After the fashion high in the noon slot of Day 3 of the Lakme Fashion Week, Krishna Mehta’s sundown show failed to kick off on a flattering note.
Individually, however, a few creations were striking; especially the ones with structured appliqué work in saris, shrugs and boleros drew several appreciative stares from the front rows. But despite a few flashes of creativity, the designer failed to culminate them all under one coherent label, which is imperative to a fashion pageant. The result was a confused line of clothing that had a little bit of everything and yet no common character to bind them.
But the crowds soon recovered from the slump at Anita Dongre’s Waves of Joy that managed to live up to its name as far as spirits were concerned. The show was a clutter-breaker right from the word “go” as supermodel Dipannita Sharma sauntered in from the other end of the ramp, while nearly everyone in the audience was looking in the opposite direction. The gimmick proved an instant attention grabber and there was no looking back after that. But gimmicks (even though there were quite a few) weren’t the only things that sustained the show — Anita’s designs did the talking as well. It was a harmonious marriage of Benarasi silk and cotton, brocade weaves, Rajasthani tie and dye prints, hand painted silks of Jaipur and chikkankari of Lucknow in unconventional silhouettes like flouncy canvas petticoats and full circle dresses with provocative necklines. Her bold attitude to the colour palette didn’t go unnoticed either and it was a welcome change as most designers had played it safe with muted shades until then.