The Winter/Festive edition of Lakmé Fashion Week 2018 recently concluded in Mumbai, bringing forth the trends to look out for this festive season in India. While globally fashion weeks cater to Fall/Winter collection, Indian fashion weeks ride on the opulent festive wave. The essential bread earner for any designer, festive and bridal collection has evolved in the recent past embracing the global trends in cuts and colours.
We bring you a round-up of 13 designers that caught our fancy amidst the jam-packed 5 days of fashion, art and networking among the celebrities, designers, curators, merchandisers, fashion editors and bloggers.
From reminiscing the bygone times and resurrecting the glorious past in the urban present, Gaurang and Good Earth brought in the classic vintage vibes with Mangalgiri, Kota, luxurious brocades, silks, organzas, hand woven satins and chiffons with gota patti, embroidery and embellishments. Travel back to the kaleidoscopic colour palette of the late 60’s and early 70’s with the eclectic collection by Bobocalcutta, to the dreamy Irish highlands with quintessential checks by Tahweave, to the cerulean blues and romantic sunsets of Cape Town with a hint of colour pop by Nupur Kanoi or to the early 19th century impressionist French art-scapes by Monet and Renoir through emerging Gen-next label Yavi. Armaan Randhawa, with his penchant for clean-lines and embroidery inspired by psychedelia and wild animals, is another label to watch for quirk lovers. For the seekers of glitzy glamour and red-carpet looks, Monisha Jaising epitomized all things shiny and disco-esque while Nachiket Barve led the contemporary wave of traditional festive wear with stunning cuts and ornate embellishments. Rajesh Pratap Singh and Abraham and Thakore brought in the luxurious class with clean cuts and global designs. The only label that caught our attention in sustainable band-wagon was Naushad Ali with its checkered 50’s vibes; it was indeed a breather from the usual flowy boxy silhouettes popular in sustainable world.
Let’s begin the visual journey, shall we?
- Yavi
The Gen-next initiative, spearheaded by INIFD, has given us gems like Rahul Mishra, Nachiket Barve, Masaba Gupta, Kallol Dutta and Aneeth Arora in the past. This year, Yadvi Agarwal showcased her collection – Yavi, inspired by Impressionist era. Consisting of separates, the capsule collection was an ode to the artistic movement and a stunning effort to marry art with fashion. Sarees, peplum tops, pants, skirts and jackets in earthy tones hand-painted with artistic strokes ruled the ramp-walk. Watch this designer grow big, we tell you.
- Tahweave
Designers Shweta Tania and Priyangsu Maji captured the essence of Irish landscapes through their latest collection. Jackets, trench coats and bolero were seen with detailing like pleats in quintessential Irish checks; an interesting interpretation for Indian winters. Shades of Blue, green, burgundy, brown and grey dominated the colour palette in natural, hand-woven fabrics like cotton, sheer silk organza and wool.
- Bobocalcutta
Titled ‘Ludicrous Legacy’, Ayushman Mitra of Bobo Calcutta referenced Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s hallucinatory paintings and incorporated her psychedelic preference of colour into his own illustrations as he displayed the wearable art. Bending the gender norms and embracing the queer aesthetics, Mitra has incorporated time and art movement both in his collection. For the non-conformists, this is the label you should be digging at.
- Poochki
“Sometimes I see small Cloudlets tow
Big, heavy Clouds across those skies—
Like little Ants that carry off
Dead Moths ten times their size”
W.H. Davies visual poem ‘Clouds’ inspired Designer duo Ishanee Mukherjee and Anirudh Chawla of Poochki for their festive collection. Organza, crinkled cotton and felt were used to create volume in indigo, black , silver and white colours. Hand-painted clouds and their changing shapes were present across the line that consisted of dresses and separates.
- Armaan Randhawa
Armaan Randhawa, known for his dramatic fashion statements, showcased ‘Twin Queen’ Collection at the fashion week. His trade-mark embroidery was used to depict flora and fauna, but with eccentric edge in striking colours like rust, red, blue and black. His artistic representation was a tribute to Alexander McQueen and his style. His trench coats, separates, pull-overs and pants are must-have for the edgy fashion lovers.
- Naushad Ali
Think of post-world war 2 fashion in Europe. Chequered midi dress, shawl collars, shirt dress, cropped pants and tops in neutral tones of nature – greens and browns dominated Naushad Ali’s collection. He has transformed the Indian weaves and given them global appeal with a proper structured outfit. Long Socks and shoes with midi dress will be the trend soon, watch out for it!
- Gaurang
Known for his love for all things vintage and classy, Gaurang paid homage to legendary South Indian star Savithri by presenting an eponymous collection that brought alive her spirit on the runway. He used Mangalgiri, Kota, luxurious brocades, silks, organzas, hand woven sateens and chiffons to create costumes for the actress’ biopic. With hard work of more than 100 artisans over a period of 18 months, he showcased sarees, anarkalis and kurta as the old movie tunes wafted through the runway. Muted colour combinations in the shades of green, maroon, brown and pink took the centre-stage while the models brought in the timeless vibes.
- Good Earth
Titled ‘The Miniaturist’, Good Earth presented its debut collection in collaboration with Namrata Rathi. A collection reminiscent of wedding wardrobes from centuries ago, Good earth’s debut collection is a dream wardrobe for vintage lovers. The collection was an opulent mix of gota work and embroidery with recurring motif of ‘Chand’ in pastels like mauve, dust rose, teal blue and ivory. The elegance lovers, you know what to wear this festive season, right?
- Monisha Jaising
If you ever dreamt of going back to Parveen Babi’s golden dress from ‘Jawani Janeman’, then this is the time for you to live that fashion fantasy. Monisha Jaising brought alive the disco vibes and prom night feeling with her shimmering gowns and cocktail dresses. She gave modern twist to the cocktail dresses and brought alive the glitz and glamour for the night. Lakme Brand ambassador Kareena Kapoor Khan stole the show in her iridescent pleated gown. Cocktail dress shopping? Head to Monisha Jaising undoubtedly.
- Nupur Kanoi
Ecelctic, edgy and romantic are but few words to describe Nupur Kanoi’s collection inspired by South African capital – Cape town. Striking hues of greens, cerulean blue, sunset yellow, mustard and midnight blue took you through the day long vacation mode by the beach. Jumpsuits, separates, dresses and saree dress with jackets in eclectic floral prints reigned the ramp.
- Nachiket Barve
‘Millennial Maharanis’ is Nachiket Barve’s sartorial mix of 20’s brides and current jet-setting bride. Decadent and royal, the velvet, silk and sheer fabrics were used to create an interesting line-up of jumpsuits, lehenga, jackets and skirts along with traditional lehenga choli. What caught our fancy was velvet jumpsuit and jackets with lehenga in blue and burgundy. Crafts like beading, applique, resham and Gota embroidery in floral forms were seen on apparels. We say don’t be afraid of velvet, embrace the royalty this festive season…
- Rajesh Pratap Singh
Rajesh Pratap Singh collaborated with Austrian company Lenzing once again to create a sustainable line representing innovation on a global level with green fibres and artisanal textiles. For the first time in the label’s history, he put forth an ethnic collection with womenswear and menswear in Chanderi, Benarasi, Jamdani and hand-block prints using a variety of yarns and fabrics by Tencel. Luxury chic yet sustainable , Rajesh Pratap Singh showcased ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ and presented modern interpretations of ethnic-wear in whites besides accents of gold, silver, pastel blues and pinks.
- Abraham and Thakore
Abraham & Thakore’s first showcase at Lakmé Fashion Week, eccentrically titled ‘Cocktails and Samosas’ featured dainty bows, sequined silhouettes and regal textures, reminiscing of oriental opulence. Comprising sophisticated evening wear that consists of clean simple shapes and separates, the collection is inspired by the Eastern tradition of wrapping and tying traditional pieces like the Baku, the Kimono and the Sarong.
Festive fashion this year will oscillate between vintage, modern and eclectic styles. There is something for everyone. With our discerning pick-up of 13 designers from Lakme Fashion Week, we are excited to see which curators bring them in Ahmedabad in the coming time. How excited are you ?
Falguni Patel is the Editor and Head – Strategy & Operations at Ciceroni. With a keen eye for aesthetics and ardent love for words, wit and sarcasm, she critiques fashion and lifestyle unapologetically. She doubles up as a strategic communicator in her other life. Self confessed Bibliophile, travel enthusiast and sucker for humour in mundane, Falguni loves food analogies in all her conversations.
