In its 18th year now, Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) is all set to unveil a promising line-up of shows, designs and ideas at its Winter/Festive 2018 edition. The forthcoming season will be held from 22-26 August at St. Regis in Mumbai.
Monisha Jaising, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Abraham & Thakore, Amit Aggarwal, Ritu Kumar, Narendra Kumar, Kallol Datta, Ashish N Soni, Nachiket Barve, Gaurang, and Pankaj & Nidhi among others will come together for the five-day event to present the best of fashion.
Like every season, LFW 2018 will begin by introducing the new lot of fashion designers selected through its Gen Next Programme. The 26th batch of Gen Next Designers, including AUR by Ajay Kumar Singh, Anurag Gupta, Jajaabor by Kanika Sachdev, SWGT by Shweta Gupta and Yavi by Yadvi Agarwal, will showcase their designs on the first day of the fashion extravaganza.
On the opening day, designers Shweta Kapur, Urvashi Joneja and Ankur & Priyanka Modi will present their new collection.
The brand AM:PM, Ankur and Priyanka Modi, will be showcasing their Winter/Festive ’18 collection “The Gypset”—part free-spirited vagabond and part glamorous jet-setter, as the term “gypset” (an amalgamation of gypsy and jetset) signifies. The line takes inspiration from the carefree lifestyle of a gypsy with the sophistication of a worldly traveller.
The label Antar Agni will also present its new line “Begin” on Day One. The collection will be a fusion of both festive and everyday wear, with an exciting mix of subtle prints and deconstructed metallic embroideries. For the colour scheme, we will see darker shades in black and green.
The brand Good Earth will be part of the closing act on the first day of the show. The label with its debut collection, “The Miniaturist”, plans to offer the audience a unique experience of being immersed in history, the nuances and the creation of gold and silver embellishments that we know as Gota. The collection epitomises slow fashion and is limited to just 27 ensembles.
The second day will start with a special focus on handwoven fabrics from Rajasthan and Odisha, khadi weaves, and Kanjivaram. The day will also be celebrated as Sustainable Fashion Day, and will bring to life the magic of Indian heritage crafts. The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and Digital Empowerment Foundation among others will together present a show on the theme of sustainable fashion.
Nachiket Barve will be launching his Winter/Festive 2018 collection, “Millennial Maharanis”, on the second day. The line takes inspiration from the globetrotting Indian royalty of the ’20s and ’30s.
The third day will conclude with Amit Aggarwal’s show in association with NEXA. He is all set to launch a menswear line at the LFW. The designer will put forth a collection that uses new-age materials, new forms and patterns with incredible craftsmanship. The collection effortlessly marries culture with modernity, as it restores vintage
Phulkari—the traditional Indian metallic embroidery technique. The colour palette comprises arctic and pearl white, granite, silver grey and radiant black.
Day Four will witness the celebrated designer Payal Singhal reinvent rich bridal traditions for the contemporary Indian bride. “The Show Stopping Bride” collection will present a refreshing take on extravagant silhouettes, exotic embellishments, vibrant makeup and intricate hairdos. The collection caters to the sensibilities of the experimental and confident bride.
The fifth day will begin with shows that would feature works by designer Nikita Singh and Soumodeep Dutta. Jaipur based designer Punit Balana, known for focusing on local techniques and arts, will also unveil his latest collection “Gulabi Chowk” on the last day of the fashion week.
The collection is inspired by the culture of Jaipur, the magnificent Amer Fort and the charm of Jalebi Chowk and Sheesh Mahal. The collection will showcase Jaipur’s traditional 500-year-old Sanganeri hand block printing technique. The line, handcrafted by “Chippas”, the artisans of Sanganer, uses natural organic dyes and eco-friendly techniques.
Fashion lovers will also get to witness Neha Agarwal’s latest collection, “Pushtaini”, on the last day of the event. The collection is inspired by the age-old art of Madhubani.
Designer Sanjukta Dutta from Assam will showcase her new collection, “Abor”, at the LFW runway on the final day. “Abor”, which means independent, is dedicated to the strong and determined women weavers of Assam.
Renowned designer Monisha Jaising will take over the grand finale of the fashion week with her “Shades of a Diva” collection. The finale will showcase Jaising’s fashion sensibilities that are largely influenced by her prima-donna personality. Her figure-sculpting silhouette creations will see the use of precious elements and colourful fabrics in muted shades, like sweet lilac and bold, like peacock green.