American actress and model Azura Skye is one kind of the celebs set
to shine both on and off the catwalk in the 16th edition of Lakmé
Fashion Week.
Starting
tomorrow in Mumbai, the five-day show - one of the greatest dates
around the Indian fashion calendar - is probably best known because of
its high celebrity quotient.
But giving the A-listers within the
audience a run for his or her money this year are dazzling catwalk shows
by no less than 90 designers, ranging from some of the country’s
biggest names to new talent that seeks inspiration from the Middle East.
The big guns
Manish
Malhotra - well-liked by celebrities including Kylie Minogue, Uma
Thurman, Priyanka Chopra, Amitabh Bachchan and Naomi Campbell - takes
the lead, opening a few days with his new collection, titled Elements.
Expect
richly embellished gowns, lehengas with long trails, and organized tops
and blouses in organza, tussar and crepe. Pastel hues will dominate,
including baby pink, powder blue and lightweight green.
Malhotra,
who showed two collections in the Address Dubai Marina in October, says
his latest collection “is inspired naturally and brings out the
dichotomy of beauty and power contained in the four elements - earth,
water, air and flame - similar to the play of confidence and demureness,
tradition and glamour that people see in a contemporary bride".
Other
fashion experts presenting their selections include Neeta Lulla, Rohit
Bal, Wendell Rodricks, Anand Kabra, Payal Singhal, Nishka Lulla, Nikhil
Thampi and Anita Dongre.
Fresh talent
Young gun Aqdus
Saleem, who makes her debut included in LFW’s “gen next" runway show,
looked towards the Middle East when making her collection The Modest
Chapter. The title referrals her background - she develops from a Muslim
family and her designs are influenced by Islamic fashion, with touches
of Indian ethnic tradition and contemporary trends. Ruling fabrics are
cotton linen and organza, with embroidery in shades of white and Sahara
beige.
“I took motivation from the Middle East," says Saleem. “My
research exposed me to numerous nuances of tradition making me
understand them thoroughly. I basically wish to break the stereotype. I
needed to make people realize that modest wear does not restrict you to
definitely look beautiful. I'm not making abayas, I am just trying to
create something that covers your body beautifully."
Other new
talent to look for includes Naveem Naaz Shaikh, Agrima Batra, Chirag
Nainani and Sohaya Misra. Emerging designers, including promising alumni
for example Kanika Goyal, Doodlage and Siddharth Bansal, may also
showcase their collections. Younger established designers showing
include Quirk Box, Sahil Kochhar, Sneha Arora, Huemn and Archana Rao.
New trends
Lakme Fashion Week 2016
has started to consistently attract a person's eye of international
labels, who seem keen to take advantage of the subcontinent’s thriving
fashion market.
ElektroCouture - a Berlin label focusing in edgy,
bespoke electronic wearable technology - is bringing its creations to
India the very first time.
“Now in the 16th year,
Lakmé Fashion Week
looks outward, outside of India, at what’s happening in global fashion
and also at international fashion weeks," says Saket Dhankar, vice
president and head of fashion at IMG Reliance, which jointly organises
the twice-a-year event together with cosmetics brand Lakmé. “We see two
key trends emerging - convergence of favor and technology, and
concentrate on sustainable fashion. We're continuously attempting to
reinvent ourselves and have made a conscious decision to advertise
sustainability in
Indian fashion greatly."
Star turns
They
are tight-lipped about the celebrities who'll wear their showstoppers
around the runway. We predict to see the typical suspects, including
Kareena Kapoor Khan who, as Lakmé’s brand ambassador, has closed the big
event in recent seasons.
Models poised just to walk the runways
were selected from two rounds of auditions in Mumbai and Delhi.
International supermodels include Azura Skye and Smita Lasrado.
Last day
New
Delhi avant-garde creative Rohit Bal has bagged the prized closing slot
and can bring the festivities to a glittering end on Sunday with
designs tailored to mirror LFW’s theme: the “illuminate look" of Lakmé’s
make-up range, “inspired through the shimmer and sparkle of the
precious crystal".
Bal’s elaborate outfits, each boasting an
advanced of detail and sophisticated cut, draw a global clientele,
including Hollywood star Uma Thurman and supermodel Naomi Campbell.
Nearer to home, Amitabh Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra praise his designs.
“Great to be back again," says Bal, perhaps recalling his last LFW finale in 2012.
“The
most breathtaking part about doing Lakmé Fashion Week may be the carte
blanche. An entire and uninterrupted creative flow is exactly what Lakmé
has given me. That makes doing the finale precious and priceless."