With the rains staying away on Friday, the Day Three of the Winter/Festive edition of the Lakme Fashion Week, audience attendance too saw an upswing. Correspondingly it seemed, the energy level also rose with subsequent shows. Starting off the day were upcoming designers Shivaji Dutta, Raman Vij and Ruchika Sachdeva. Dutta and Ruchika, both Gen Next protégés in previous seasons,
marked their first collections as bonafide LFW designers by going grunge. However, it was Raman Vij’s line of knitwear that generated most discussion. The designer, who hails from Ludhiana, said his collection had drawn heavily from the knitting industry in his hometown.
With the pre-lunch show of Harangad Singh and V.J. Balhara, a definite benchmark was set for the day. Harangad Singh’s collection featured the elegant, flimsy shift dresses that are a ubiquitous part of his repertoire, in shades of black and grey with minute traces of silver embellishment. Balhara then showcased his Winter/Festive offerings, a collection that seemed essentially, an extension of his Summer/Resort line. The same peppermint and pink shades teamed with off-white were carried over into his current palette and lots of cool, long, layered dresses, skirts and jackets made an appearance.
Post-lunch, there was the highly anticipated show of designer Paromita Banerjee. Known for her use of indigenous fabrics, weaving and embroidery techniques, this season too, she showcased a layered collection of kurtas, straight cut pyjamas and the occasional sari.
Also presenting in the same slot was designer Ninon Palisse for the Vizyon label. Drawing inspiration from the “Golden Age”, the line had flowing gowns, structured dresses with geometric patterns inlaid in the fabric. A hint of drama was added with the use of gold accents at the shoulders. Ninon said her inspiration was the Art Deco period while Vizyon’s creative director Shradha Murarka said the collection had been designed keeping in mind the upcoming awards season.
But if it was a spectacle that Mumbai was looking for, then they got it by the yard at the evening shows by Debarun Mukherjee and Shayamal and Bhumika. Debarun’s kohl-inspired line was heavy on drama with dramatic white and black patterns juxtaposed on kurtas, saris and jackets.
With Esha Deol as a show-opener and Hema Malini as the showstopper, the collection of lehangas, saris and anarkalis spelt regal from start to end. Rich gold motifs played on red, black and purple hues, complemented by exquisite jewellery — setting the stage for the highly anticipated shows by Pria Kataria Puri and Sabyasachi that would mark the end of the day.