accentuated by cut out maxis, boho-tiered dresses, lounge wear, midis, co-ord sets. The colour palette was a cocktail of bright shades like canary, Prussian blue, mint green along with lilac, powder pink, salmon, ecru and custard. Exquisite French-knot embroidery, boho cross stitch, schiffli and laces, paisley prints were used liberally throughout the edit.
Nikita Mhaisalkar
“Canvas” was inspired by abstract art, bold stripes, Aztec motifs and dramatic embroidery. Elegantly tailored resort wear was visualised in rich, hemp, silk and organza, as the collection moved seamlessly from easy, travel wear, to exotic evening offerings. Colours were selected from a palette of lilac, magenta, aubergine and coffee. Ensembles like robes paired with pants, sharply cut jackets over minis, shirts over bustiers and palazzos with wrap skirts added drama to Mhaisalkar’s vision.
Payal Jain
Payal Jain’s show “Earth Song,” at LFW, created a colourful collection made from natural yarns, hand woven fabrics, and a mélange of animal-inspired prints. Her concept was repurposing, recycling and reinventing old garments, fabric waste, embroidery, mirror work patches, laces, trims, tassels, shells and beads. This was done by reinventing traditional embroidery techniques like Sujani, Sheesho, Bharat, Rabari, Kawandi quilting and Mashru.
Pankaj and Nidhi
“Amalfi” collection took a shot at personifying the beauty of the Amalfi coastline, a destination from the duo’s travel archive. Corals, earthy oranges, deep blues and leafy greens were represented in diaphanous organza, flowing recycled chiffons and voiles.
AK-OK
Actress Shraddha Kapoor turned showstopper for AK-OK. Anamika Khanna’s collection was a cross between modern and timeless pieces that translated easily from day to night. The easy, fluid shapes are complemented by a white, black, and blue, colour palette.
Samant Chauhan
The designer’s collection “Strawberry Thief” was inspired by the work of William Morris. Chauhan used cotton and silk weaves by artisans in Bhagalpur for the exclusive edit. The collection was a mélange of geometrical abstraction and distinctive embroideries contrasted against grand silhouettes.
Day 5
Gaurav Gupta
Closing day at FDCI x Lakmé Fashion Week saw the stunning Kareena Kapoor Khan take to the ramp for designer Gaurav Gupta. Gupta presented Redefine, a collection inspired by the sea, drawing on elements like corals, jellyfish and fantasy creatures.
Sanjukta Dutta
Dutta paid homage to the textiles of Assam with her “Chiki-Miki” Collection, the meaning of which is sparkling and bright. Each ensemble was a labour of love and required nearly 45 days to create. The process started with the collection of silk from specific Assamese villages, to handcrafting traditional motifs on the fabric. Showstopper Divya Khosla Kumar walked the ramp in a stunning black Mekhla Chador belted sari with a simple strappy choli.
Shikha and Shristi
“Prakriti,” a romantic fusion of glam and elegance, was coloured in shades of ivory, lavender Valerian, sage sea foam green and white. Resplendent in a lehenga with silver floral embroidery was the gorgeous Chitrangada Singh.
Annu’s Creation
Bridalwear dominated Annu’s Creation’s showcase. The collection was embossed with beautiful motifs featuring a vast selection of flora and fauna. Delicate flowers along with peacocks and elephants were embroidered with motis, zardozi and Muquaish. Malaika Arora walked the ramp as showstopper in a glittering wedding lehenga.
Megha Jain Madaan’s label Abstract
“Facets” was inspired by the archaeological exploration of the Greek era and its many facets that pertained to woman – wisdom, strength, beauty, and confidence. Shimmering braiding appeared as the main embellishment throughout the show. Showstopper Soha Ali Khan also wore a black strapless gown with horizontal gold braiding details.
Ranna Gill
A fun flirty collection, ‘The Getaway,’ is perfect for a romantic weekend away. Pure cotton, satin, linen and chiffon, ensembles were embellished with tribal prints. Ranna’s colour card was inspired by vibrant Asian cities and their unusual architectural styles.
Rina Dhaka
Fringed hems, belts, voluminous silhouettes made a comeback with Rina Dhaka’s “Sweet Escape” edit. The collection was dedicated to “The Unstoppables,” Rina Dhaka said of the edit, “My collection this season at the joint phygital edition of FDCI x Lakmé Fashion Week pays homage to sportsmen and women who have shown their resilience and persevered.” It was a fashionable sporty line with pops of colours that creatively looked at Indian handicrafts from Bhuj.
Nidhi Yasha
Inspired by ‘The Raven’ by Edgar Allan Poe, Nidhi Yasha created multi feathered looks, layered with 3D appliqués, custom-made laces and signature motifs. Flowing sleeves, long-sleeved empire line maxis, layered-sleeved jackets, feathered boleros, sharply cut pant suit with high waisted trousers set the mood of the collection.
Nirmooha
The 60’s graphic boom was inspiration for Prreeti Jaiin Nainutia’s label ‘Nirmooha.’ Named “Retro-Spection,” her collection was free spirited, with funky eclectic prints and holographic details. Summary sorbet shades of lavender, mint, cantaloupe and lemon brought in a quintessentially resort vibe.
Also read:
Indian fashion designers steal the show at Paris Haute Couture Week 2021
Chanel, Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton and more showcase their best at Paris Fashion Week
