The 28th Batch of six Gen Next Designers presented by INIFD opened the Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2019 with scintillating collections that captivated the attention of the audience.
The Gen Next Programme at Lakmé Fashion Week has brought on the Indian and international fashion scene top designer names like Nachiket Barve, Aneeth Arora, Rahul Mishra, Kallol Datta, Masaba Gupta, Ujjawal Dubey and many more.
SAHIB BHATIA – NEW AGE EMPHASIS
The label Amaaré by Sahib brought on the ramp a sleek men’s wear line, which revealed modern as well as New Age silhouettes with minute touches of Japanese fashion. The collection called Rule Breaker for Winter/Festive 2019 put a lot of emphasis on surface development techniques with cotton and wool.
The embroidery was not quite fluid but achieved with small specks of thread work along with pleating and texturing. Sahib’s inspiration was architecture and his textures were inspired by ancient Australian aboriginal art, which revolved around dots that resist continuous flow. The colour card was woven around noir, wine, midnight blue and grey and aimed at the New Age trendy man who longs for a classic modern wardrobe comprising sleek clothes.
Sharply cut mandarin collar jackets over kurtas, trench coats, angular openings for coats, asymmetrical kurtas with pants and lots of layering with multiple garments ensured that there were numerous mix and match options that will take the men’s wear into a more innovative mode. There was a dark stylish vibe in the collection that Sahib Bhatia achieved for his label Amaaré with his collection Rule Breaker.
GAURAV SINGH– BOLD FLOWING SILHOUETTES
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Gaurav Singh’s Anatomy label had an unconventional design sensibility. The collection Kadali Patram, unveiled the beauty of a banana leaf’s shape, texture and feel spurred Gaurav’s creativity and the result was a line of soft flowing but bold silhouettes with amazing drapes and dynamic curves.
Extreme construction and moulding for the ensembles was the highlight of the collection. Deep muted shades of grey, ink and brown appeared for dresses, layered asymmetric robes over midis, pleated layered creations, long-sleeved asymmetric pin-tucked bodice dress and one with a pleated and moulded shoulder. With handwoven khadi as his medium, the designer's creativity pushed the draping, layering and boning techniques to the ultimate limits for each garment on the ramp.
ANKITA SRIVASTAVA – FOR DIVERSE WOMEN
The Little Things Studio by Ankita's collection Not so Perfect was aimed at the sartorial requirements of diverse women that told a story with prints. Presenting saris teamed with casual basic shirts, the collection featured prints that were inspired by painter Henri Matisse’s hand drawings, where the prints revealed the cutout and hand-drawn techniques of the painter. The patterns were hand sketched and then turned into screenprints on fabrics.
Using the new fabric Cupro, which is vegan silk and a by-product of cotton that is breathable, anti-static and bio-degradable along with Mashru, Modal silk from Gujarat and handloom Chanderi; the effect was perfect for the coming season. Opening with a trapeze top and flared pants, the collection moved to a deep red sari with a striped blouse, followed by a boxy maxi with a pleated skirt. The black and white lehenga, choli and dupatta, Angarkha style kaftan with palazzos, striped flowing maxi and the metallic brown ‘A’ line jacket with wide pants offered the buyers a variety to choose from.
AKANKSHA AGGARWAL – TEXTURES AND RELAXED CONTOURS
Akanksha's Noié Noéi Winter/Festive 2019 collection concentrated on zero wastage. The collection on the ramp was a fashionable study of contrasts as unconventional volumes and eccentric silhouettes were balanced with imaginative details and amazing intelligent fabrications. Inspired by architecture and colour the garments revealed multiple lines and patterns with diverse shapes.
When it came to surface texturing it was floral patterns and embroidery that was on top of the charts. While the textures were bold, the silhouettes were relaxed as linen; silk linen, organza and jute brought the creations to life.
Making a style statement was the rust long-sleeved, pleated maxi, another with an exquisitely embroidered bib, very interesting side pleated pants and an impressive jacket with extended shoulders teamed with comfortable trousers. The striped balloon-sleeved tunic, a midi tube with an embroidered flouncy hem and the slubbed jacket, pant and blouse trio revealed useful silhouettes that will prove to be great additions to the wardrobe.
MANJUSHREE SAIKIA – HONOURING WEAVERS
Manjushree's label Ura Maku unveiled her Dawn to Reality collection that was a fashionable amalgamation of timeless silhouettes and handmade textiles. Her sharply cut three-piece suits were visualised in fabrics that comprised tea-dyed mulberry Eri and Muga silk, as well as Cotton/organic cotton and Chanderi. Her aim was to honour the hand made textile artisans and promote the glory of Indian textiles through her fashion directions.
Bringing a variety of silhouettes that started with a blazer over a crushed printed hemline dress, the look moved to a coat-dress with pants, a belted trench with wide lapels teamed with wide trousers and a midi wrap skirt with a 2-tone shirt. Lapel-less jacket with pants, a 2-button jacket matched with midi and a blouse, while a soft trench coat with trousers were great coordinates that could be interchanged for more fashion and style choices.
STANZIN PALMO – BEAUTY OF LADAKH
The Zilzom label by Stanzin Palmo was a poetic fashionable offering inspired by the beauty of Ladakh. For her collection called Between the Earth and Sky, Stanzin used the Apricot blossom and Sea Buckthorn as her design inspirations, The designer brought in hints of oriental details and then worked with digital art and thread work. Her fabrics were obviously handmade Ladakh pashmina, Ladakh wool, silk, cotton, linen and rayon. The silhouettes were feminine and fluid but the base was the Ladakhi traditional dress called the Goncha, which featured gathers and wraps as the basis of construction.
The beautiful woven stoles were a constant accessory for all the entries as a brocade vest with maxi and pants, gorgeous coat, long skirt with a cropped blouse, a sari/choli duo, tie-up robe with midi, and kurta with printed coat and pants were a colourful look. The long-sleeved maxi over soft palazzos and the dramatic shimmering cape with a gold midi and flared pants revealed that the collection could be ideal for evening glamour.
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Lakmé Official Makeup Expert at Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2019, Namrata Soni for GenNext designer, Ura Maku created a look that was all about bold brows and a defined contour. The eyes were framed with mascara and the lips were kept nude with the Lakmé Absolute Matte Revolution Lipstick in the shade Brazen Caramel. For the GenNext Designer, Little Things Studio show the beauty look was in line with the neon trend! A bold orange neon blush ending right below the eyebrow. The eyes were kept simple with mascara and a bold brow. The look was tied together with the Lakmé Absolute Matte Revolution Lipstick in shade Mauve Mania
As part of Lakmé Fashion Week’s commitment towards promoting the new batch of Gen Next designers each season, the platform has collaborated with three multi-designer stores in three different cities for the third edition of ‘Gen Next on The Road’.
(Source- Instagram, Viral Bhayani)
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