Day 4: Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2018

Shantanu & Nikhil

The duo presented a line-up that saw some bouts of gender neutral clothing with the micro pleated fabric being generously used in the mens’ and women’s ensembles. The colour blocked line up essentially comprised of the duo’s statement bandhgala jackets with draped kurtas, sharply cut double breasted coats, and sherwanis, while the womenswear line saw elegant gowns, half-draped saris and long capes. Tribal accents of jewellery were interwoven to break away from any rigid categorization of gender.

Princess Pea X Lovebirds

Lovebirds in collaboration with Princess Pea was a performance based show in continuation to the artist’s creative dialogue that explores ideas of appearance and genders in day-to-day lives. The designers sent out models softly chanting #whataboutme wearing tailored pants, roomy dresses, pleated blouses in solid hues and polka dots that fit right into our transitional summer wardrobe.

House of Kotwara

The House of Kotwara translated the label’s classic chikankari separates to more contemporary versions suited for every occasion. The colour palette largely comprised of pristine whites enhanced the timelessness of the silhouettes. The grandeur of the Awadhi craft was heightened by the use of traditional embroidery techniques like zardozi, mukaish, and aari. The ramp saw a good mix of fusion wear like shararas teamed with crop jackets, capris teamed with kurtas.

Payal Singhal

Payal Singhal’s summer/resort collection titled Saira was a sartorial blend of luxurious fabrics and distinct islamic sensibilities. Intricate patterns, jaali work, filigree and antique embroidery were juxtaposed on contemporary silhouettes like the dhoti saris, kurtas and jackets teamed with lehengas, making our festive wardrobes look so desirable!

Reshma Kunhi

Lotus by Reshma Kunhi was a floral collection replete with skirts, dresses, blouses, cholis, saris, capes, and dhoti pants in tones such as royal blue, peacock blue, ultra violet, bold magenta, playful pinks and luscious greens. Working with traditional Indian fabrics like handloom silk, organza, tulle and other specialised blends, each piece was detailed to perfection in exquisite zari work, thread work, metal accents, ruffles, tassels and pleats.

Shloka Sudhakar

Shloka Sudhakar’s collection called Jeannie was a sophisticated twist to the casual denim. A far cry from the usual Indo-Western silhouettes, Sudhakar’s designs included trousers, dhoti pants, sari-gowns, capes, jackets, and skirts in silhouettes both feminine and edgy.

Ashwini Reddy

Ashwini Reddy’s collection titled Tilottama, inspired by the celestial beauty of Apsaras – the angels of light from Hindu mythology, was every bit elegant, delicate and traditional. From fusion to bridal ensembles, Reddy added a whimsical flair to the garments crafted with lycra, brocade, nets, woven textiles, organza and chiffon.

Caprese X Nishka Lulla

Pink seems to be the colour of the season and what with Nishka Lulla’s collaboration with Caprese where she showcased a contemporary selection in punchy hues of pink, we’re sure that the equally feminine and fierce hue is the new black this season.

Shriya Som

Sparkling jackets, glistening tier dresses, glam fringes and ruffled gowns in silvery tones by Shriya Som gave us the ultimate party-dressing goals. We loved the old-world charm of the flapper-dress era that came alive through Som’s pret couture.

SVA by Sonam & Paras Modi

SVA couture’s runway collection wooed us with its festive line-up in whites, blues, oranges, creams and golds. The duo used subtle florals on lehngas, kurtas and jackets that added subtleness to the clothes that were all tailored to perfection. The perfect wedding-wear options for the modern day fashionistas.

Anushree Reddy

Anushree Reddy’s Spring Summer 2018 collection was a welcome break from her ethereal gossamer fabrics in signature ice-cream hues. This season, the designer took her embroidery game to the next level with tone-on-tone threadwork and zardozi embroidery on khadi cotton, pure silk and sheer organza lehngas. Her men’s line experimented with cuts, embroideries and textures with fine pearl and zardozi detailing. Colours of the collection ranged from fuchsia to blush pink to mustard yellow and beyond, leaving the spectators with wedding dressing goals that are nothing short of whimsy.

Verandah

Studio Verandah’s showcase opened to the intense sound of dhols followed by four models languorously strutting down the runway and taking their place amongst the drummers. This set the tone for the rest of the collection which saw a host of light summer fabrics paraded down the runway in playful prints on loosely fitted outfits. We basically felt like we were watching a very glamorous photo-album of some very good looking people from a fun-filled spring vacation.

Aikeyah

Ruffles and lace were the primary components of Aikeyah’s collection along with an almost completely monochrome colour palette. We came across knee-length jackets, vintage sarees and glittering blouses, all of which ranked high on our wearability scale. Having been the designer’s first showcase at Lakmé Fashion Week, we were impressed to notice that it straddled the sweet spot between formal and casual wear.

Saaksha & Kinni

Drawing inspiration from the rich cultural heritage of Gujarat, Saaksha & Kinni brought alive the spirit of the state in the form of bandhani and batik meeting dark florals, billowing skirts paired with stylish crop tops, flowy capes, loose pants and breezy maxi dresses in silks and satins. It was a sublime combination of femininity and fierceness and represented a label that takes pride in creating utterly wearable ensembles.