Lakme fashion week 2020

The Digital First Season Fluid edition of Lakmé Fashion Week 2020 had a unique collaboration between six respected designer labels to promote the various crafts of India. A craft-based initiative by IMG Reliance where the designer labels, Abraham & Thakore, Rajesh Pratap Singh for Satya Paul, Urvashi Kaur, Payal Khandwala, Anavila and Suket Dhir showcased collections that highlighted crafts like ikat, block prints, Jamdaani, brocade, Khatwa and Shibori techniques.

The second phase of this initiative by IMG Reliance will bring the six designers and more, for a 5-6 months project that will be a collaboration between designers and clusters. Six offbeat locations within St.Regis were chosen to bring out the best of the collections.

Capsule Collection

David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore for their label Abraham & Thakore gave emphasis to a capsule collection of block printed garments at Lakmé Fashion Week 2020 Digital First Season Fluid Edition. The geometrics of dots in varying sizes in combination with fine lines brought forth a unique hand block print story that created a stylish impact.

On a restricting color card of just sand and gold, the designing duo showcased separates that offered not only elegance but also a possibility of mix and match options.

The expert technique of hand block printing was evident in the gorgeous gold studded pinstriped sari worn with a sophisticated Victorian-style, long-sleeved, ruffled, neckline blouse. The flirty Kedia jacket highlighted with gold dots was interestingly teamed over a simple tunic and trouser combo with a graduating gold dots design.

Adding some feminine flounce to the look, there was the ruffled maxi skirt that looked great with a cut-away shoulder blouse. For more practical semi-formal options, the wide-legged pants with giant gold dots were worn with a cross over tie-up blouse with ruffled sleeves and deep décolletage.

The creative merging of modern silhouettes with Indian traditional textile hand block printing techniques raised the sartorial bar of the Abraham & Thakore collection, which had a marked festive flavor. The designer duo has been working with artisan Arun Parihar from Farrukabad, UP for years now and this consistency of work has enabled him to open his own unit in Noida where he employs more artisans.

The Beauty Of Double Ikat 

The beauty of ikat is coveted by fashion followers in India as well as around the world and Rajesh Pratap Singh showcased his version of double ikat for Satya Paul Studio in stark black and white with a sprinkling of hot colors at Lakmé Fashion Week 2020 Digital First Season Fluid Edition.

History states that the double ikat weave, which is 13 centuries old, was even used as currency on the famous Silk Route.

ALL ABOUT INDIA presents Rajesh Pratap Singh Collection at The Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2020 

Rajesh worked his creative magic and brought the Mirroring Pallav saris, which was a totally arresting approach in striking monochrome and quite innovative when it came to ikat sari designs. The blurred geometry of the patterns was visualized on simple cotton saris with the ikat accentuating the pallav, while the black borders completed the look for the white saris.

Adding some more drama, there was the linear ikat for a black and white color-blocked sari that was one of the eye-catchers. A burst of multicolored geometric squares was the focal point of another white sari with a rich red ikat border.

Rajesh Pratap Singh moved away from the conventional patterns of ikat and gave the traditional a very futuristic touch with the pristine creativity that was visually stunning.

 Rainbow Fantasy

It was a festive rainbow of colors in textiles that Anavila Mishra unveiled at Lakmé Fashion Week 2020 Digital First Season Fluid Edition with her ‘Anavila’ label.

Festivities were celebrated from the Anavila Studios with the “Dhanak” collection this season, which means rainbow in Sanskrit. The definition of the word, which was a “mystical pathway between sunshine and rain that is the harbinger of giggly laughs” proved to be the perfect inspiration for Anavila’s line that projected visuals of strength and light.

Working with her signature linen that was woven with fine zari and khatwa work, the collection was a joyous offering of festive apparel.

ALL ABOUT INDIA presents Anavika Collection at The Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2020 

Anavila’s color choice was also very energetic to match the happy mood of the garments and saris. The jewel tones of rich garnet, serene citrine, impressive jade, attractive amethyst, royal emerald, terrific topaz, intriguing sapphire, and beautiful rose quartz were the precious hues that will bring cheer into the lives of the festive wear dresser.

Keeping her silhouettes easy and comfortable, Anavila’s citrine kaftan with a smattering of floral embroidery on the shoulders and batwing sleeves had a layered silhouette and was an ideal comfort wear essential.

The stunning red sari draped to perfection will be on the list of ‘must-have’ for the festival pujas and had a dazzling border edging it, but the embroidered choli added a fun element to the traditional sari.

The turquoise blue sari was another stunner with a garland of flowers along the border and worn with a Zigzag motif design, empire line blouse, which was an ideal traditional choice with the drape.

For relaxed festivities, Anavila’s fiery red, long-sleeved, baggy blouse with a hint of embellishments on the hemline was teamed with wide-legged pants that proved to be a stylish combo.

When it comes to colors, textiles, and craft the “Dhanak” collection by Anavila Mishra for her label ‘Anavila’ will be one of the coveted choices for the festive season.

Anavila has worked with 12 artisan families directly, spread across 5 villages near Dumka – namely Jiyajor, Mohanbuna, Gabharna, Kakania & Lakda.

Beauty Of Traditional Drape 

Payal Khandwala’s expertise in creating the most sumptuous textiles every season is renowned. Her limited edition of just ten saris, handwoven in silk Jamdaani was a vision of beauty at Lakmé Fashion Week 2020 Digital First Season Fluid Edition.

Payal undertook an exploration of a craft that was typical in fine muslin on handlooms. But this time, she rethought the context into a new avenue but stayed true to her color-blocked silks, traditional motifs in floral or geometric shapes, and added an exaggerated and modern version of the wildflower print story.

A model poses in ALL ABOUT INDIA presents Designer PAYAL KHANDWALA’s Collection at The Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2020 

Payal showcased in each sari a meticulous format, when two-inch strips of designs are placed under the loom with myriad dots in watercolor added to the woven wrap, to recreate the pattern on the yarn. The weaving done by wooden shuttles according to guidelines had a silver metallic yarn with the assistance of a separate metallic needle.

Payal’s color choice was rich with jewel tones favored for the 6-yard wonder. The gorgeous mix of ruby red with dark ink gave the dual-toned sari a luxurious appeal, while the splash of the floral print on the edge of the pallav was a significant attention grabber.

A bright shade of parrot green or electric blue was the radiant backdrop for the white bouquet of flowers once again scattered on the pallavs for the regal two saris.

Bringing the double tone story again to the forefront, Payal merged fiery red with stunning fuchsia but ensured that the floral print on the pallav was always an eye-catcher.

The splendid handwoven Jamdaani saris in brilliant hues by Payal Khandwala were a worthy offering that displayed the beauty of India’s textile heritage.

Payal is working with the artisans of Phulia region in West Bengal for these sarees.

“Tahul” Collection

Showcasing the beauty of Shibori tie-dye patterns Urvashi Kaur’s “Tahul” Collection at Lakmé Fashion Week 2020 Digital First Season Fluid Edition was a fascinating display of craft, textiles, construction, and detailing.

The range was a mix smorgasbord of relaxed androgynous apparel. Tiered and shirt dresses vied for attention with the oversized silhouettes that offered trans-seasonal relaxed dressing options. The multi-layers had numerous mix and match choices for both sexes in a sheer and opaque format for a stylish appeal.

A model poses in ALL ABOUT INDIA presents Designer URWASHI KAUR’s Collection at The Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2020

Urvashi’s signature Shibori tie-dye patterns came alive on the deep sombre color card of grey with indigo and then gradually traversed to winter sage as well as oak which were merged with ochre green and charcoal. There was a marked linear pattern where fractality was inspired by nature.

Detailing created a strong accent in the form of micro pleating and hand blocks while the fabric base was as diverse. Urvashi selected handwoven organic cotton, sheer Kota silk, Jamdaani, and then brought in sheer noils that had inserts of intricate stitch line texturing.

Men’s wear featured a concealed placket, boxy jacket with Shibori insets on sleeves, and body-worn on a matching shirt while the linear striped pants displayed bold insets and patch pocket with the craft.

The androgynous quintet of garments comprised indigo baggy wide lapelled coat over basic shirt teamed with a Shibori patterned, layered, pleated skirt and trousers.

For comfortable women’s wear, Urvashi gave importance to an indigo shirt worn with a micro pleated Shibori pattern, swirling blouse, and skirt over slim pants.

The drop waist pleated grey Shibori dress looked great with a dark grey button-less jacket ideal for those nippy autumn evenings.

Urvashi, a master at fabric manipulation like tying, folding, and pleating with her minimalistic aesthetics; offered great sartorial elegance with her “Tahul” collection that brought the Shibori craft to center stage.

She has been working with artisans in Faridabad & Jaipur, from villages like Lakkarpur & Ramganj respectively for a decade.

Homage To The Glorious Brocades 

Bringing the grandeur of handwoven silk brocades to the forefront, Suket Dhir worked with the gorgeous weaves in jewel tones of vermillion, aqua, grey, or fuchsia as the base for the practical, easy, line of separates at Lakmé Fashion Week 2020 Digital First Season Fluid Edition.

ALL ABOUT INDIA presents Suket Dhir’s Collection at The Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2020 

Celebrating the ‘Nature Within’ concept, Suket introduced a mélange of varied animal prints that lit up the landscape on the handwoven silk brocades, which were created instead of the conventional motifs of Maharanis, Maharajas, and Sakhis.

Showcasing a mix and match line of rich textiles for the relaxed line of garments, Suket ensured that they could be either dressed up or down very easily, depending on the mood of the buyer.

Sharply cut trousers and jacket shimmered in shades of turmeric in a glorious weave but was worn with a solid colored simple turmeric kurta. Another eye-catcher was the dazzling fuchsia brocade with floral weaves that was dreamt up into a notched lapel, 2-button jacket worn with a knee-length, flared, gathered skirt.

For more elegant style directions, the construction was boxy, for the grey brocade 2-button jacket that would be ideal wear for the party circuit with a pair of matching shorts.

Suket Dhir gave a creative fashion dimension to festive wear but kept the rich fabric brocade base very contemporary in vibrant hues and motifs. Needless to say, Suket’s exquisite brocades some from the skills handloom weavers of Banaras.

Raw Mango has always demonstrated creative visions, and explorations with textiles and crafts that have been innovative yet varied, season after season. For the finale show on day one at Lakmé Fashion Week 2020 Digital First Season Fluid Edition – Sanjay Garg’s festive collection “Moomal” revealed design sensibilities that transported the audience to his home state of Rajasthan, which is often considered as the crafting soul of India.

Inspired by heritage and deep-rooted in Indian culture, the collection took the audience through a trip down Sanjay’s memory lane, beckoned with fond memories of Rajasthan. Part nostalgic and part re-imagined for the future as he was inspired by the Rajasthani folklore, the new festive collection was a contrast and harmony of colors, textiles, and silhouettes.

Rajasthan encouraged Sanjay to turn his creative gaze on the bold colors and combinations of the region’s multiplicity of layers that live across colors, textiles, and motifs explored on poshaks, lehengas, jackets, and the graphically constructed cholis. The central motif – the peacock – dances amidst strong bold lines of textile and embroidery. There was a harmony that Sanjay merged into the textiles, silhouettes and colors, while his newly introduced Bandhej techniques gave this traditional craft a distinct contemporary focus.

Inspired by classic and folk forms of Rajasthan, Sanjay Garg’s “Moomal” collection for his label ‘Raw Mango’ was a grand homage to his home state where tradition and craft have been the mainstay of life for centuries and was an amalgamation of textile & culture.

The leader of fashion innovation, Lakmé Fashion Week is back with a digital-first, season-fluid, virtual avatar. Launching the first-ever interactive fashion destination in India, Lakmé Fashion Week is set to put forth a promising line-up of shows, designers, webinars, and ideas to be streamed online from 21st – 25th October 2020.

Open to one and all, the forthcoming season will host an amalgamation of fresh, emerging talent and the biggest and most established names in the fashion industry that will set an unparalleled benchmark in innovations, sustainability, and creativity.

Designers like Pankaj and Nidhi, Kunal Rawal, Amit Aggarwal, Sanjay Garg, Aneeth Arora, JADE, Anushree Reddy, Jayanti Reddy, Gaurang, Disha Patil, Hemang Agrawal among many others will present a combination of breathtaking collection shows and fashion films this season.

Moreover, this season’s interactive virtual venue has been specially designed to host state of the art curated shows with top technology, e-commerce, engaging digital content, and cyber networking.

Since its inception, Lakmé Fashion Week has strived to nurture and promote young talent, taken the lead on the digital front, and has been at the helm of initiating conversations on beauty and inclusivity. This season too, the platform will showcase innovations as it embarks on a digital journey with several new, disruptive formats of showcases using advanced technology.

Looking Through The Lens Lakme Fashion Week 2020 :

VIRTUAL HUB

Going digital this time, Lakmé Fashion Week will reside as an online hub with customized elements for every type of audience tuning in. Audiences can expect to see a showcase area called the ‘runway’ for all designer showcases, fashion film, and webinars; a library to access show content ranging from action behind-the-scenes to snippets of shows; a media conference area that exclusively will give Indian and international media direct access to interact with designers and celebrities; as well as an interactive lounge by Lakmé that will allow viewers to engage with its latest beauty collection. Audiences will also enjoy a ‘See Now, Buy Now’ feature that will allow viewers to directly connect with the designer and purchase an outfit immediately after the show.

VIRTUAL SHOWROOM

Lakmé Fashion Week will be launching the ‘Virtual Showroom’ – a first of its kind concept in India with an aim to support designers, artisans, and the business of fashion. The Virtual Showroom will be a marketplace platform for designers and artisans to showcase their past and current collections to consumers, enabling B2C sales for inventories that have been stuck due to the pandemic. It will also serve more importantly, as a B2B platform for designers to showcase their future collections and directly get orders from buyers of multi-designer stores across the world.

INIFD PRESENTS GEN NEXT SHOW

Lakmé Fashion Week takes forward its pursuit to recognize new and emerging talent through home-grown platforms like the GenNext program that will give three new designers the chance to showcase their creations this season. GenNext, for the first time, will be showcasing a fully sustainable collection on day 1 of Lakmé Fashion Week as ‘Sustainable Fashion Day’ is going to be celebrated on both day 1 & 2 this season.

SUSTAINABLE FASHION DAYS

Sustainable Fashion Day is a property that celebrates the rich heritage of Indian handloom and indigenous craft season after season. This season, Lakmé Fashion Week furthers its commitment to sustainable fashion by dedicating two days to the celebration of the craft.

Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) announces the 30^th batch of its most prestigious talent discovery programs –GenNext. Three winning designers were chosen from the first-ever virtual jury selection process that saw participation from over 200 aspiring applicants.

The selected designers will be presenting their creations by INIFD at Lakmé Fashion Week’s first-ever digital destination to be hosted between 21^st to 25^th October.

Given the physical limitations of submitting one’s designs this season, the applicants had to submit a video montage of their ensembles to complement their presentation.

The applicants were shortlisted and presented their collections digitally to an expert jury comprising Anaita Shroff Adajania,  Amit Aggarwal, Pernia Qureshi, Tina Tahiliani, GenNext mentor Sabina Chopra along with Ashwath Swaminathan- Head of Innovations, Lakmé and Jaspreet Chandok, Head of Lifestyle Businesses, IMG Reliance.

After being announced winners, the new GenNext designers Dhātu Design Studio by Anmol Sharma, ­­ MISHÉ by Bhumika & Minakshi Ahluwalia, and THE LOOM ART by Aarushi Kilawat were taken through a series of Masterclasses over 3 days with Sabina Chopra, the Lakmé Fashion Week team as well as industry experts to give an understanding of brand building, business and marketing skills in addition to feedback and advice on their upcoming showcase and collection.

All 3 winning designers are conscious designers and have a sustainable collection. GenNext, for the first time, will be showcasing a fully sustainable collection on day 1 of Lakmé Fashion Week. This season, ‘Sustainable Fashion Day’ is going to be celebrated on both day 1 & 2.

In order to address the uncertain times that the design community is challenged with, Lakmé Fashion Week this season has announced several initiatives to support the GenNext designers that have been introduced in the past as well.

LFW will provide free stall space to all GenNext designers in the LFW virtual showroom. These GenNext designers will also get the opportunity to be a part of the schedule through a look book format of showcase without any designer fees. LFW will also support the GenNext designers through promotions on the LFW digital handles for the next 6 months to help them market their brands.

DHĀTU DESIGN STUDIO by Anmol Sharma

MISHÉ by Bhumika & Minakshi Ahluwalia

THE LOOM ART by Aarushi Kilawat

Announcing the latest batch of GenNext designers, Ashwath Swaminathan, Head of Innovations, Lakmé shares, “Discovering new talent who will be the future of fashion is one of the key pillars of Lakmé Fashion Week. We look forward to the 30th batch of the GenNext program display their collections on the virtual runway and reinvent the paradigms of fashion to be more future-fit.” 

Talking about the GenNext program Jaspreet Chandok, Head – Lifestyle Businesses, IMG Reliance Ltd said, “The GenNext program is aimed at nurturing remarkable young talent in the country and giving them the support that is needed both business-wise as well as for brand building. Despite all the challenges of the pandemic, I am happy to see the participation and enthusiasm of so many young designers. It is our endeavor to whole-heartedly support them as well as all the GenNext alumni in these trying times.”

Since its inception, the ‘INIFD presents GenNext’ program has been famed for identifying new talent, providing young designers with a nurturing platform, and turning them into the new design stars of the industry. This season, unlike any other before, the GenNext program takes on a new avatar and gives the winning designers the chance to showcase their creations in a first of its kind virtual format.