(From top) A model flaunts an outfit by Ritu Kumar; a model strikes a pose in a Manoviraj Khosla ensemble; a Rina Dhaka creation; an outfit by Meera and Muzaffar Ali . (PTI, AFP, Reuters)

Contrast was the name of the game at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WLIFW) in New Delhi on Thursday. While on the one hand the ramp saw ample Indian emphasis with khadi and chikankari aplenty, funk and flamboyance overflowed on the other.

If Ritu Kumar’s focus on handlooms ? mainly khadi ?gave her collection a distinctly desi touch, at the other end of the spectrum was Manoviraj Khosla with his itsy bitsy silhouettes.

If Meera and Muzaffar Ali stuck to their chikankari routine, Rina Dhaka presented an out-and-out international line.

Ritu Kumar’s pret collection from The Label was a young, fun and casual line, but within the framework of the ace designer’s ethnic aesthetics. With khadi as the focal point, there were innovations on the silhouettes.

Fitted skirts and blouses with tonal embroidery, crushed flouncy skirts, jeans teamed with printed crinkle shirts, summery tops with shell-edging, baby doll empire line blouses, embroidered halters and more formed the line.

Then there were Ritu’s trademark prints on her signature gypsy skirts, paired with rustic jackets. The formal wear line in black had midi-skirts with sweaters, linen winter coats with embroidery, corsets and boleros. Starting off with ecru and finishing with black, the designer fused browns, pale blues and fuschias in between.

Rina Dhaka’s Fall 2006 collection boasted global silhouettes with delicate embellishments. Her palette was muted to start with ? grey, ecru, white and flesh primarily ? before moving on to rusts and blacks.There were bubble skirts, peasant dresses, sheer chiffon pants, empire line cocktail dresses, lacy kurtas with matching tights, figure-hugging minis, ajrakh coats and chiffon bubble dresses.

The final evening wear sequence was typical Rina ? black, sheer net trousers with glitter, sheer micro shorts, corset and lace coat. There was some unusual legwear like glittering net knee-caps that went well with the minis.

Meera and Muzaffar Ali followed, sticking to their conventional brief. “A collection backed by hundred years of tradition” had the designer duo “interpreting history in contemporary paradigms”.

Exquisite tone-on-tone chikankari was applied to western silhouettes like wrap blouses, asymmetric tops and long kurtas that doubled as day-jackets.

There were ethnic shapes, too, like knee-length kurtas and churidars with controlled volumes and narrow shapes, flaunting embroideries on hemlines and necklines with mukaish twinkles in the background. Borders and pallas of the saris were embellished with crystals or with matte silver sand dune patterns.

Moving on to a more ornate theme, there were tanchoi jackets with applique, teamed with crushed coloured skirts and mango-hued lehnga-choli ensembles.

The glam quotient was upped by black kurtas covered with brilliant gold trellis-work and long tunics in silver tissue worn with slinky gathered satin skirts.

The final show of the day was a call for celebration as Bangalore-based designer Manoviraj Khosla presented a high-energy line sponsored by Kingfisher.

“Every boy’s fantasy ? living it up on a rodeo or a wild rock-star lifestyle,” was Viraj’s (as he is popularly called) inspiration for the flamboyant collection.

“It’s funky and very, very wicked,” said the designer.

There were skin-fit distressed denims embellished with abraded motifs, pleated skirts, long broad-shouldered coats and more.

Feathered strips were patched to create jackets and shirts in hues of purple and dark green.

A sequence in whites with line prints in blue and brown, teamed with white trousers grabbed attention. A funky line in leather followed. Leather in unusual hues like lilac, cinnamon and moss was sculpted into bomber jackets, trench coats and two button jackets for men and minis for women.