LFW WF 2013: The best evening wear trends (with gif & instant style tips)

LFW WF 2013: The best evening wear trends (with gif & instant style tips)

Architecture at Amit Aggarwal
Amit Aggarwal’s dresses were beyond ordinary red carpet gowns. They were architectural wonders, sculpted and moulded in a fine manner with metal, drape, chiffon and jersey. You got to be bold to wear this look.

Instant style tip: Look for skirt and 60s inspired dresses that have a bit of buckram or tough lining that support the flare.

Amit Aggarwal at LFW WF 2013

(Taken on Nokia Lumia 820)

Gold at Vikram Phadnis
Sticking to our favourite metal (and festive colour), Vikram Phadnis’s dresses, jumpsuits and separates were rich and very wearable. Especially if you love gold too. 🙂

Instant style tip: This one’s easy enough for the bling lovers. If you aren’t one, you could always carry a sequinned clutch or pair of shoes.

[Check out the slide show below… more info after the jump!]

Bold construction at Jatin Varma
Jatin Varma combined structure with fluidity in eye-catching colours (shocking pink and cobalt blue). The nylon mesh and crochet binding on the intricate gowns were stunning!

Instant style tip: Tough to find, even tougher to wear. Best to pay a visit to the designer himself!

Fire on the ramp at Kommal Sood
Kommal Sood presented gorgeous cocktail dresses that shone bright in fiery colours. I loved the idea of orange evening wear and short capes.

Instant style tip: Mix and match sequinned pieces with luxurious separates for an offbeat red carpet look.

Dark ages at Rocky Star
Black has turned into Rocky Star’s signature statement, this time with lace, tulle, silk and velvet. Sheer was everywhere, and so was opulence. Only for the daring!

Instant style tip: This look has to be worn with stark makeup or you’ll look “incomplete”. The lips should be dark and the eyes deeply coloured.

 

Bollywood Fashion: Katrina Kaif is edgy rockgirl in Mere Brother ki Dulhan? Not!

For those who haven’t seen Mere Brother ki Dulhan yet—Katrina Kaif attempts a rocker act for a few minutes in the film. Unfortunately, neither her performance as a rocker is convincing, nor is her look what we expect from a rockstar. However, the film’s costume design team has tried to give her a distinct look that resembles a girl walking on the wild side. (Note: The costume design credits for the movie list Rocky S, Harmeet Sethi and Neha Bhatnagar; we assume Rocky S styled Katrina Kaif. If you believe otherwise, please leave a comment below).

Katrina Kaif Mere Brother ki Dulhan

Dimple aka Katrina Kaif’s s style statement
As a girl on the wild side (more than a rocker chick), you’ll see Katrina Kaif in tight shorts and coloured pants with boots, printed tees and uncombed hair. But no unusual piercings, and the tattoo on her lower back was tame! One of the brands we spotted was the very British Jack Wills.

Katrina Kaif Mere Brother ki Dulhan

In the rest of the film, Katrina’s style varies. In couple scenes, she’s in patiala salwar and ill-fitting kurtis, in some you’ll see layered tight tank tops with cropped pants (like Kareena Kapoor in Golmaal 3). And in others, she’s wearing pleasant blouses. Her most unusual look was a floral dresses with tan boots. Bold pairing, we dare say!

Katrina Kaif and Ali Zafar in Mere Brother ki Dulhan

Katrina Kaif and Imran Khan in Mere Brother ki Dulhan

Accessories
Katrina has piled on colourful angles as she strums her electric guitar in Dhunki, and she sports dangling earrings when she “grows up”. They add a feminine touch and draw attention to her lovely face. We like her bang-on-trend long pendants and charm necklaces worn throughout the film.

Katrina Kaif and Ali Zafar in Mere brother ki Dulhan Katrina Kaif and Imran Khan in Mere brother ki Dulhan

Hair and makeup
As rocker girl, Katrina’s hair is wild, unkempt and dark. Her lips are mostly nude, though her makeup artist has given her intense smokey eyes both on the lid and below the eyes.

katrina-rockstar1

In the rest of the movie, Katrina’s makeup is mostly nude, and her hair is straighter. We especially liked the short-to-long bangs.

Our verdict on Katrina Kaif
While Katrina Kaif’s style statement in Mere Brother ki Dulhan is varied and a bit confusing, we did like some of the clothes she wore, especially like the feminine tops. We bet a number of girls will soon be asking where they can buy those clothes. And oh, while her acting performance is best left unrated, she looks gorgeous!

Imran Khan and Ali Zafar

What Imran is wearing: Mostly checkered shirts with plain white tees… yawn!

What Ali is wearing: T-shirts with blazers…huh? Bizarre!

What do you think of Katrina Kaif’s style statement in Mere Brother ki Dulhan—hit or miss?

LFW: Highlights of Day 4

The fourth day of Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2011 was a mixed bag—with fun fashion and some disappointments.

Floral fiesta

It was mid-March, and the mercury was rising in Mumbai, even as the fashion was getting summery. We saw the eternal summer favourite floral prints taking to the ramp. Purvi Doshi presented great summer florals while Cantabil designs got an edgier twist. And at Anupamaa Dayal the bright florals were mixed and matched with colour and print blocks on saris, kaftans and dresses, creating a very sunny atmosphere in the main show area.

(Below left to right:  Purvi Doshi, Cantabil styled by Rocky S, Anupamaa Dayal).

Purvi Doshi at LFW S/R 2011 Cantabil styled by Rocky S LFW S/R 2011 Anupamaa Dayal at LFW S/R 2011

Funky prints ruled

Like we noted above, florals got a fun twist. But that was just one of the prints we saw on the ramp. Sabah Khan’s rickshaw-inspired prints were kitschy yet wearable. And the inimitable Kallol Dutta got cheeky with a print inspired by leading fashion journalist Sathya Saran (she’s ex-editor of Femina). Take a look.

(Below left to right: Sabah Khan, Kallol Dutta)

Sabah Khan at LFW S/R 2011 Kallol Dutta at LFW S/R 2011

More fun stuff for guys

So it turns out that Indian guys will have an amazing range of clothes to choose from this summer. While Day 2 of Lakme Fashion Week Summer/ Resort 2011 had some good clothes for guys, the Cantabil and Sanjay Hingu collections on Day 4 added to their list of summer sartorial choices.

Sanjay Hingu presented a pastel colour palette for men, focussing on soft blue suits, jackets and trousers, with Rocky S styling the Cantabil men in pastel-coloured suits. One-button suits were another common link. Meanwhile Cantabil had a vibrant colour range for polo tshirts, and it was fun to see the guys in bright-coloured bermudas and trousers.

(Below left to right: Sanjay Hingu, Cantabil styled by Rocky S)

Sanjay Hingu at LFW S/R 2011 Cantabil by Rocky S at LFW S/R 2011

Lots of chic vacation wear

When I go on holiday this year, maybe I’ll ditch the convenient jeans-and-tee combo, and look at options for a relaxed chic look. In international fashion markets, this is often called resort wear, and I think it’s a great idea for the hot Indian summer, irrespective of whether you’re going on vacation or not.

I loved Anupamaa Dayal’s colourful printed kaftans in pinks and oranges, and Pria Kataria Puri evoked a Marrakesh atmosphere with exotic prints, mirror work and crystal-embellished kaftans, maxis and tunics that you could wear to a party.

(Below left to right: Anupamaa Dayal, Pria Kataria Puri)

Anupamaa Dayal at LFW S/R 2011 Pria Kataria Puri at LFW S/R 2011

Been there, seen that

At a show titled The Future of Fashion, what would you expect? Futuristic design, oodles of creativity, refreshing styles, right? Unfortunately, at this DHL-inspired show designers Atsu Sekhose and Kallol Dutta presented clothes that were mostly insipid and well, not futuristic or mindboggling at all. As a fashion watcher later told me, “What future of fashion? The show was more about the past of fashion.” LOL. (Take a peek and decide for yourself).

(Below left to right: Atsu, Kallol Dutta)

Atsu Sekhose at LFW S/R 2011 Kallol Dutta at LFW S/R 2011

LFW Summer/Resort 2011: Top 5 things we’re excited about

  1. A taste of Japan: Established Japanese designers will showcase their collections at Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2011. These are Somarta by Tamae Hirokawa, Motonari Ono and Araisara by Sara Arai.LFW S/R 2011
  2. Exciting designer line-up: Some of India’s leading designers (absent last season) will make an appearance. We’re excited about Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Shantanu-Nikhil, Anamika Khanna, Raakesh Agarvwal and Pria Kataria Puri.
  3. Accessories galore!: This season at LFW will see a whopping 15 accessory designers on the ramp. We’re looking forward to Suhani Pittie and Rina Shah of Rinaldi, and would love to get a dose of the other designers’ accessories. (Below: Picture from Suhani Pittie’s LFW Winter/Festive 2010 collection)Suhani Pittie LFW W/F 2010
  4. Watching LFW LIVE!: It’s not possible to go to every show. So in the middle of a working day, fashionistas can just log on to LFWTV.in and get the latest from fashion week!
  5. Great fashion, of course!: Fashion week is about fashion, and that’s what we’re looking forward to. Would love to see some fabulous trends for the summer!