Blending folklore and fables of 16th century temple art with 21st century forms, Gaurang Shah’s “Chitr-Sena” collection was poetry in motion at Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2014.
For contemporary fashion lovers, Gaurang’s collection had irresistible heritage, and artistry. The kalidaars, kurtas, lehengas dhotis and sherwanis were glamour personified, while the silhouettes revealed to the audience that the inspirations were from Afghani history but tailored with Indian fabrics.
“Chitr-Sena” was also a rainbow of exotic colours that started with tantubha-yellow, zyama-blue, hasti-green, ayasa-grey and kasaya-brown with futuristic colours like sutara-yellow, succhaya-pink, suka-green and uditi-orange.
Stopping the show was lovely Taapsee Pannu who looked beautiful in an orange/yellow sari with lush border.
Bringing festive flavour on the ramp, Ekta Jaipura and Ruchira Kandhari under their label “Ekru” presented a riot of colours and fabrics. Ikat was focal point of the collection, with extensive use of Chanderi, handloom cotton, ghicha and silk. Vibrant hues created a melangé of colours as fuchsia, red, yellow and lime teamed up with darker tones of bottle green, wine and navy.
Dupattas matched the kurtas, while dual toned saris had shimmering embellishments and impressive borders. Shararas were worn with regal long-sleeved coats and asymmetric hemlines added to the grace of tunics.
Bold and historical were the focal points of the consequential collection “Who Wore What When” by Aartivijay Gupta.
Aarti retraced the major breakthroughs of interesting prints in the fashion industry that were revolutionary and extraordinary in their own time period. Quantum leaps like the corset-and-crinoline, hats from different centuries, hairstyles, accessories and voluminous ball gowns were turned into prints. From the ever famous Roman drapes and French medieval costumes to Italian fashion in the 17th century, history was hinted at as images on the garments.
Tanya Sharma drew inspiration from bountiful India by honouring the traditional techniques of prints and dyeing. Various Indian classics of textile treatments like Bandhani, leheriya, tie-n-dye and bold block printing were used to give it the glamorous look that Indians are proud of.
These traditional historical techniques were contrasted with the modern choice of fabrics like jersey, silk and satin that was complementary with the added sparkle of beautiful zardosi embroidery.
The silhouettes were the perfect combination of sporty with a touch of glam for jumpers, maxi dresses, ankle length pants, shirts and short kurtas. Garments that were eye-catching were the Indo- western combination of a cropped top and a pant along with a half sari drape.
Shubhika Davda took the audience on a fascinating journey through a collection called “Frozen” from her label “Papa Don’t Preach” at Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2014.
It was a bejewelled line of accessories as well as apparel that defied concepts and once again proved that Shubhika can push the design envelop to its limits. Frosty blue, silver and lilac hues came together to create magic on the catwalk.
Back packs sat on high waist belts, while towering zippered footwear glittered on the model’s feet. Acrylic suitcases were given blossoms as décor and finally Shubhika brought in Snow Globes, as shoes with snowflakes swirling in them, which definitely created a fashionable storm.
Ragini Ahuja’s collection for the “Ikai” label during Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2014 was an interesting line called “Metal”.
Bringing in linear geometry, Ragini worked with appliquéd sheep nappa to recreate the beauty of flora and fauna along with brass strips. Yet Ragini’s fabric base was a little fragile, as sheer Chanderi and cottons were the choice for strong fashion statements. In addition, the exquisite marbled effect of metallic colours with oxblood and gold hints gave the garments a New Age touch.
The look was very relaxed with a marked laid back androgynous message, as boyfriend shirts, oversized bomber jackets, muscle tank dresses and athletic leather bustiers made an impressive appearance on the ramp.
The designer duo Rixi Bhatia and Jayesh Sachdev’s collection called “Bombay Balloon” was a nostalgic inspiration, which recreated the vintage charm of Bollywood cinema and theatre.
Using Chanderi, crepe and georgette, the designers brought in colour blocking with delicate textured details. With such a vibrant theme it was but natural that the colour card had to be versatile; so tones of mustard, burnt orange, teal blue, emerald along with metallics like grey, gold and black came in for a fun filled line.
Pen and ink drawings featured the characteristic images of Bombay on all the garments. From the big air balloon to rickshaws, buses, zeppelins, bulbs, boats, the iconic Gateway of India - the print story was a great mix of memories past.