From bright laser lights to dramatic eyes and techno music, five new labels made an impressionable start at the opening show at the Lakme Fashion Week winter-festive 2018.
The INIFD Gen Next show at the fashion gala, which has given Indian fashion industry names like Masaba Gupta, Gaurav Gupta and Kunal Rawal, saw a wide range of collections from newbies like Anurag Gupta, Aur by Anurag Kumar Singh, Jajaabor by Kanika Sachdev, Studio Swgt by Shweta Gupta and Yaavi by Yadvi Agarwal.
The show started with Anurag Gupta, who showcased a collection inspired from Maurits Cornelis Escher’s day and night artwork. An “excited” Gupta said that his collection, which comprised of dresses, jackets and pants, are edgy and relaxing.
Next came Jajaabor by Sachdev who used white sneakers with saris, kurtas, dresses and suits. “In today’s world, women are working. Those days are over where women would wear heals and walk around. They are always on the move and sneakers are comfortable... We also want to promote the idea of more women wearing saris,” Sachdeva said.
Label Yaavi by Agarwal was next, which featured an array of hand-painted separates on silks. She says her label is for contemporary women. Talking about the usage of lasers and techno music, Agarwal says it was exciting.
“It really added to our concept... the lights and the live DJ added a lot to the show,” she said.
Label Aur and Studio Swagt were up next. Singh showcased a wide range of digital prints and patchwork with machine embroidery on Khadi and handloom fabrics. Gupta’s collection showcased a modern take on nomadic expressions through weaves, which mimicked textures from rocks of the Himalayas. Her collection saw a wide range of chanderi cotton, silk and merino wool yarns in hues like grey and shades of slate and silt.
She said her label is for every woman and that there is no age bar for her label.
Actor Prateik Babbar walked the ramp for Chola The Label.
With 90 designers showcasing an array of ensembles at the forthcoming Lakme Fashion Week’s winter-festive edition, the gala will witness a celebration of wedding wear, festive wear and provide a sneak peak of famous Canada-based live entertainment company Cirque du Soleil’s show Bazzar.
Over the next few days veterans such as Ritu Kumar and Rajesh Pratap Singh, as well as new-age designers such as Kunal Rawal, Payal Singhal, Naushad Ali and AM:PM by Ankur and Priyanka Modi, presenting their latest collections.
The event will conclude on Sunday, where designer Monisha Jaising will be showcasing her latest collection ‘Shades Of A Diva’ with Bollywood star and Lakme brand ambassador Kareena Kapoor Khan as showstopper.
Apart from Kapoor Khan, the five-day extravaganza will have a stream of celebrities like Aditi Rao Hydari, Hema Malini, Esha Deol, Shikha Talsania and Kalki Koechlin adding sparkle to the runway as showstoppers.
