After two years, the Indian fashion industry put together a completely physical fashion week. The FDCI X Lakmé Fashion Week was a five-day event held from March 23 in New Delhi. The week kicked off with a stunning display of designer Rahul Mishra’s ‘The Enchanted Garden’ at the Embassy of Italy on March 22, and concluded with a fashion presentation of the collection ‘Earthbound’ by designer duo Falguni Shane Peacock on March 27.
From eco-conscious fabrics and seasonless clothing to upcycled garments and heritage crafts, the collections spotlighted causes close to the designers’ hearts, be it Roma Agarwal’s ‘Jharoka’, which championed chikankari and mukaish work or Ashish N Soni’s ‘Change Has Different Faces’, which was inspired by the changes the world has experienced in the past two years. Designers Manish Malhotra, Pankaj and Nidhi, Shruti Sancheti, and Eshaa Amiin, weigh in on the biggest trends from the runways…
Gender bender
Manish Malhotra showcased Diffuse, a bridge-to-luxury line of separates, sweatshirts, jackets, and more. Malhotra says, “Formal silhouettes join forces with youth-centric celebrations with eclectic gender-fluid editions of sweatshirts and zipper jackets. There are blazer sets and overcoats. The line features distinct geometric patterns and eccentric prints peppered with metallic details. And my signature elements like sequins, metallics, feathers, etc.”
Flower picking
Designer duo Pankaj and Nidhi were moved by the beauty of Marbella, the town on the Spanish coastline. The collection, also named ‘Marbella’, features floral artwork on tulle and twill, apart from hand-cut and thread-edged organza petals. “Florals for summer—it’s become almost like a symbol for beauty and is overdone. It’s a challenge for the designer to use a motif, which has been done a lot but interpret it differently and beautifully while being in sync with their design ethos. In our new collection, we’ve tried to draw our own prints keeping our signature Pankaj & Nidhi style intact,” says Nidhi.
Keeping it classic
Shruti Sancheti’s ‘Alchemy’ is inspired by the designer’s idea of ‘home’ and features easy separates made from Maheshwari cotton, silk, raw silk, and chanderi. “The biggest trend after the pandemic is timeless, slow fashion, which is season-fluid, sustainable, and versatile. After the traumatic two years, the consumer is looking for clothes, which can be used in multiple ways. We have worked to revive three ancient embroideries like ektaar, which is a laborious single thread Mughal technique. We have also attempted to revive danka embroidery,” she says.
Modern reinterpretation
Eshaa Amiin unveiled her collection ‘Deconstructed Geometry’, a celebration of vibrant prints on denim. “Right now, ’90s trends, in terms of silhouettes and patterns, are quite popular. However, there’s one big difference... this time, classic styles are reinvented in oversized, relaxed, and loud colours. Some of the most important trends are bubble dresses, voluminous tops, cut-outs, hoodies under blazers, cropped cardigans, mesh T-shirts, puffed sleeves, and boiler suits. Keeping this in mind, we have incorporated bold and bright colours, geometric prints, and denim patchwork. The fits are relaxed and oversized,” Amiin tells us.