TACTICAL THEATRICALITY

FDCI x Lakmé Fashion Week was a gratifying meeting of the old and the new, of euphoria and dystopia

- NIDA NAEEM

October was a packed month on the fashion fraternity’s calendar, with FDCI x Lakmé Fashion Week’s 2022 edition hosting its own kind of celebration. High-concept presentations, experiments with material innovation and unexpected drama – the five days of back-to-back shows packed in a lot for exacting spectators.

HOMECOMING

One of the most talked-about presentations was by veteran couturier Shahab Durazi, who made his comeback after a 12-year hiatus from the runway with ‘A Retrospective’. The seasonless collection comprised both womenswear and menswear looks and gave us crisply articulated separates and evening gowns to blouses, jackets and boleros that hinted at the 40s and 50s era refinement. The impact of the monochromatic embellishments on these pieces deepened as metallic cuboids suspended from the ceiling reflected their own luminosity at them. Decadent accessories, ranging from lace collars and cuffs to pearlencrusted bow clips, complemented each look.

GREEN SHEEN

As the focus turned to sustainable textiles and circular fashion, R|Elan™️presented the winner of its Circular Design Challenge 2022, Pieux by Pratyush Kumar. The young label snagged the trophy for its ecofriendly digital and 3D printing techniques while using fabrics such as CARTEX, R|Elan™️GreenGold and a fusion of GreenGold + FeelFresh for its prismatic athleisure collection.