Designers presented fashionable yet wearable lines on the second day of Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) Summer-Resort 2013 in Mumbai on Saturday.
Popular anchor Shibani Dandekar was especially appreciative of the creations due to their wearability.
“I love the fact that all the clothes can translate from the runway into real life. They are all very wearable. Usually, Indian designers make their clothes very blingy, but here we saw three designers who didn’t,” Shibani told the media after the show by Nikhil Thampi, Nishka Lulla and Nupur Kanoi.
The Lakme shows take place on Bollywood’s doorstep, so as on the first day, there was no shortage of star power. Freida Pinto supported Naeem Khan, making his Indian debut, from the sidelines, while Shahid Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor walked — and danced — for designer Kunal Rawal, watched by Amrita Arora, Varun Dhawan and Prabhu Deva. Karisma Kapoor was the showstopper at Shehla Khan. Lakme Fashion Week runs until Tuesday.
Naeem Khan makes his Indian debut
Showcasing a spectacular collection that left the audience highly impressed, international designer Naeem Khan made his debut in India on Saturday through Lakme Fashion Week Summer-Resort.
The designer was ecstatic about being in India.
“I am so happy to be here. This is like the highlight of my year,” he said.
Khan also added that India has a huge market and he was testing the reaction of people through this show.
“I look at India as a huge market. I am testing the waters through this show. I really want to be here,” he said.
The collection included dresses with detailing on neck and sleeves, long gowns, smart pants and skirts in colours such as black, red and multi-coloured patterns. The highlight of the evening was the “ball gown sari” which he has specifically designed for the occasion and Indian audience.
“This ball gown sari has been specially designed for India. It is one piece of fabric without any stitches and just needs to be draped,” he said.
Talking about the textiles and the fabrics used, the designer said: “I have taken the textiles from the Ottoman empire. The colours which I have used are timeless and fabrics can be worn all year round.”
The garments were heavily embroidered.
“All embroidering has been done in India. It is my family business. I want to keep this art alive. I hope this art does not die,” he said.
The designer also revealed that he was anxious as this was his first show in India.
“I was anxious. I didn’t know what to show in India. I was anxious not because I felt that my collection was not good, but because it meant a lot to me to be in India,” he said.
Khan has dressed many renowned celebrities including US First Lady Michelle Obama, Beyonce and Eva Longoria. He has also dressed actress Freida Pinto and Sonam Kapoor.
“I don’t have a list of people who I want to dress here. But of course I want to dress the movie stars. I want to continue dressing Freida Pinto and Sonam,” he said.
Even though Freida was present for the show, she didn’t walk the ramp.
“She didn’t walk the ramp. This was deliberately done. We are in the business of making and selling clothes, not theatre. The clothes make drama. It has nothing to do with stars,” he said.
Shahid, Arjun add B’wood touch at Kunal Rawal
Bollywood actors Shahid Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor broke into some Bollywood moves at the Lakme India Fashion Week ramp on Saturday, when they walked for designer Kunal Rawal.
Arjun, who looked smart in a black kurta pyjama, walked the ramp and later danced to the tunes of Ram Lakhan, and even performed signature dance steps that his paternal uncle Anil Kapoor performed on the original number.
Shahid looked handsome in a long black jacket, black trousers and a multi-coloured printed T-shirt. While the actor’s walk was perfect, he made the designer and Arjun perform some moves with him, while he walked with them towards the end of the show.
The collection was for modern young men. Rawal displayed an interesting collection featuring eccentric prints and deconstructed silhouettes. The line had a collection of printed shirts and trousers, short-sleeved blazers, jackets and jump suits. There was also a mix of Indian and western formal wear.
Rawal, who has designed costumes for Bollywood films such as Teri Meri Kahaani and Aisha, used some accessories like pagdi buttons, silver and gold turbans, caps, detachable lapel pins, head gears and ties to add some zing to his LFW line.
Many celebrities including Amrita Arora, Varun Dhawan, Prabhu Deva graced his show.
Karisma Kapoor ramps up elegance at Shehla Khan
Bollywood actress Karishma Kapoor, who was the showstopper for designer Shehla Khan’s ‘Boudoir’ line at the Lakme Fashion Week Summer-Resort 2013 Saturday, looked elegant in a Chantilly lace creation with chiffon panels and gunmetal lace embroidery.
The detailing on the neck and the back of the outfit made Karisma look even prettier.
The collection was very feminine and was against a backdrop of red balloons, which made the show even more appealing. The garments had a generous use of sheer and lace, giving them a rich as well as provocative look.
“My endeavour is to redefine sexy and to strike the perfect balance between sensuality and femininity for every woman. While I have stuck to my favourite pastels, we have added embroideries and combination of black lace on skin muted shades which add allure to the evening line.
“The designs are quaint yet chic as well as comfortable to wear and flatter the feminine form,” she said.
The collection included blingy sequinned dresses and long gowns in shades of cream, silver and pink.
Rocky S. showcases bold, sophisticated line
Using his signature black, designer Rocky S. Saturday showcased a bold and sophisticated ‘Romantic Fashion’ collection at the Lakme Fashion Week Summer-Resort 2013.
“I have used my signature colour black and jade green to break the monotony. Black is sensual, sexy and timeless. It is an amazing colour for women,” Rocky said.
The collection has short dresses and gowns in georgette, chiffon, satin, silk and net.
“These dresses are for someone who wants to stand out,” he said. “These are for women who go for cocktail parties and events, for someone who wants to enjoy,” he said.
Model-actress Evelyn Sharma walked the ramp for Rocky in a black gown.
“His clothes make me feel like a princess,” she said.
Nikhil Thampi’s line was “an ode” to noted American painter, sculptor and illustrator Richard Artschwager.
“His ideology inspired me a lot. I have tried to give him a tribute. I hope I did a fabulous job and that everyone enjoyed it,” he said.
The line included jackets, trousers, long flowing tops and full-length gowns in colours like yellow, black and white.
“I believe in comfort. You will see long flowy silhouettes in most of my collections,” he said.
Nishka Lulla’s collection reflected a Bohemian feel.
“My line is a transition from the last season. It follows the same story of a Bohemian girl, who likes to travel. I took inspiration from the dandelion flower, and there was a lot of transparent mix of fabric in the collection,” she said.
The collection comprised long dresses, shirts, long jackets as well as shorts in soothing colours such as blue, beige and light pink, to beat the heat this summer.
“I believe that style should be personal and comfortable. It is a very flexible collection and you can wear (these creations) in everyday life,” she said.
Nupur Kanoi used a lot of metallic embellishments for her line, titled ‘Ladies and Gentlemen’.
“I used a lot of metallic to give a chic look. You will see a lot of detailing on the collars and sleeves. Metallic is generally considered evening wear and through this, I tried to put it into day wear and make it more casual,” she said.
The line had a lot of safari suits, sight suits, Kurtas, short and sleeveless jackets, long skirts and dresses. Colours like gold, bronze and copper dominated the line.
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Spice up spring season with colour, bling
Bling and colour seem to be the flavour of the spring season with designers like Pia Pauro, Sanjay Hingu and Komal Sood presenting bright and colourful lines, with a hint of bling, at the Lakme Fashion week (LFW) summer-resort 2013 here Saturday.
The collections were full of life and very much wearable.
Pia Pauro’s line, ‘Grecian Goddess’, was heavily Greece-inspired.
“It is inspired from the blue sea and the white architecture in Greece. Everything has been fused together in my collection. I have been to Greece, and loved it there. I travel a lot and absorb,” Pauro told the media.
Her collection is replete with short dresses with embroidered borders, printed dresses, embellished bikinis and long gowns.
Sanjay Hingu’s collection for men had a lot of simple colours, which moved from lighter to darker shades.
“I have used the colours which we see in our day-to-day lives. Colours play an important part in our lives. My inspiration was these colour blocks. I moved from lighter shades like beige, light grey to brown and maroon,” he said.
The collection included formal coats and jackets, shorts, trousers, and hooded jackets for men in cotton, linen and silk. Hingu calls it a “wearable line”.
Komal Sood presented a chic line, inspired by the desert mirage.
“Like images are created in a mirage, I have used clusters (of fabric) in the fabric. The collection had my signature chic glamour,” she said.
The line showcased sequinned pants, long jackets, gowns with sequins detailing on collars and sleeves and waist coats for men. A silver sequinned high-slit gown was clearly the star of the collection.
