Drawing his inspiration from the perfect world of love, happiness and extravaganza, Varun Chakkilam presented “The Utopian Dream”, an opulent collection of contemporary Indian wear at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2020. Tracing his muse back to the romance of a woman, the line comprised a range of sensuous yet mesmerizing ensembles, juxtaposing finesse with ultra-glam.
Accentuating the glamour, the designer experimented with embellished bustier blouses teamed with voluminous skirts, fluid cocktail gowns covered in sequins, sheer trench coat-like jackets showcasing an array of Japanese floral motifs and prints, and a fun play of peplum with wrap-around skirts upping the oomph factor.
The dazzling Bollywood diva, Malaika Arora walked the ramp in a captivating lehenga and bustier in an alluring, deep red sequined, hand-embroidered, creation with 3D bird motifs. A sheer red decorated dupatta added a final touch to the look.
A fluid, glossy, cowl skirt in a romantic hue of rose-gold was styled with a glamorous silver, sleeveless blouse covered in embellishments that featured a sultry, plunging neckline. Another remarkable entry on the ramp was a voluminous peach lehenga and corset style blouse set that showcased evenly distributed floral, hand embroidery. For the men’s wear entries, it was a powder pink, raw silk sherwani with embellished thread work and matching pants. Another notable look was a bandgala adorned with ornaments and worn with white trousers, and a pink turban that completed the outfit.
Being inspired by the utopian state of mind – of a happy life with love – the colour palette symbolized psychological elements like purity, harmony and femininity of a woman with the silhouettes, dipped in tones of whites, mint greens and blush pinks. It’s, therefore, safe to say that Varun’s Summer/Resort 2020 collection, resonated with everything flamboyant and grandeur.
For the bride with an OTT sartorial sensibility, Varun Chakkilam’s latest collection “The Utopian Dream” was an ideal pick.
Merging tradition with the millennials, designer Kunal Rawal presented a spectacle on the last day of the Summer/Resort 2020 edition of Lakmé Fashion Week. As the evening sunset over the horizon of the Arabian Sea, Kunal Rawal unveiled his ‘Rousing” men’s wear line which was an ode to the city of Mumbai at the picturesque grounds of the Bandra Sea Link Promenade Garden, the perfect setting for the trendy men’s wear collection. As the gentle breeze blew over the sea, the show opened to the live beat of the band by Rohan Mazumdar, Randolph Correia and Aditya Ashok who ensured the foot-tapping music kept the show in top gear.
The new collection provides an ordinary festive occasion with a whole new avatar filled with grunge, texture play combining the digital prints with embroidery for the very first time ever. The collection is inspired by the heritage archives from the Maximum city and be seen in the form of Indian handlooms for the kurta over-shirts. A non-conformist and multi-functional approach toward design, the new and exciting colour palette infuses darker shades like olive and browns going into pinks, butter, lemons and mint. Catering to the modern man who is well travelled, the new designs play with garment construction, cuts and patterns providing multidimensional aspect in every garment which amplifies the purpose of each design.
Thrilled about the inspiration of the new collection and the showcase, Kunal Rawal said, “This is a special collection for me indeed! I find Mumbai one of the coolest cities in the world, and that’s not just because I was born and brought up here. The pace and the energy of the city is unique because of the different cultures of people living on the same wavelength. They are all diverse and accepting, forming a creative melting pot. In other cities, everyone seems aloof with their own kingdom, but here everyone’s worlds are constantly colliding, usually because of their close proximity. The interaction is inevitable. I have brought this to life with a story behind every design. The highlight is the photosensitive styles for the first time, with the entire collection naturally gravitating towards symmetry, geometry and balance because they are part of my creative perspective.”
