LAKMÉ FASHION WEEK REPORTING FROM FASHION S FRONT LINE ISSUE No. 2, LAKMÉ FASHION WEEK IN ASSOCIATION WITH VISIT THE DAILY ONLINE www.lakmefashionweek.co.in SATURDAY 3 MARCH 2012 RUNWAY REVIEW: Gen Next Shikha Tanya & Sharma Vinita Shikha & Vinita Manoj & Vinod Prashant Chauhan Archana Rao Yogesh Chaudhary Megha Garg The Gen Next showing that opened Lakmé Fashion Week on a creative note was packed to capacity. Tanya Sharma played with the classic white shirt and kept the collection as simple as possible in terms of fabrication, construction and silhouettes while infusing it with elements of street wear. To make it appealing for the Indian market, she used the Chennai floral lungi fabric, the fluorescent Rajasthan odoni fabric and the Ikat in bright and happy colors and bridged the divide between high concept and wearability. PS We loved the sheer shirts, the multi-fabric sari worn over jeans with a back knotted blouse and the hot pink cape... accessorized with gold chains and stacked bracelets! Manoj Kumar and Vinod Bhardwaj presented a collection crafted from low priced raw fabric. Scattered among these were some artistic attention grabbers. Pushing rope detailing to its conceptual limits, the duo showed rope jackets hand weaved with wooden carving. The pleated dress with leaf motif, the off-shoulder woven jacket and the asymmetrical square panelled dress with hand woven shrug told a wonderful eco-friendly story of fashion and style. These were all insider references to the body of work the duo has amassed up to now and the thrill was seeing how they chanelled that creativity into the real world. Megha Garg showed a theatrical collection inspired from the mystic concept of aura while keeping a wearable extended range of the collection for the look book. Fluid digital-printed dresses crafted from jerseys and silk organza was the USP. The long dresses made with five layers of fabric and a dress that followed the contour of the body and covered the head evoked a round of applause and cheering from the guests... a fascinating theme creatively presented. Yogesh Chaudhury showcased a mix of Indian and western separates targeting the readyto-wear segment. Focusing on the concept of box-pleats with stripes, a powder blue striped cotton dress with asymmetric hem with a box-pleated trail paid homage to '60s futurism. We loved the unusually draped sari in the striped story and the dress that paid a tribute to the mirror work technique from Gujarat... made solely of mirrors! Archana Rao was inspired by menswear and her looks paid attention to accidental design. Straightforward shapes, crisp folds and ombré effects built the collection while high-tech fabrics contrasted with traditional textiles for a consciously course feel. Among the confections she showed, the sheer polka dotted sweater, the overlap collar dress, the faded indigo jacket and the double cloth pants were the finest. Shikha Grover and Vinita Adhikare presented a collection that featured a metamorphosis inspired by the butterfly in its various stages. With geometrics as the basis, capes sparkled over knotted dresses and dresses with detailing on the back and shoulders with sheer drape revealed the butterfly inspiration. Yarns of threads were cleverly tied, twisted and woven to create interesting silhouettes for asymmetric dresses, shorts and draped midis. Titled Daughters of Tibet, Prashant Chauhan blended the culture of the Tibetan region with modern silhouettes. Using silk and wool with floral patterns, baubles of wool were bunched for a hood bolero worn with multi-printed skirt while intricate appliqués and embroidered panelled borders formed the base of a cocktail dress. PS The headgear was stunning with one resembling the horns of a Tibetan yak to accessorize an ornate garment to perfection!
2 LAKMÉ FASHION WEEK, THE DAILY Saturday, 3 March 2012 RUNWAY REVIEW Masaba Drashta Sarvaiya Khushali Kumar Shivan & Narresh CREDITS Editorial Editor Jasmeen Dugal Photography Nitesh Square Photography Kedar Nene Designed and Printed by SPENTA MULTIMEDIA Peninsula Spenta, Mathuradas Mill Compound, N. M.Joshi Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai - 400 013. Tel: +91-22-24811010 Fax: +91-22-24811021 Email: ho@spentamultimedia.com Website: www.spentamultimedia.com Masaba flipped easily back and forth between retro silhouettes the yellow sari with pink border worn with a camera print choli, tunic with Patiala pants and dropwaist pleated jumpsuits with gold Taar work and a more modern sensibility, as seen in the slim cheongsam with gleaming embroidery and gold sculpted gown. Menswear was restricted to printed jackets and long shirt with contrast collar and cuffs teamed with wide salwars. It was chic, retro and millennial all at once! Shivan and Narresh showcased colour blocking and sharp silhouettes with a marked Bauhausian look. We loved the way the duo merged couture and swimwear (!) with innovative surface textures like braiding, draping and embellishments. Trikinis, Maillots, Bikinis and body suits paved the way for dresses, jumpsuits and rompers, jackets and sarongs. The interesting looks were the Maillot sari and the bikini teamed with the sari. Rajat Tangri used blended cotton, silk, stretch satin and added fabulous embellishments (gun metal hand embroidery in shimmering neon tones of thread, crystal, chains, sequin sheeting and spikes) to craft cocktail dresses, jumpsuits and tailored suits. Some looks that caught our eye were the metallic jacket with neon pink slim pants, the ostrich feather shrug and the pony skin leather jacket teamed with silver metallic pants. Footwear by Zara and the accessories by Deepa Gurnani completed the look. Sailex showed vintage (with a hint of retro) silhouettes with 3D embellishments. Textures took centre stage with sequins, shells and fabric appliqués on summer dresses, jackets and red carpet looks. We loved the beaded jacket, the long-sleeve net gown, the chiffon maxi dress teamed with sequined leggings and the oversized shirt teamed with slim trousers. Drashta Sarvaiya played with shades of black, deep blue and heady wine vying with ecru, old rose, mustard and purple. She had several winners in the collection including an ecru silk cape and cigarette pants, sheaths with inverted sleeves and long-sleeved cropped lace jackets. Cinched waists were accentuated with gold braids and jumpsuits glittered with embroidered shoulders while the tunics with slashed sleeves and the grey coat dress in ribbed silver weave worked well as cocktail wear. Sticking to her signature style, Khushali Kumar showed dual options for each look: short cocktail numbers and floor-length diaphanous tulle gowns embellished with 3D accents, chipped metal surfaces, feathers, multipetal appliqué and rows of glittering beads... tailored for a star-truffled red carpet. Sailex Rajat K Tangri The views and opinions expressed or implied in The Daily are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Spenta Multimedia or Lakmé Fashion Week. Unsolicited articles and transparencies are sent in at the owner s risk and the publisher accepts no liability for loss or damage. Material in this publication may not be reproduced, whether in part or in whole, without the consent of Spenta Multimedia or The Daily - Lakmé Fashion Week. - JASMEEN DUGAL
www.lakmefashionweek.co.in 3 James Ferreira
4 LAKMÉ FASHION WEEK, THE DAILY Saturday, 3 March 2012 Behind The Scenes
www.lakmefashionweek.co.in Red Carpet at Vikram Phadnis 5 Pic Credit: Manav Manglani Malaika Arora Khan & Amrita Arora Karishma Kapoor & Sonakshi Sinha Neil Niten Mukesh Neha Dhupia Vikram Phadnis & Imtiyaaz Khatri
6 LAKMÉ FASHION WEEK, THE DAILY Saturday, 3 March 2012 Tête-À-Tête With Krishna Mehta As Curator of Textile Day at Lakmé Fashion Week, I'll turn the spotlight on common threads that form India's uncommon textile tradition, homespun designs and arts-and-crafts. With experts in the field offering to participate in the discussions, there will be plenty to share in terms of expertise. Our endeavor is to make it a creative hub... to kindle interest... to help more people learn and appreciate our textiles and intricate hand skills... to eventually take it to a global audience. I get to do what I love the most... sharing and exchanging, being with and interacting with industry veterans whom I have been learning so much from and enriching both myself and being able to enrich many of you with the experiences, the panel discussions, the workshops, the art installations, the film screenings etc. The only challenging area I would say is to motivate the newer lot and probe them to come out of their comfort zones and push themselves to prove their originality in order to understand Today's highlight and appreciate the importance of research and development... to evolve. The advice I would give designers showcasing on India Textile Day is underline that for most of us Indian designers, India is and shall remain our biggest market. We must think global but appreciate that buyers are not coming here to order garments made with Chinese Silk or Italian linen! What they want from us is what they can't get elsewhere in the world our unique handwoven textiles with value additions no machine can replicate! For this we need to know our history and we need to know our assets well. This cannot come from studying it as a subject at a school for a few years... this comes with consistently researching, exploring, working with different weavers and different craftsmen so we can bring our indigenous textiles and our crafts to fresh markets and bring the weavers and craftsmen back to their looms. The main challenge though lies in understanding how to tweak tradition to make it suitable for today's globe-trotting woman! Designer Bibhu Mohapatra showed an interest in fashion at an early age by designing clothes for his sister. The road has been a long and winding one. Bibhu enrolled himself in the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York and while working on his design degree, honed his design skills as assistant designer for iconic fashion label Halston. The Fashion Institute of Technology applauded Bibhu for his design aesthetic and honored him with the Critics Award for Best Evening Wear Designer during his senior year. This recognition catapulted his career to the next level. Bibhu went on to work for J. Mendel under Gilles Mendel following which he launched his namesake label in February 2009. In January 2010, he was a finalist for Womens Apparel 2010 Rising Star Award by The Fashion Group International and in May 2010 he received the Young Innovator Award from the National Arts Club. In June 2010, Bibhu became a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America and in January 2011 he received the Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation award. His show is a mustwatch at 9:30 p.m.
www.lakmefashionweek.co.in 7 LFW Opening Party at Blue Frog Fashion isn't all big business it's fabulous, too. That's the raison d'être of Lakme Fashion Week's opening party at Blue Frog devoted to the talent behind the seams where guests explored the playful side of the biz! One thing is for sure: fashion is a business with a party schedule. The fashion week team and regulars' itineraries last night were so crazed that even we did not make it until the bewitching hour. Zayed Khan, Prateik Babbar, Amy Jackson, Anil and Sabina Chopra, Farida Kaliyadan, Anjana Sharma, AD Singh, Rohit Bal, Narendra Kumar, Ratul and Komal Sood, Nitya Bajaj Birla, Ashfaque Ahmad and many more revelled in the spirit of fashion week. The dance floor was packed, too, as the DJ spun House tracks. All in all, stress relief done right. Just another night on the job! Prateik Babbar & Amy Jackson Aki Narula Bibhu Mohapatra Farida Kaliyadan Rohit Bal Narendra Kumar Anjana Sharma & Ajay Jadeja Suresh & Devika Bhojwani Krishna Mehta
8 LAKMÉ FASHION WEEK, THE DAILY Saturday, 3 March 2012 Talent Box Retarded Velvet by Theresa James and Roger Prince focused on individual pieces than on the entire look... a bold move that left the audience wanting more! Keeping their cuts fluid and simple, the duo played with prints such as rupee notes, temples and the iconic Amul dairy girl logo among other everyday symbols which gave their collection a fresh fun appeal. A piece that stood out was an Amar Chitra Katha dress which would be the perfect look for cocktails... if you want to stand out in the crowd! SoFake by Sapna Bhavnani and Sukriti Grover showcased a blend of Indian Kathakali dance wear with a structure form inspired from the Victorian era... a breath of fresh air. Geometric prints were complemented by graceful puffs while layers worked their magic to add a feminine touch to the maxi dresses, bustle skirts and jackets. Retarded Velvet by Theresa James and Roger Prince SoFake by Sapna Bhavnani and Sukriti Grover STAR SIGNS Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Aquarians have a unique sense of style that is best described as quirky and fashionforward. They are usually the first to rock a new trend and don t mind breaking fashion rules as long as they stay true to themselves. Water bearers love bright colors and try to incorporate them into every outfit even if it s just a small pop of color. Pisces (February 19- March 20) Pisces are true romantics, which makes them drawn to flowy, feminine and delicate styles. Fish girls embrace creativity and are always searching for unique and artsy accessories. Pisces rules over the feet, so girls under this sign love wearing fabulous shoes. Aries (March 21- April 19) This sign likes a more masculine or sporty look with lots of structured pieces. They also love comfortable and casual basics. Rams rule over the head, so they like wearing hats, headbands and other accessories that draw attention to the head and face. Aries are fashion trendsetters and aren t afraid to wear super-bold or daring pieces. Taurus (April 20- May 20) Taurus girls love to wear classic, well-made clothing with unique detailing. Tauruses love high-quality and expensive clothes, but are are willing to wait until a great bargain comes around before they buy anything. The Bull rules over the throat and neck, so girls under this sign love highlighting this area with scarves and necklaces.. Gemini (May 21- June 20) Geminis embrace youthful, eclectic and funky styles. Like their symbol suggests, Twins have dual personalities when it comes to clothing. Anything goes with them, but they especially love mixing casual basics with bold and oneof-a-kind pieces. Girls under this sign like outfits that are playful and flirty yet still look put-together. Cancer (June 21- July 21) Cancers usually dress according to their mood, so their style is forever changing, and could be completely different from one day to the next. Crabs are very sentimental, so they look for clothes that have a story to them. Girls under this sign are also big fans of vintage clothing and accessories. This sign loves to wear clothing that is both traditional and feminine with lots of soft details Leo (July 22- August 22) Leos love all things luxurious and are enamored by rare, exclusive or designer pieces. Big jewelry, bold patterns and sequins are all on this sign s must-have list. They are also huge fans of animal print. This sign uses fashion to express themselves and communicate their mood. Virgo (August 23- September 22) Virgos pay a lot of attention to detail and always try to look neat and polished, even with the most casual outfits. Girls under this sign love simple clothing and would never wear anything too flashy, too tight or too revealing. Virgo girls are willing to try new trends, but usually opt to pair them with classic and timeless pieces. Libra (September 23- October 22) Libras have a feminine, romantic style and a love of all things luxurious. They are very fashion-conscious and always try to look their best, but would never be caught dead looking too flashy or gaudy. This sign strives to find the perfect balance between casual and glamorous, without breaking the bank. Scorpio (October 23- November 21) Scorpios are drawn to intense, rich colors, but usually have a closet full of dark-colored clothes. This sign loves to attract attention with their clothing, but always leaves a little something to the imagination. A Scorpion likes simple clothes with an edge and a hint of sex appeal. Sagittarius (November 22- December 21) This sign loves to go wherever the wind takes them, so they like wearing comfortable and versatile clothing. Sagittarians are likely to experiment with all types of different trends and styles. Archers are always on the lookout for unique and one-of-a-kind pieces to wear with basics Capricorn (December 22- January 19) Capricorns tend to stick with a neutral color palette and like vintage-inspired pieces. This sign likes a no-frills wardrobe and is all about pieces that are both comfortable and functional. Capricorn girls like simple silhouettes and a look that exudes understated elegance.