Day 1: Lakmé Fashion Week Winter Festive 2016

Manish Malhotra

Manish Malhotra’s collection highlighted Indian craftsmanship combined with modern silhouettes for a stylish, young bridal entourage. Also seen, were the designer’s signature resham threadwork, clustered sequins and intricate hand embroidery on dramatic trails and off-shoulder capes, alongside floral motifs.
We liked the contemporary twist on traditional garments; jacket-saris; lehengas paired with sheer crop blouses and draped dupattas on anarkalis.

Atsu

The unlikely inspiration for Atsu Sekhose’s collection was Naga shawls.  He deftly converted the black and white weave of the shawls into a graphic element on his very sexy, contemporary silhouettes.  deep, plunging necklines, sheer panels, shimmery embroidery, fringes and tassels, and high slits made for a very sultry, glamorous collection of mostly evening wear.
We loved that the extremely modern, red-carpet friendly dresses still featured Naga symbols in their graphic embroidery.

Shift

Nimish Shah’s collection moved from minimal, single coloured, bold looks to printed ones in sandy hues. Titled ‘Housewives of Alibaug’, the collection of mostly daywear oozed a subtle, conservative sexuality.
We loved the silhouettes which included sharp, clean cut ones as well as flowy, romantic ones.

Quirkbox

Quirkbox’s collection, aptly titled ‘Madness’ had a clash of prints, colours and metal structures juxtaposed with relaxed silhouettes.
We liked the live installation where polychromatic art was projected onto the garments in a very novel presentation technique. The attires were fun, youthful and offbeat. Only when the psychedelic projections were dimmed down did we notice that the garments had a whole lot of pop-art on them with metal details adding to the spirit of the collection.

Myoho

Vintage vibes ruled the ramp at Myoho. From gathered skirts and lace hand-fans to ruffled and pleated edges — the 1920s were the mood of the moment. The sophistication of Indian society women under the British Raj blended with decadent European fashions  to create a unique kind of flapper-chic.
We especially liked the hand-fan like earrings and Indo-European vintage vibes.

Antar-Agni

Ujjawal Dubey’s label presented an all-black story with innovative construction techniques.
We liked the essence of androgyny that was seen throughout. The asymmetrical kurtas, draped baggy pants, deep necklines for men and geometrical separates for men and women created an understated but stylish collection.

[Ka] [Sha]

Schulen Fernandes for Wendell Rodricks

We liked the looks that used sheer layers innovatively, blending an ultra-feminine palette of pastels. The trapezoidal geometric shapes that were the defining theme of the collection were flattering to the Indian form with their unconventional cuts. Pairing them with metallic platforms lent an easygoing air to the whole affair.

Gen Next Show

From comfort-friendly silhouettes to smart layering and utilitarian jackets, Gen Next designers put a fresh spin on everyday dressing.
We liked the vintage, pleated herringbone wool pants from Gaurav Khanijo’s ‘Morpheus’ collection which lent a contemporary twist to the otherwise traditional collection. We also approved of Paridhi Jaipuria’s collection ‘Bunai’ which featured Indian artisanship and the beautiful craft of hand weaving.