Delhi, August 22 – Designers at Day 1 of Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2014, which is being held at the Palladium Hotel in Mumbai, left no stone unturned in playing with silhouettes as their fashion staple.
The mega-fashion event started off with a bang on Tuesday evening as Amit Aggarwal, whose futurtistic ensembles won praise from Bollywood and Hollywood hotties alike, showcased a collection that continued from where he left off.
Fitted full-length dresses boasted opaque metallic panels in watery hues, along with criss-crossing structured peplums, beaded patterns and circular disc detailing around the mid-riff.
Armour-like tops, pre-stitched saris, full length skirts and even a gold lehenga were complemented by specially crafted ear flaps and hair pieces to add tribal drama. The red wing-like balloon sleeves and blue tasselled burqalike veil deserve special mention.
Former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen stunned the audience as the showstopper, fitted in a sexy nude and black fullsleeved dress with an open panelled skirt. Smokey eyes and nude lips completed the divas look, who later shared, “Sexy is what sexy does, and that’s why I love Amit’s clothes because I feel sexy wearing them.”
She further added, “When I first saw his collections, I asked him which is the show stopper outfit as each and every outfit looks like a showstopper outfit.” Meanwhile, Aggarwal stated, “The idea started with the concept of women who live their life on their own terms. Of course, Sushmita Sen was the first person I thought of.”
In sharp contrast, 25-year-old Masaba Gupta brought flower power to the runway with her collection titled ‘Wandress’ which, she stated, was “inspired by a free-spirited woman who loves travel and food.”
Skater dresses, bell bottom trousers with pleated flare, ankle length pencil skirts, off shoulder tops, pre-stitched saris and plunging maxis were treated to styles and prints of the past such as pansies and concentric circles.
However, while retro fashion was the keyword, it didn’t translate too well in the cut of the garments. Actress and Celebrity Big Brother 5 winner Shilpa Shetty walked the ramp in a blue, white and gold printed cut-out gown with an attached dupatta drape.
The yummy mummy sported a bouffant bun with smokey eyes and strappy black heels. She later commented, “I’ve always been a fan of Masaba, especially since she helped style me when I was 83 kilos from being pregnant, and that requires real talent! I wish her all the luck in the future.”
Designer Manish Malhotra was spotted in the front row for both the shows, as were TV hosts Shibani Dandekar and Maria Goretti. On Wednesday, the much awaited INIFD Gen-Next show presented six young designers at their creative best.
Young designer Dhruv Kapoor led the way with his luxury sport capsule collection that leaned towards unstructured fits, including relaxed pea coats, slacks, ‘A’ line skirts and boxy shirts. Digitally printed foliage patterns and a shirt with fur detailed front kept the show edgy.
Meanwhile young gun Kristy de Cunha translated her inspiration of Frida Kahlo into a strikingly peppy and vibrant collection that featured giant roses, embroidered hearts and sketches of the artist painted by de Cunha which she later had printed on the garments.
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Arunima Majhi presented a show inspired by the Venus flytrap with watercolour flowers handpainted by artists and printed onto smart tops with pleated backs, trousers, caped sleeves and skirts. Meanwhile, designer Neha Agarwal made a statement with tribal-esque dresses, leather bodysuits and elaborate headgear that took as much time and effort to have created as did the ensembles.
While Anuj Bhutani presented a smart and preppy collection for men, Surbhi Shekhar played with suede and threadwork. As for Archana Rao’s label ‘Frou Frou’, it combined hand weaves with pretty tulle drapes that were based on the culture of Japan.
The black-and-white striped ensemble with a pastel blue tulle and pink embroidered top skirt maintained a smart yet pretty appeal. It was Yogesh Chaudhary’s ‘Surendri’ that packed a punch with massive sunflowers being the central motif of the inspiration, a Haryanvi summer.
Making a subliminal connection with Van Gogh’s painted works, colour blocked maxi dresses, jumpsuits, pleated skirts, fitted dresses and a kimono adapted overcoat kept the collection fresh and feminine. A modern lehenga with a sunflower printed white crop top and an emerald green and gold detailing dupatta was the showstopping ensemble of the show.
– INDIA TODAY
