At its best, fashion is nothing short of a performance. Nobody understands that better than Sabyasachi Mukherjee, whose every ramp show is a finely tuned act, where every garment is positioned just so, every fold, drape and accessory, the angle at which a model walks, all carefully thought out by the virtuoso.
Seeing his collection play out on the ramp can be a pleasure indeed, and few other designers are able to replicate the effect. But on day two (Saturday) of the Lakme Fashion Week, there were glimpses of something approaching Sabya’s approach to fashion.
Day one had ended on a high note, with the evening shows of Ritu Beri (featuring crochet work against denim and jersey fabric) and Pallavi Jaikishan (the senior designer presented ethereal bridal wear in four colour palettes: Cream with gold, mint green with orange, orange with gold, and pink — all worked to varying degrees with her trademark floral motif) opening to a packed house. The pre-lunch shows on day two carried forward that euphoria. Nimish Shah’s line under the Shift label was an exceptionally well-crafted, thematically unified collection. Floral dresses of varied constructions made their way to the ramp, with what could have been a decidedly wholesome American feel offset by edgier elements, like a green velvet hunting jacket and short tasseled shawls worn over one shoulder.
Following Nimish was artist-turned-designer Payal Khandwala, whose collection title “Sadhu and the Samurai” quite aptly described the entire line. Featuring variations on the robes of sages and warriors, Payal’s line teamed fiercely tailored shirts in shades of gunmetal with layered skirts, dresses worn with wide trousers, asymmetrical jackets and other draped creations in hues of burnt orange, crimson and ochre. “The idea was to marry the gentle, carefree and the frugal with the structured, systematic and ornamental. To take the accidental and unintentional and team it with elements that are methodical, orderly and deliberate,” said Payal after her show.
From Payal’s sharp lines, the focus shifted to the soft flowing drapes of Roma Narsinghani’s “DreamCatcher” collection. Soft pastel shades were used with extensive layering, pleating, panelling and draping to create some unusual silhouettes. Post-lunch, Komal Sood and Pernia Qureshi presented their lines “Twilight Seduction” and “Evening in Paris” respectively.