Lakme Fashion Week Day 1: The fashion extravaganza begins

Neha Agarwal

12 pm > Gen Next Show
We always look forward to the Gen Next Show to know what the young guns are up to. While established designers usually stick to their signature styles, upcoming designers who open the fashion week every season, are known to go all out with experimentation. But this season, while the collections showed promise, we missed the overall quirk factor. Out of six designers, only two let their imagination run wild.

Here's what each had to offer:

Kristy De Cunha
As soon as models starting strutting down the ramp in Kristy De Cunha's collection, titled La Casa Azul, all we could think of was Manish Arora. The overall look, bold use of colours, silhouettes and even hair-dos were similar to what Arora showcases. The neons, lots of shades of blue and intense colourful drama caused a stir on the ramp.

Anuj Bhutani's show was an ode to the new-age man. Pics/Satyajit Desai, Pradeep Dhivar

Anuj Bhutani
This collection showcased designs by Reboot, a label by upcoming designer Anuj Bhutani. It was an ode to the new-age man with a retro twist. The collection focussed on light winter coats, double cuffs, zippers, one-button shawl collar jacket, kurtas with jackets and ankle-length trousers. The line was very English in its approach and brought forward classic hues like royal blue, smokey grey, olive and sand. We loved the trench coats and the mock layering effects.

Arunima Majhi
Venus Fly Trap by Arunima Majhi managed to create a mark for itself. A slim leather skirt, paired with a blouse and a tailcoat bolero with pants, were eye-catching. The generous use of leather and the colour green worked wonders.

Dhruv Kapoor
Dhruv Kapoor's collection mainly featured A-line skirts, boxy shirts and coats in fabrics like mesh, knits and luxury furs. The minimalist and casual vibe of the collection was likeable yet lacked the out-of-the-box expectations that a Gen Next Show sets. Having said so, in a wearable view, the line made a mark.

Neha Agarwal's head pieces made a statement

Neha Agarwal
Neha Agarwal's show had Gen Next written all over it. Quirky, edgy and a bit out there, the collection was inspired by the primitive culture of the Ethiopian Mursi tribe and it was called the Niola Doa. The eccentric-yet-flamboyant texturing offered hints of gothic design. The dramatic head gear, which supported the garments completely, were impressive as were the footwear by Aprajita Toor - Kolhapuri gladiators and wedges made of leather.

Surbhi Shekhar
Inspired by Fever Ray, the lead vocalist of The Knife, Surbhi Shekhar's collection had bold silhouettes and ultra-feminine styles. Opening with a sheer long hoodie worn over a skirt, the subtle palette had maroon, grey, rust and black for the line comprising draped skirts with sleek jackets, satin toga in brown, sheer palazzos, wrap tops and dresses. However, the collection lacked the wow factor and did not add much to the show.

Warriors on the ramp

Outhouse was back with a new collection inspired by Greece and Rome >
The show featuring Pakistani designers - Rizwan Beyg, Sania Maskatiya and Zara Shahjahan (the fourth designer, Faiza Samee, could not make it to India because of visa issues) - added vibrancy and cheer to the Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) ramp with a riot of colours. While Beyg's collection (in pic) was a tribute to the truck artists in Pakistan, Maskatiya's line was inspired by popular Japanese culture and symbolism. On the other hand, Shahjahan's collection was all about floral motifs.

You would be forced to sit up and take notice when a man dressed up like a Naga warrior takes to the ramp with a menacing look. That's how designer Asa Kazingmei kickstarted his LFW show, making sure that all eyes were wide open with his collection, Changvei.

Sheer, shoe and Chandrawal

1.30 pm > Archana Rao, Karishma Shahani, Yogesh Chaudhary
The second show on Day One of LFW was divided into three segments, and was a fail-safe guide to interesting designs, techniques and colours. Archana Rao's collection under her label Frou Frou, was inspired by Teaism, which means studying the aesthetic and cultural aspects of tea.

The line was a love affair with sheer with a gauzy tribute to all things feminine. We loved the opening midi in grey with a sheer front supported by a typographical base. Another simple-yet-fab attempt was a monochrome shift dress with a transparent poncho and floral detailing. The amalgamation of stripes and floral motifs was interesting. However, a striped blouse and saree did bring back memories of Sabyasachi's LFW grand finale where models walked the ramp in blue and red-striped blouses.

Shoes were the heroes of Karishma Shahani Khan's collection that was soaked in earthy influences. Bold-coloured oxfords, boots with Indian prints and multi-colour shoes dominated the whole segment, sometimes even taking away attention from the clothes. Silks and cottons were used in abundance in the line that brought forward dresses, contemporary sarees, long skirts, etc.

He wooed us with his Pacman print few seasons back and Yogesh Chaudhary managed to create a flutter yet again with his new line, titled Chandrawal. Inspired by the 1984 classic, Chandrawal gave centre stage to sunflowers. His love for pleats continued this time as well, with a number of pleated skirts, both long and short. We fell in love with the white long skirt and top with only a sunflower as a motif. Though the visible panty lines in the flimsy maxis looked tacky.