Five reasons I’m excited about Lakme Fashion Week Summer Resort 2013

Lakme Fashion Week Summer/ Resort 2013 kicks off today and I’m super excited! Here’s why.

Naeem Khan

The man who’s dressed FLOTUS Michelle Obama a number of times will be showcasing his work Saturday night. And he will participate in a workshop on Friday, talking about his style and creations. Meeting or seeing this man is reason enough to attend Lakme Fashion Week.

Menswear

The best menswear designers in the country will be on the ramp after a long gap. The list includes veterans like Narendra Kumar and Arjun Khanna, along with young designer Kunal Rawal (he did the men’s costumes for Aisha). Narendra Kumar’s shows are always worth a watch, and this time he’s expected to make a strong statement on the country’s socio-political situation. Hmmm….!

Narendra Kumar SR 2012

One more platform for GenNext designers

Lakme Fashion Week has been supporting new designers for several years now, but this  time they get an additional benefit with support from Zovi.com. The online shopping site will manufacture and retail one garment from each of the debuting designers. So get ready to shop already!

Live webcast

Lakme Fashion Week shows will be broadcast live on YouTube, which means instant fashion! So we can all watch the shows in our PJs over the weekend. They’ve already got a preview of the season online, so check it out:

Jewellery

Very few fashion weeks have accessory designers participating. It’s good to see Suhani Pittie back at LFW, and I’ve always wanted to see Pallavi Foley’s creations up close. This is my chance! 🙂Suhani Pittie LFW

Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2013 is from March 22 to 26, 2013 in Mumbai.

Day 1 at LFW W/F 2011: GenNext impresses with creative, out-of-the-box designs

The GenNext show of Lakme Fashion Week throws up some interesting designs every season, and this season (LFW W/F 2011) kept up to its promise. From unconventional men’s wear to grungy women’s ensembles, extreme detailing and a variety of constructions, we saw it all. Here’s a glimpse of what the eight GenNext designers have to offer:

Farah Sanjana
Farah Sanjana’s Collars Galore used origami, metal work and architectural shapes to create mostly blouses and dresses in pristine white. Farah used exaggerated and multiple collars on the neck, shoulders, sleeves and down the front of garments in a stunning start to the GenNext show.

Farah Sanjana at LFW W/F 2011- GenNext designer

Mohammed Javed Khan
This menswear collection (called Ex-pression-ist) made ample use of layers for the quirky men, giving them ample options and tips for layering this winter. The look was put together with an “I-care-a-damn” attitude.

Mohammed Javed Khan at LFW W/F 2011- GenNext designer

Shashank Raja and Prajwal Badwe
The duo sought inspiration from the Elizabethan era and Indian royalty for their collection, teaming Indian embroidery with fabrics like organza and net. Their dresses and gowns had a dash of orange, adding to the charm of their collection.

Shashank Raja and Prajwal Badwe at LFW W/F 2011- GenNext designer

Siddharth Arya
It was 1980s cult punk inspiration all the way with grunge styling, as models at Siddharth Arya walked out with armadillo reptilian shoulders bolero and rag doll micro mini. Taffeta came alive for a layered skirt with metal grunge embroidered coat and the leather appliqué dress with jet sequinned cape and cutout leggings rocked on the ramp. There was even a grunge sari!

Siddharth Arya at LFW W/F 2011- GenNext designer

Theresa James and Roger Prince
This Canadian design team sourced fabrics for their collection Retarded Velvet from across the globe, Ghanaian batik, Native American fabrics, South Indian cotton with Tencel and Lyocell. And these were not the only contrasts, as colours, prints and silhouettes were mixed and matched for a fabulous design story.

Theresa James and Roger Prince at LFW W/F 2011- GenNext designers

Urmi Ghosh
Pablo Picasso’s lover’s (Maar) tragic story provided ample fodder to Urmi Ghosh’s debut collection, with motifs of cats, boots, tight rope walkers, birds and cages. Urmi used a range of techniques on a single garment, ranging from colour blocking and piping, to appliquĂ© and cutwork.

Urmi Ghosh at LFW W/F 2011- GenNext designer

Thinles Chosdup and Niranjana Adhya
This Ladakh-inspired menswear collection combined shades of grey and steel with a few colourful touches, producing garments like asymmetric waistcoats, drop crotch pants, skirt front trousers, breeches and patched jackets.

Thinles Chosdup & Niranjana Adhya at LFW W/F 2011- GenNext designers

Nikhil Thampi
This young designer deconstructed silhouettes with drapes in neutrals for men and women. For women, there were layered gowns and skirts, while the men wore long draped shirts and buttonless waist coats and wool tunics. And oh, the leather inserts added a wonderful finishing touch.

Nikhil Thampi at LFW W/F 2011

Which GenNext designer do you like the most?

Day 1 at LFW W/F 2011: GenNext impresses with creative, out-of-the-box designs

The GenNext show of Lakme Fashion Week throws up some interesting designs every season, and this season (LFW W/F 2011) kept up to its promise. From unconventional men’s wear to grungy women’s ensembles, extreme detailing and a variety of constructions, we saw it all. Here’s a glimpse of what the eight GenNext designers have to offer:

Farah Sanjana
Farah Sanjana’s Collars Galore used origami, metal work and architectural shapes to create mostly blouses and dresses in pristine white. Farah used exaggerated and multiple collars on the neck, shoulders, sleeves and down the front of garments in a stunning start to the GenNext show.

Farah Sanjana at LFW W/F 2011- GenNext designer

Mohammed Javed Khan
This menswear collection (called Ex-pression-ist) made ample use of layers for the quirky men, giving them ample options and tips for layering this winter. The look was put together with an “I-care-a-damn” attitude.

Mohammed Javed Khan at LFW W/F 2011- GenNext designer

Shashank Raja and Prajwal Badwe
The duo sought inspiration from the Elizabethan era and Indian royalty for their collection, teaming Indian embroidery with fabrics like organza and net. Their dresses and gowns had a dash of orange, adding to the charm of their collection.

Shashank Raja and Prajwal Badwe at LFW W/F 2011- GenNext designer

Siddharth Arya
It was 1980s cult punk inspiration all the way with grunge styling, as models at Siddharth Arya walked out with armadillo reptilian shoulders bolero and rag doll micro mini. Taffeta came alive for a layered skirt with metal grunge embroidered coat and the leather appliqué dress with jet sequinned cape and cutout leggings rocked on the ramp. There was even a grunge sari!

Siddharth Arya at LFW W/F 2011- GenNext designer

Theresa James and Roger Prince
This Canadian design team sourced fabrics for their collection Retarded Velvet from across the globe, Ghanaian batik, Native American fabrics, South Indian cotton with Tencel and Lyocell. And these were not the only contrasts, as colours, prints and silhouettes were mixed and matched for a fabulous design story.

Theresa James and Roger Prince at LFW W/F 2011- GenNext designers

Urmi Ghosh
Pablo Picasso’s lover’s (Maar) tragic story provided ample fodder to Urmi Ghosh’s debut collection, with motifs of cats, boots, tight rope walkers, birds and cages. Urmi used a range of techniques on a single garment, ranging from colour blocking and piping, to appliquĂ© and cutwork.

Urmi Ghosh at LFW W/F 2011- GenNext designer

Thinles Chosdup and Niranjana Adhya
This Ladakh-inspired menswear collection combined shades of grey and steel with a few colourful touches, producing garments like asymmetric waistcoats, drop crotch pants, skirt front trousers, breeches and patched jackets.

Thinles Chosdup & Niranjana Adhya at LFW W/F 2011- GenNext designers

Nikhil Thampi
This young designer deconstructed silhouettes with drapes in neutrals for men and women. For women, there were layered gowns and skirts, while the men wore long draped shirts and buttonless waist coats and wool tunics. And oh, the leather inserts added a wonderful finishing touch.

Nikhil Thampi at LFW W/F 2011

Which GenNext designer do you like the most?