Heritage, nostalgia and subdued glamour defined Gaurang Shah’s Savitri, his tribute to the doyen of South Indian cinema. Mangalgiri, Kota, brocades, silks, organzas, satins, chiffons, Kanjeevarams, Anarkalis, kurtas, shararas… Gaurang put them all on the ramp. A melange of rich hues, hair worn in loose plaits, dewy eyes and flowers added to the romance.
Fresh, fun, flirty… one look at Label Ritu Kumar’s Native Spirit and these words pop up in your mind. Drawing influences from various cultures, the collection had models sport super fusion looks that are great for party, brunch as well as a day at work. Prints were the mainstay, with the label playing around with burgundy, red, mustard, chiffons, cottons, silks, crepes, maxis, denim shorts, dresses, tasselled skirts, kaftans, dungarees, fringes, and #bossbabe hats and statement accessories.
Narendra Kumar Ahmed had told t2 that he was “looking forward to it with a sense of fun, wonderment and surprise”, about his LFW show with 29 plus-size models. aLL Primero was all about not conforming to the norms of society. “The concept of our show is Never Hyde… taking from Jekyll and Hyde (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde),” he had said. He showed a contemporary and modern line with Veere Di Wedding actress Shikha Talsania (picture above) closing the show. Athleisure, pantsuits, bomber and denim jackets, jeans, tops, shirts, pants, dresses, jumpsuits and blazers were seen on the ramp.
Calcutta calling
Kallol Datta’s Volume 1 Issue 2 lived up to its avant-garde expectations. Models standing on small platforms, “a random mix of silhouettes”, pop eyes, chunky skull-motif earrings… it was a slice of art.
Howrah girl Nakita Singh showed an easy-breezy line called Wilderness. Prints, whites, earthy tones, flowy silhouettes and interesting eye make-up summed up the show. Silks, kantha, khadi, cotton, saris, jumpsuits, waistcoats, dresses… Nakita’s line was “inspired by travel”.
Soumodeep Dutta’s Aalo was a mix of simple, stark, pretty prints, clean lines, handloom and lots of layering. Soumodeep was “inspired from the analogies of life and lotus in Buddhism”.
Stripes and prints on flowy silhouettes brought alive Tahweave’s Unchartered. Priyangsu Maji and Sweta Tantia were inspired by “mystic and magical, the rocky terrain of the Irish mountain lands” and showcased quilted trench coats, asymmetric overlayers, draped dresses and tunics, with actress Kirti Kharbanda (left) walking in a flowy jumpsuit.
Bobo Calcutta’s Ludicrous Legacy was laced with designer Ayushman Mitra’s signature quirk. Tunics, shorts, coats, cowl-neck shirts, dresses teamed with jackets… in Ayushman’s trademark colours and prints made the line a sensory affair. “I highlight beauty in strangeness through layers of hand embroidery in post-modernist Japanese hues and shapes with a nod to Yayoi Kusama,” Ayushman had told t2 ahead of his showing.
Pictures: Sandip Das
