Highlights From Day 3 At Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2018

Poochki

Designer duo Ishanee Mukherjee and Anirudh Chawla of Poochki didn’t hold back from reaching for the clouds for their collection. W.H. Davies’ ‘The Dark Cloud’ formed the base of their inspiration as they showcased a line replete with organza, felt and cottons crinkled and crushed to depict volume. A hand-painted dark cloud print was present through the line-up of indigo toned clothes and made for a fitting ode to the poem.

The Gender-Bender Cluster

Four designers, Anaam, Bloni, Bobo Calcutta and The Pot Plant took an inclusive detour to fashion with their gender-neutral collections. Sumiran Kabir Sharma of Anaam found inspiration in the art form of ‘Behrupiya’ with cleverly constructed fluid drapes in dark and earthy tones. The designer used merino wool and muslin blends to transform collars into ponchos and shirts that could be tied up at the front. Bloni’s Akshat Bansal merged the concept of gender-neutrality with sustainability. Using econyl, wool and organza, Bansal worked with tie and dye, as well as ombré dyeing to craft Western-inspired silhouettes. Monochromatic illustrations projected themselves upon the clothes and gave the show a modern edge. Titled ‘Ludicrous Legacy’, Ayushman Mitra of Bobo Calcutta referenced Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s hallucinatory paintings and incorporated her unusual preferences of colour into his own illustrations. The by-lanes of Bhuj were at the crux of Pot Plant’s collection by Resham Karmchandani and Sanya Suri. The designer stuck to easy-going, athleisure-inspired silhouettes, accentuated with Bandhani and hand painted prints in navy, grey, green and white.

Gaurang

Gaurang paid homage to legendary South Indian star Savithri by presenting an eponymous collection that brought alive her spirit on the runway. The designer was commissioned to create costumes for the actress’ biopic in May and employed 100 artisans who worked for over 18 months to create a truly subliminal capsule. Using Mangalgiri, Kota, luxurious brocades, silks, organzas, hand woven sateens and chiffons, the designer offered a peek into the golden years of Bollywood as kurtis, saris and anarkalis swirled down the runway to nostalgic movie tunes. It is a well-known fact that Gaurang is a sucker for superior presentations and he maintained his flawless track record by inviting ballet dancer Pia Sutaria to pirouette down the ramp for his final set.

Nachiket Barve

Jahnvi Kapoor as showstopper for Nachiket Barve

‘Millennial Maharanis’ was the theme of the evening for Nachiket Barve who went back in time and rummaged through the wardrobes of royalty from the 20s and 30s. He then came back to the present, did a thorough research on the sartorial styles of the jet-setting bride squad and combined both findings. That’s how he came up with the capsule for his showcase — ensembles that have a rich and decadent look to them but are light and fluid on the body at the same time. Age-old crafts like beading, applique, resham and Gota embroidery in floral forms were seen on gowns, lehengas, jackets and long coats with the colour palette celebrating Rajasthan’s fascination with pink and blue.

Kallol Datta

You can always count on Kallol Datta to transpose abstract storytelling into his clothes. In Volume 1 Issue 2, he dug deep to understand the relationship between forms and spaces. His signature circular pattern-cutting rested within a variety of fabrics such as cotton, silk, georgette and plastic, and the techniques centred around silk screen-printing. As someone who grew up in the Middle-East, his installation featured traces of the Hijab by way of the mysterious cowl necks and tent-like garments. The colours of blue and pink mixed together to create a magical purple haze.

Amit Aggarwal

Shahid Kapoor as showstopper for Amit Aggarwal

Disha Patani as showstopper for Amit Aggarwal

Amit Aggarwal’s trademark aesthetic of structured silhouettes and eco-friendly textiles resonated far and wide in his menswear line which he debuted at Lakme Fashion Week last night. Patterns of symmetric lines, sequins and ribbed fabrics underlined the collection, giving his garments sharp silhouettes and a futuristic sheen which made the desired impact. Shahid Kapoor and Disha Patani ended the show on a high note as showstoppers strutting their stuff to music from a live band and beaming laser lights.