The Cutting Edge

Last month a myriad of microtrends took over the ramp at Lakmé Fashion Week in Mumbai. It presented a view into an industry which appears to be holding space for more mature and diverse brand trajectories, innovations and aesthetic explorations. Is this fragmentation of broader ideas a sign of post-modern subjectivity? In response, Verve styled different runway collections together in an experiment which threw up a medley of materials, patterns and styles — technical fabric, soft lace, checks, delicate florals, rugby shirts fashioned out of silk brocade, eccentric knits, avant-garde constructions — that highlighted how fashion week felt more edgy this time around.

Bold textures and contrasting elements emerge as the focal point and are elevated by Gunita Stobe — co-founder of talent agency Anima Creatives — who modelled the pieces with self-assuredness. An oversized argyle knitwear from newcomer Taarini Anand is paired with a monochrome sari dress; a khadi skirt sits between the two garments. For another shot, an artisanal chore jacket with hand embroidery from Kartik Research, all the rage in menswear right now, is worn with a gingham dress. At another point, an oversized tan leather coat from Countrymade is styled with rhubarb-pink sequinned trousers and a golden belt. The shoot celebrates incongruity, all the while hinting at the still lingering creative possibilities that the fashion week — now considered a trade show for prospective buyers by many — has to offer audiences.