(From top) Bipasha Basu dazzles the catwalk for Monisha Jaisingh; a model strikes a pose in a Rahul Khanna and Rohit Gandhi creation; Vidisha Pavate in a Shantanu Goenka ensemble; models walk the ramp for Arjun Khanna; (AFP and PTI)

No surprise package, no new star born, no glam quotient in the crowd, no juicy controversies spicing things up, and, finally, not a shred of that special spark that makes a fashion week memorable.

That sums up the week-long fashion extravaganza hosted by the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) in New Delhi between April 5 and 9.

The Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WLIFW) at The Grand drew to a close on Sunday night with a finale that boasted a little bit more flair than the four flat days preceding it.

With sultry siren Bipasha Basu making an appearance on the ramp dressed in a stark white fairytalish gown by Monisha Jaisingh, and trapeze acts all over the auditorium attempting to liven things up, the finale did manage to have some impact.

This was designer duo Rahul Khanna and Rohit Gandhi of Cue and Monisha Jaisingh presenting the Wills Lifestyle finale theme, Garden of Desire. An underlying theme, however, was hard to be found in the two collections.

Rahul and Rohit started the show with their super-sexy line for both men and women.

An unusual combination of browns and pinks, with some pearly whites and flesh interspersed, was the highlight of the collection.

Extravagant laces, sensual silks, tulle trims, velvet edgings and satin details in voluminous lowers heightened the sensuous feel.

Wool embroidery, silver work, velvet applique, foil printing and metallic hand embroidery formed the embellishments, along with stones, shells and pearls.

Corset shirts, heavily embellished skirts of various shapes, a plethora of styles in evening dresses, jackets and more were the shapes for women, while the men had suits, jackets, tees, shirts and trousers. The silhouettes were skin-hugging with some amount of flow in the lowers.

Monisha decided to keep things simple with a line of short dresses, kurtis, kurtas with churidars and cropped jackets. Ethnic prints ? vegetable, batik and tie-and-dye ? decorated the simple silhouettes with jewelled necklines and cuffs. The palette was subdued too ? navy, dull red, blues and light browns.

In the run-up to the finale, a high-energy all-male show by designer Arjun Khanna pepped up proceedings. The men flirted with the crowd and did some impromptu jigs on the ramp as they catwalked to remixes of Aap jaisa koi, Disco deewane, Piya tu, Dum maro dum and more.

The collection titled The New Indian Maharaja was impressive. Inspired by “the opulent and luxurious lifestyles” of the Indian Maharaja, the highlights of the collection were the lush fabrics and rich embroidery. A melange of fabrics ? velvets, brocades, tanchoi, linen and leather ? shaped the garments.

The colour scheme was a beautiful mix of beiges and creams, with rich browns, gold and turquoise shining through.

Nice detailing ? on the inside of the garments where a riot of vibrant colours peeped through from the linings, and the collars and buttons ? marked the collection. The silhouettes featured bandhgalas and sherwanis with Jodhpuris, as well as some western cuts like smoker jackets and safaris.

The other big show of the day was by Satya Paul, which predictably presented an impressive range of signature saris, along with a variety of evening dresses and skirts. “The collection draws inspiration from the enigma of the 21st century woman who is seductive yet elusive. With influences from the Flapper era, the collection is modern and sexy, yet retro,” explained Puneet Nanda and Chaira Nath, creators of the line.

The trademark Satya Paul saris featured graphic, art deco and linear prints, often enhanced with lace, crystals and sequins.

The drapes were sensual, in chiffons, georgettes and crepes. This, along with satins, velvets and knits shaped the garments, touched with subtle silk embroidery, sequins, crystals, lace and lots and lots of pearls.

Cocktail dresses in various styles, skirts, boleros, flowing seductive gowns and more formed the line. These were stylised with endless strings of beads and pearls, chokers, earrings, hip-accentuating belts, stoles and handbags.

The colours were lush ? gold, cream, black, brown, red, old rose, plum, purple, lavender, fuschia, powder blue, olive, beige and coffee.

Calcutta boy Shantanu Goenka, who had caused quite a stir with his Krishna Couture collection last year, showcased earlier in the day. Titled The Elizabeth Times, Shantanu presented a peek into the “royal trunk”.

“I drew inspiration from a very different Elizabeth, towards the last part of her reign, who is bejewelled, bewigged and utterly artificial. An Elizabeth portrayed through the fragments of her wardrobe that I discovered and tried to interpret through my collection,” said Shantanu.

The result was an overtly vintage line that managed to create an impact but left doubts about its commercial viability. “He should have been a costume designer,” was the crowd murmur.

The 16th century feel was created effectively with lace trimmings, flowing georgettes, silk taffetas, luxurious velvets, heavy layering, bejwelled accessorisation with chunky brooches, buttons and hair add-ons in crown motifs.

The exaggerated gowns were often decorated with velvet appliques of Elizabeth’s face, thus giving them an utterly unwearable look.

Shantanu combined various print techniques ? digital, foiling, block, screen and discharge ? to bring about the vintage feel.

The colour palette boasted old English hues like moss green, burgundy, maroon, ebony, chocolate and ivory.

The silhouettes were historical, too, comprising corsets, shrugs, skinny trousers, pleated skirts, long empire line dresses and quilted and embroidered jackets.

“The garments have actually been tea-dipped to give an old feel, in addition to the detailed trimmings like period brooches, jewelled buttons, ropes of pearls and antique purses,” added the designer.