The Pink City inspires Kunal Anil Tanna’s collection
With blue pottery from the rich cultural Pink City of Jaipur as the inspiration, Kunal Anil Tanna’s collection called “Indigo Summer” at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2014 was an interesting mélange of classic construction and awesome silhouettes.
Opting for fabrics like Chanderi cotton, kota and jacquards for the ensembles, the colour palette preferred was obviously blue and white with a dash of yellow and orange to create the perfect mood of the inspiration. Keeping detailing rather discreet to digital prints, sandwiching, laser cutwork and couching, Kunal allowed his colour story as well as prints and textures to take centre stage.
Women’s wear had prints for slim dress, wrap pants and crinkle cover. An interesting off-shoulder blouse with a gypsy inspired gathered printed blue skirt and a luxurious blue panelled slit maxi were ideal summer wear.
Men’s wear was as colourful with the Jaipur prints evident on the woven machined jackets, printed pants, Bermudas, waistcoats, double breasted or striped bundies some with lapels and patch pockets and a blue jacket with comfortable shirt.
Ending the show was the dapper rising star Saqib Saleem in a printed waist coat, shirt and trousers that reflected the theme.
When it comes to a blend of the rich colours of Jaipur along with stylish ensembles, Kunal Anil Tanna’s collection “Indigo Summer” had the right offering.
Preetika & Heeresh Zagjivan’s Egyptian Princess collection
Inspired by royalty, Preetika and Heeresh Zagjivan’s collection “Egyptian Princess” for their label “Pretty Stoned” was a medley of colour, glamour and style at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2014.
Using a variety of different elements and mediums, the designers had metal, fabrics, beads and semi-precious stones that were dreamt up into the most exquisite jewellery. With Cleopatra as the glamorous reference along with historical subjects like the pyramids, scarabs, tombs, paintings and hieroglyphs, the pair offered a wide range of cuffs, bracelets, rings, imposing necklaces and even head pieces for the lady’s crowning glory.
Featuring a dozen pieces the duo showed unconventional designs like the wrist shields, flat collars with long centre chains, necklace with body chains, double armlets with chains as well as armlet- cum-shoulder ornaments. Matha patties, earrings and even lip ornaments added to the glamour of the collection.
As the howlites, lapis lazulis, onyx and gems glittered on the models, the ladies in the audience looked longingly and admiringly at the exotic pieces and visualised themselves as Egyptian princesses.
Nitin Chawla’s “Urban Voyager” collection
Blending work and resort wear in an unconventional manner, Nitin Chawla’s “Urban Voyager” collection for Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2014 was practical with attention to meticulous detailing.
Designing under his label “Theorem”, Nitin Chawla who was part of last season’s Gen Next group, revealed his expertise in designing men’s wear. Opting for linen, cotton, poplin, light weight and printed denim, cotton silk, printed linen and chambray, Nitin offered the stylish male a line of relaxed shorts, trousers, zippered blousons, cropped biker’s jackets and loose duffle coats.
Colour blocking in bold hues added to the seasonal look of the ensembles. Zips played a major role for closures or as embellishments; while the silhouettes were wide and comfortable
Interesting entries were the raglan sporty jacket with shorts, denim coat with patch pockets, star printed resort collar shirt, the two way zip pocket bomber and the front zip double-breasted jacket. Introducing the voyager “Shacket” Nitin added a new dimension to the men’s wear. The final four-button short slim suit with contrast printed collar shirt was ideal for formal holiday wear.
For men’s wear that gave a major fashion direction, Nitin Chawla’s “Urban Voyager” was definitely the right route.
Surya Sarkar creates “Song of the Little Road”
As the lights flashed on the ramp, Surya Sarkar unveiled his very lyrical collection called “Song of the Little Road” at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2014.
Inspired by the ethereal beauty of life, which is a wonderful journey, Surya wove his inspirations into stately gowns, dresses, saris, jackets and then added intricate drapes to highlight the garments.
When it came to colours, the palette was a symphony of vibrant hues like blue, gold, skin, pale yellow, dull orange and white which were perfectly blended with Indian motifs and cotton as the favoured fabric
Opening the show with a tonal appliquéd romper, the show moved to sleeveless jacket and pencil skirt, sheer grey gown with strategically placed embroidery, a mini sheath with cutwork bolero and a pink rear wrap dress. A single sari was beautiful with silver border and an ornate choli.
Men’s wear was basic with one-button jackets in shades of blue and white with tonal embroidery to match the collection’s embellishments.
The show stopper was Bollywood star Sonal Chauhan in a beige mini which had lavish embroidery.
For fabulously embroidered garments that put a song in one’s heart, Surya Sarkar’s collection called “Song of the Little Road” was indeed a fashion symphony on the ramp.
Nupur Kanoi presents her collection “Noir Jahaan”
Moving into the past when seduction in vintage cinemas of Europe, Hollywood and Bollywood played a major role, Nupur Kanoi’s collection called “Noir Jahaan” for her Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2014 was inspired by the feminine femme fatales of yesteryears.
Referring to boudoir elements along with the hourglass figure and inspirations from hints of men’s wear, Nupur created a mélange of contemporary designs. Drawing ideas also from North Indian dancers and courtesans, the collection was enduringly beautiful in style and structure. Opting for sensuous lace, sheer chiffon, satin, crêpe, corsetry, abstract fishnet and scallops prints along with Chikan Kari, the designer worked her magic for separates and wearable ensembles.
Dividing the collection into three colour stories of black, grey and taupe, Nupur created utterly feminine creations that kept the audience thrilled with the designing touches. Black crushed chiffon and lace embroidered jumpsuit, the egg shaped maxi dress with eyelets, the “U” kurta, printed baby doll top with ultra wide trousers and the sari-shirt dress were impressive. The sari-skirt, kurta-dress, angarkha jacket worn over circular skirt/straight trousers and the final embellished plunge “V” blazer-like kalidaar kurta with georgette churidars were superbly crafted.
The crisply, carefully edited collection was ideal summer formal wear with its easy comfortable silhouettes, which will add to the practical requirements of fashion conscious women. Adding a slight risqué touch, Nupur ensured that the line of garments had the perfect blend of exotic sex appeal and effortless ease.
When women want to make that femme fatale impression, wherever they go, the “Noir Jahaan” collection by Nupur Kanoi will turn them into irresistible ladies.
Payal Khandwala’s collection was a “A Perfect Fit”
Aimed at the bold uninhabited sensuous elegant woman, Payal Khandwala’s collection called “A Perfect Fit” was totally apt for the Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2014 season. Drawing inspiration from men’s wear, the creations had feminine elements but keeping them in the neutral category.
Silhouettes were soft and fluid emphasised with perfect proportions. Adding geometric draping and pleating, the focal point was the architecture of the garment. With natural fabrics as the central choice, there was cotton and luxurious silks that swayed easily with the body allowing a relaxed movement.
Creating hand woven textiles and rich saris with master craftsmen of Bengal, Payal ensured that there was exclusivity in her creations. White was the colour that remained in the forefront of the collections, while other shades like deep blue, turquoise, magenta, orange, sun yellow, red and maroon added a colourful medley.
With the white shirt as a constant in the collection, Payal teamed it with saris; super wide pleated palazzos and crinkle wrap skirt. Keeping the silhouettes very Zen-like as always, with samurai pants appearing occasionally; Payal added shirt waister dress, asymmetric tunics, jackets, crinkle wrap skirts, shirts with off-centre openings and drop-shoulder tops.
Saris although stark in their design and beauty, were offered by Payal in multi-coloured jewel tones of colour blocking, which will appeal to the ethnic dresser.
When women long for “A Perfect Fit”, then Payal Khandwala had all the right requirements and styles.
The Stylecracker Hood Event
Hosted by the Stylecracker Hood, the second edition of the event took place at the Pavilion, during Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2014.
Stylecracker Hood, a live stylist unit comprising young talent that puts together a platform of style covering, everything from a wardrobe full of labels, hair and makeup, brought out the final designer look.
A group of around 15 energetic youth, who were part of the team presented to the audience, which consisted of students, special services brought by the Stylecracker team.
The team created an upbeat atmosphere with loud pumping music and colour coded decor, with the concept of four city booths, namely #DressMeHongKong, #DressMeNewYork, #DressMeParis and #DressMeGoa.
The idea behind it was to fill in a personality quiz which the stylist unit would evaluate and send the participants to a booth that perfectly matched their personality. They displayed a one-stop destination to get the complete customized designer look created in a short span of time.
The garments were sourced personally by Stylecracker Hood from several designers and high fashion stores. While #DressMeGoa had everything that had a resort and comfortable vibe to it, #DressMeNewYork had an eclectic mix of sequins and fitted silhouettes that were high on the style quotient. #DressMeParis had dreamy lacy dresses and flowing skirts, reminding one of what it was to be in love with a city. #DressMeHongKong gave an urban touch to its garments that were perfect for the streets filled with lights.
The team helped put their designer looks together near the changing rooms. A Lakmé hair and makeup expert unit was also present giving special attention to their customers who would require a certain look with their outfit enhancing their personalities and complexions.
The hair was styled according to the look – everything from fishtails, messy buns to wavy curls were created during the styling process. Young men were not ignored either, leaving them with new hairstyles to flaunt at the exit. Plenty of accessories such as jewellery, shoes and bags that suited the city booth were also offered for a trial.
The team picked out their favourite looks off the runaway and personally showed different ways to wear it. The makeup ideas made everyone look their best and runway ready. Photographers clicked beautiful shots of the new looks, against a backdrop that mentioned which city the look was made for.
The pictures clicked will be shared on the Stylecracker instagram, twitter and Facebook account. The overall outcome was to make everyone feel like a star for a few moments.
The event organised by Stylecracker Hood proved to be a huge success at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2014, leaving everyone with a photographic memory of what it felt like to look their stylish best.
Shyamal & Bhumika presented a fashionable floral bridal fantasy
Aimed at bridal wear for spring/summer, Shyamal and Bhumika presented their collection called “A Mystical Garden” which was a floral fantasy at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2014. The Grand Hyatt Ballroom was turned into a fragrant garden with a backdrop of trellised flower bouquets and rows of blossoms that lined either side of the ramp.
Inspired by the romantic Edwardian era, there was a marked Gothic influence in the sleeves which were fitted. The designers chose a variety of lavish fabrics to maintain the bridal look. Raw silks were at the top of the list with net, satin, silk Dupion and sensuous georgette, which completed the look. Colours that blossomed on the runway, created a riot of floral hues as peach, beige, rose, moonlight, dusty aqua, chocolate brown, Beaujolais wine and other tones created magic on the ramp.
A variety of silhouettes were offered to the resort bride by the designing duo. Classic flared tented voluminous skirts swirled with empire lines, while gentle drapes gave the bias flared maxis and gowns, an arresting appeal. For more sultry touches, sexy embellished net bodices and corsets added to the glamour of the collections.
Looking stunning on the ramp were the silk flared gowns, cowled ankle length satin dress, layered net maxi, the luxurious short top over pita embroidered churidar with shimmering sequins/pearls and the awesome corset over panelled net skirt.
The designers brought in just three saris in rose pink, champagne and peach with zardosi and Zari jaal work with glittering borders. The eight men’s wear outfits were regal with jackets, being in the forefront with Zari embellishments/floral dori work and worn with pleated shirts, trousers or polo pants.
Accessories that caught the eye were the intricately crafted clutch bags, golden flowers to decorate the hair and the detachable slip-on embroidered sleeves that gave a dressy look to the creations. Embroidery has always played an important role for Shyamal and Bhumika. This season too, the pair had tonal thread work with dashes of metallic thread, using pita and zardosi. Dainty 3D rosettes with subtle shimmer and flecked with pearls; created a stunning impact on the scintillating garments.
From the beaches of Goa, to the sands of the Riviera, the Shyamal and Bhumika bridal wear collection “A Mystical Garden” will be a stunning offering that will excite couples who want to make the important day in their lives truly memorable!
“Paris Amour” by Archana Kochhar
Inspired by the romantic city of Paris, Archana Kochhar’s “Paris Amour” collection at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2014 had all the iconic French touches.
From the Pop Art Paris map, to the Eiffel Tower and spring blossoms, the images were turned into digital prints and combined with monochromatic black stripes and checks. Giving resort wear an Indo-western twist, there was a line of short umbrella skirts; crisp shirts, kaftans, sexy slit gowns, draped dhoti saris, peplum chemise, lehengas and suspender skirts.
Colours created a riot on the stage with lime green, yellow, red, purple, teal as well as green interspersed with black and white. 3D flowers were the focal point of the garments and sparkled with Swarovski dust.
Playing with the stripes in horizontal and vertical forms, Archana had some interesting entries like small gilets over white shirts worn with short frothy skirts. Kaftans moved from mini to maxi and pre-stitched saris which followed the black and white theme with red floral prints were worn over checked/striped tights and jersey cholis. An eye- catcher was the boldly striped top with a matching maxi skirt. Striped kurtas peeped out from under black net covers and a black/white/red chiffon coat looked dramatic with a kurta.
Men’s wear worked well in black/white with ombré effects for kurtas, horizontal striped bundgalas, bundi with an Eiffel tower print, or asymmetric closures.
Archana’s showstopper was an unusual but handsome choice – Olympic medal winner – boxer, Vijender Singh who rocked down the ramp doing some shadow boxing in a striped jacket, kurta and baggy salwars.
For stylish summer lunches and after dark romantic evenings, “Paris Amour” by Archana Kochhar will create the right mood.
Jyotsna Tiwari’s debut was a glittering extravaganza
For the Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2014 season, Jyotsna Tiwari made her maiden appearance with a fashion extravaganza. From easy-to-wear, pre-draped sari gowns to playful printed creations, Jyotsna offered the fashionably adventurous women many options when holidaying by the sea.
For brides who long for beach weddings that spell glamour on the sand, sea and under the moonlight, the designer created luxuriously embroidered gowns and cocktail dresses.
Jyotsna opened the show with a printed line of gowns teamed with lacy backs, will-power, halter silhouettes and kaftans with one shoulder interest. For the ethnic dresser, the saris in beige or black had printed pleats, borders and blouses.
For midnight glamour, Jyotsna upped the style quotient by unleashing stunning draped sari-gowns worn with gold corsets or bustiers and a gorgeous line of fishtail layered net maxis with ornate bodices, cut-out backs or feminine peplums.
To match the sensuous but sophisticated look of her creations Jyotsna brought on the ramp the very sexy, seductive, Sunny Leone who glided down the catwalk in a figure hugging layered fish-tail net gown covered in glittering crystals.
Here was style and sophistication of a very high order as gorgeous colours and stunning embellishments spelt timeless appeal. When it comes to making a dazzling resort wear fashion statement, Jyotsna Tiwari presented the perfect collection.
