Pretty pastels
Pastels are not uncommon for spring summer, but this time around the trend was spun like never before. From Manish Malhotra’s tropical watercolour pastels on crop tops and flared skirts to Paul Bhargava’s ‘Mirage’ collection that featured soft and flowy chiffons and crepes in cream and beige, each designer spun pastel hues in a unique way. We’re especially rooting for Sougat Paul’s structured and avante garde zip dresses in luscious lilacs.
Colour pops
This was an unusual, yet pleasant surprise, prominent on most collections. Bursts of 90s neons popped on structured jackets and peplum skirts in Narendra Kumar’s devouring show. Bright fuchsia pinks merged with deep indigos. Another new kid on the block that gave his own rendition to the ‘pop’ hue was Vilvin Sabu. His designs were replete with bright fuschias and reds in tribal inspired prints mixed and teamed with structured trousers and rompers. We’re also crushing on Digvijay Singh’s colour blocked kitsch saris.
Futuristic with a twist
Think space age designs combined with rich textures. Gaurav Gupta’s metallic floor sweeping gowns were both royal with a touch of futuristic. Sharp shoulders, fitted waists and clean cuts were sci-fi inspired. Futuristic silhouettes were given a more relaxed feel in Selvage’s collection by Chandni Mohan, that predominantly featured colour-blocked black and white with bursts of tangerine
Sports lux
While sportswear was heavy on the ramp last season, this season saw many designers redefining sportswear. Vilvin’s colour popped rompers and structured jackets with shorter than short skirts enthralled us instantly. Sougat Paul’s lilac and rich toned structured straight dresses lent a vibe of funky sports chic and an air of power with the infusion of power shoulders. Heumn’s relaxed scuba jumpers with printed numbers were buzz worthy.
Tribal - esque
This year, LFW was not just a showcase of fine works of craftsmanship, but one could also see that many designers wanted to pay homage to their roots. Mawi’s beautifully created accessories in gold and rich jewel tones beared her signature Manipur spikes. Playing it subtle with her tribal instincts was Payal Singhal’s ethereal organza skirt with carefully cut triangular black panels. Paying a tribute to tribal workers in Assam was Vaishali Shadangule's collection called ‘Ravayat,’ featuring ecru and Khadi jackets and drapes
Written by Deepa Sajnani on 22nd Mar 2014