GOING GLOCAL

From festive finery to sexy fluidity, Lakmé Fashion Week X FDCI saw a culling of inspiration from across India and beyond and here’s everything that stood out

- NIDA NAEEM

A psychedelic medley of floral crochet squares, gingham trenches, and kooky tufted hats towered above showgoers as models joyfully traipsed around a table laid out with a plastic feast straight out of children's playdate. Pink squeaky toys were rolled into hair and piled high on hats, as were baby feeding bottles. "We're all mad here," Aneeth Arora declared, with her latest collection for Péro. Meant for the misfits and outcasts, the line was heavy on the kind of peculiarities typical to Lewis Carrol's Alice In Wonderland, and showed a finger to conformity in the most whimsical of ways. One of the most memorable showcases at the latest edition of Lakmé Fashion Week, in partnership with FDCI, 'Cuckoo & Co. exemplified an appetite for adventure that marks a lot of design coming out of India right now. As the lines between eveningwear and casuals, menswear and womenswear, rustic and sophisticated increasingly blur, designers are playing against type on the runway to push the confines of their own design language.

TAILORING TO A T

Tailoring maven Ashish N Soni broke away from minimalism to frolic in a retro orchard. Being a 70s kid himself, the designer reconnected with the striking colours and bold prints of the era with playful fruit embroideries on a variety of suit sets for him and her. Double-breasted plaids, wide lapels and carefully coiffed hair further played up the dapper vibe.

Nostalgia guided Shweta Kapur's hand too, as she designed for boardroom to dance floor. With Collection 20' for 431-88, 80s power dressing was articulated via suiting fabrics, while 90s sensuality was seen in the usage of silks and satins in a neutral palette punctuated with acid green, red, and electric blue.