A seven-point guide to the Lakmé Fashion Week

During the “Fashion on Instagram” conference this July in Delhi, Jaspreet Chandok, vice president and head of fashion, IMG Reliance – organizers of Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) –said how the focus for his team is to make fashion more inclusive.

Chandok certainly meant what he said, if the lineup for Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2018 is anything to go by.

The lineup of 90 designers showcase over five days will have something for everyone. As the five-day extravaganza kicks off tomorrow (22 August) at The St. Regis Mumbai, here are some of the most anticipated shows on our list.

Good Earth makes its big debut

Lifestyle brand Good Earth has never been seen on a runway, until now. On the opening night, Good Earth Sustain will showcase The Miniaturist at an off-site show at the brand’s flagship store. The slow fashion line includes 27 ensembles, inspired by miniature paintings and crafted using a fading form of silver and gold gota embellishment. Understated luxury meets sustainability, what’s not to like.

Khadi takes a chic turn

Indian designers are bringing the humble hand-spun khadi into the spotlight so expect to see lots of handloom at the show, from the Gennext show on opening day to the Urvashi Kaur’s glocaldesigns (Day 4). On Day 2, Khadi and Village Industries Commission will present a special show titled #khadigoeschicwith a mix of labels including Swedish designer Lars Anderssonwho works with Indian artisans and Pallavi Shantam who helms the Delhi-based label Buna.

Breaking the gender norm

Taking gender-inclusivity one step further, LFW will have a show dedicated to Indian labels whose silhouettes are not bound by gender rules. Anaam’s fluid shapes for a collection titles Behrupiya (Imposter), The Pot Plant’s #beyondlabels tie-dye designs and BOBO Calcutta’s look-at-me Ludicrous Legacy collection filled with embroidery, prints and Cubist patterns offer a daring new take on gender-fluid dressing.

Kota Doria in focus

It’s something of an LFW tradition to bring Indian craft clusters on the runways. This season, Kota’s women weavers will take the stage with Pune-based label Ka-Sha by designer KarishmaShahani. The women weavers have created check-patterned Kota Doria, a traditional handloom yardage used as the base of the designs. Expect lots of bohemian-chic ensembles in Shahani’s go-to bright colours.

One for every size

Think fashion stops at size zero? Here are two labels changing the rules. Designer Narendra Kumar will showcase a collection of day-to-night garments for all, an Indian high-street brand specializing in large sizes. The models for the show are also plus-sized, selected via open auditions earlier this year. Half Full Curve, a plus-sized label by retailer Tinka Bhatia and designer Rixi Bhatia (founder of Quirkbox) will unveil a collection inspired by Japan.

Heritage silks get sexy

RmKV was set up in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, in 1924. Now at 94 years, the Kanjeevaram specialists are taking to the runway with a little help from Delhi-based designer Sunita Shanker, hoping to woo a new and younger audience for heirloom silks. The collaboration will bring reversible saris and lightweight silks on to the ramp, reinvented in draped silhouettes and tailored garments.

Grand Finale: Monisha Jaising amps up the glamour

The grand finale, to put it simply, the real deal and this season’s Monisha Jaising will showcase Shades of a Diva inspired by Lakmé’s new beauty collection. The first thing to know, this isn’t a collection for big fat Indian weddings, but one meant fora contemporary globe-trotting diva. “Depending upon her mood, there will be muted colours like lilac and peach to bold colours to fuchsia and ultraviolet,” says the designer. There’s a lot of shine with lame and sequins, also details like draping, corsetry, embroidery.”