The bizarre, beautiful and banal of Lakme Fashion Week
The bizarre, beautiful and banal of Lakme Fashion Week
Shrivannarresh: 12 pm
ShrivanNarresh's Gynoid is a perception of the 'ideal woman'. A woman who doesn't care about public judgment. A woman who's comfortable in fluorescent coral as she is in nude beige. A woman, who listens to Que Sera Sera, wondering what she will be. Bright old-fashioned maillots went modern with pleated trousers, the bikini bowed down to modesty and the tankini became gutsy. Their statement piece, the Avant Garde Jacket (see pic), was a 3D poncho sans sleeves.
Vivek Karunakaran: 1.30 pm
Does she look like a vagabond? Model Nethra in an outfit from the
Urban Vagabond line
Vivek Karunakaran's Urban Vagabond made for a very unlikely vagabond. For one, in their silks and georgettes, the models appeared way too stylish. The urban gangsta went posh as well, with stylised silk hoodies and metal zipper detailing. The rest was more urbane than urban. Ruffles, cowls and irregular crushed hems dominated women's wear. Black ruled the colour palette, with flashes of grape and red.
Can clothes sing rock n roll?
LittleShilpa, Sailexu00a0NGu00a0and Vizyon: 3 pm
Sailex N's show made us lament why the organisers wouldn't allow us to take in our lighters, and wave them in darkness like they do at rock shows. The 28 year-old's showcase was included tailored shapes that will surprise the wearer with a sudden twist of a flapper. A degree in fashion design from NIFT, and Milan's Domus Academy, has obviously worked in his favour. The Manipuri (the heart of Rock in India) sported his version of music-driven fashion, offering torn jeans, slim-fitted tees and flip-flops. We loved the flesh velvet overlap jacket he teamed with a skirt. The crepe jumpsuit came a close second.
ROCK CHIC: A model sporting a Sailex NG cut
Better known as LittleShilpa, Shilpa Chavan-Mangeshkar couldn't have paid a more befitting tribute to her home state, Maharashtra. Best known for her madcap accessories, this season, she decided to craft a net neckpiece resembling the map of Maharashtra. "We lead hectic, stressful lives, and everyone feels the urge to get away to some place quiet," says Shilpa. Booking a ticket on the behest of Charles Baudelaire's poem, Invitation to the Voyage, the petite designer played around with net, creating basic body garments and armour-like bodices, while jewellery was crafted from chains, stretched chiffon and acrylic. The shade card, dominated by beige, retained sombre. The collection saw her move focus from accessories to clothes, and that should've come easy since she trained to be a fashion designer but decided to explore accessories when veteran Hemant Trevedi said it would allow her the freedom to experiment.
Vizyon's Shradha Muraka and Ninon Palisse's Enchanting Nymphs left us wondering whether it was a show for nail paints or apparel. Their Grecian silhouetted collection included classic one-shouldered gowns in organza, and chiffon silk jerseys. Also seen were short fitted dresses, and fluid jumpsuits. The colour palette was almost fluorescent, with vivid coral, flamingo pink, rich purples, grape and turquoise. As if bright colours weren't enough there was a smattering of bling, too. The look was diva-like with art nouveau glamour. Perfect for air kissing and floating by in a cloud of designer perfume.u00a0
Arjun Saluja: 5 pm
After celebrated London designer Christopher Kane showcased his line, inspired by TIGI Catwalk last season, Arjun Saluja, was the chosen one. Perhaps his disheveled mane (replaced by a super-short faux-Mohawk) complimented the brand's latest product -- Sleek Mystique. Arjun is a brilliant dressmaker and he brought his hard-earned mastery over tailoring to the fore, again, as the pant-suit played protagonist on Day 2 of LFW. A few jumpsuits dented the structured discipline. Scallop details and spikes added a restrained dimension, while shades of black and navy blue completed his line. He is probably the only designer to bring athletic masculinity to the long skirt.u00a0
Dus ka dum is a hit
Gen Nextu00a0retrospective: 7 pm
Some confident, few even blatantly pompous, and the rest, fiercely shy: a bunch of ten designers celebrated having survived (!) five years in the Indian fashion industry, after making their debut at this very platform half a decade ago. "They brought varied expressions, appealing to diverse tastes. They are the 10 different aspects of Indian fashion," said a satisfied Anil Chopra of Lakme, about the final 10 to be selected. While Chopra summarised the bunch in a collective quote, we decided to give you a peep into each of their peculiar contributions to the industry. 
Theu00a0 Dragonfly dress by Kolkata designer Kallol Datta
Kallol Datta: The Black Humorist always turns the ordinary into spectacular, chuckles at the morbid, without forgetting fashion's basic role -- that of providing a comfortable and chic fabric plaster for the human form. Be it the Dragonfly, the Landmine, the Star, the Fork and Spoon, or the Cockroaches (these are all original prints that he is famed for) -- Kallol perhaps best epitomises the phrase "fashion is a never ending cycle of possibilities."u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
Rimzim Dadu: Don't be deceived by her petite, fragile frame. She is a cracker of talent, expert at creating impossible architectural textures on clothes, which she personally develops by melting plastic, metal, leather, and other hardware material at her Delhi workshop. Her designs are more about surface than motif.
Aneeth Arora: She went back to her roots. Working extensively with weavers from far flung corners, Aneeth continues to make you go wow at the magic of Indian weaves. Comfortable cottons perfect for Indian weather, were re-interpreted into modern silhouettes.
Nitin Bal Chauhan: With its revolutionary outlook, the Freedom Freedom line screamed anti-establishment. Must clothes be made of cloth alone? What about paper and duct tape? Why not spools of thread? Go
figure.
Kunal Rawal: Deconstruction told us what fashion is often about in India -- Bollywood. With kitschy music and a gimmicky cart that read 'Make Your Mother Proud', he gave us a taste of why his clothes have been sported by actors Anil Kapoor and Salman Khan.
Nachiket Barve: The Neo Sophisticate brought a modern outlook and abstraction to textures and textiles. While his cuts and clothes are classic cocktail wear, the spirit is most often Indian.
Sailex NG: His Glam Rock line spoke for itself. Rock is all about angst and attitude, not glamour and glitz. On show were strong shoulders and defined waistlines.
Swapnil Shinde: A collection called Provocative was touched by technology. His models moved on the catwalk like cursors on a blinking screen. Having dressed Bollywood's leading ladies Kangana Ranaut, Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta, this man's line always carries a glitzy edge.
Anuj Sharma: He likes to keep it simple, unfinished, unstitched. Anuj brings rawness to polished fashion.
Rahul Mishra: A line called Evolution reminded us of his contribution to reviving Indian weaves. From Kerala's white handlooms with gilded borders to Chikankari, Benarasi silk and Gujarat's Mashru, the rarest of fabrics were on display.
Ritu Kumar: 9 pm
Twinkle, twinkle: Ritu Kumar's pr t brand Label, showcased Symmer Constellations. Black, navy, white and gold dominated this evening wear collection. The inspiration was a glittery night sky, so smatterings of sequins in gold and silver were seen on most outfits. Garments ranged from evening gowns and lehengas to short tunics, even a jumpsuit!u00a0
HALL OF FAME
NICE, NICE BABY: Cheering Babita M on and mouthing "nice" as models
sashayed down the ramp, was bindass actress Kashmira Shah, in a tight
yellow cocktail dress. 
GLARING ADDITION: Actress Poonam Dhillon made an appearance for
Vivek Karunakaran's show, along with daughter Paloma, who chose to
follow mommie in the oversized sunglasses department. Never mind
the rest.
u00a0
POSE PERFECT? Ex-model and actress Pooja Batra walked for Babita M,
in a strapless maxi. Her skirt swirled like that those worn by the whirling
dervishes who made a gimmicky opening to her show. She walked the
ramp with an exaggerated sway of her hips, and a fixed toothy grin for
the flashbulbs.
WITH INPUTS BY MALINI BANERJEE
PICS/ RANE ASHISH & SHADAB KHAN
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