An ode to fashion – Lakme Fashion Week 2022

Many eyes were drawn to the Lakme Fashion Week, which took place in Mumbai’s prestigious and sentimental Jio Convention Center during the third week of October. After almost two years, the LFW reopened in this exquisite event on October 12th with a bang and continued throughout the entire week. The LFW 2022 is one of the most popular events in the wake of the pandemic, from the elegance of seasoned designers to the fervour of the new debutants. Let’s take a closer look at a few of the show’s stunning performers.

Veterans-

1. Anju Modi (X Tencel)

Collection Name: Damayanti

Anju Modi with her showstopper Sanjana Sanghi

Collaborating with the sustainable textile brand Tencel, Anju Modi brings to the show a classic touch celebrating femininity with her collection ‘Damyanti’. Inspired by Indian mythos, her latest collection showcased pieces induced with regal jewel colour tones, classic blacks, gold palettes, glitters & velvets. 

Deserving of the title, the Showstopper Sanjana Sanghi presented the best of the collection standing out with a black velvet, cropped jacket adorned with gold detailing and accentuated with a deep red bralette. Paired with a purple shawl, she stands as a queen among the princesses.

USP: Traditional classic outfits, sustainable fabric, feminine aesthetics & Indian handicrafts.

2. Shahab Durazi

Collection Name: A Retrospective

Shahab Durazi at Lakme Fashion Week Oct 2022

After a break of over 2 decades, Shahab Durazi returns to the ramp with a collection apt to his experience, A Retrospective. With a first in his career, he presented a collection of 50% menswear and brought back the iconic Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s saree look as a symbol of reminiscing the past. The collection, apart from following trends also adds a sense of sentiment and nostalgia with old pieces included in the repertoire of the collection.

Revered with a standing ovation from the audience, Durazi presented an ensemble of tailored separates, evening gowns, soft blouses, impeccably cut jackets, boleros and sharply tailored pants for both genders. Durazi has proved to be the highlight of the show and recreated the magic of classic black & white in LFW 2022.

USP: soft tailoring and feminine detailing, classic couture

3. Shantanu & Nikhil

Collection Name: Capella

Shantanu & Nikhil with showstopper Kriti Sanon at LFW2022

Inspired by the art and culture of the Baroque Era, Shantanu & Nikhil, the duo famously known as the brand S&N, presents their collection, Capella infused with embroideries of motif leaves lace and architecture exaggerated silhouettes. The collection bears the name of the star in the sky that shines the brightest, and it lives up to its name by shining the brightest on stage.

This collection is an ensemble of luxurious designs for modern brides to celebrate a memorable day of life. The Capella collection personifies the grandeur of the chandeliers of the Baroque era and enamours with a sense of regality.

USP: motif work, lace details, veils.

4. Anamika Khanna

Collection Name: AK-OK

An outfit from the AK-OK collection that took the ramp for LFW22.

This couture collection adorning the stage of the Lakme Fashion Week 2022 was a deserving kickstart for the amazing show. Designed to embody athleisure and futuristic inspirations, the AK-OK Collection grants full fashion freedom, with no rules, and no traditions.

Experimental and fun, the AK-OK collection caters to everyone irrespective of gender references. From the intent of the designer, the AK-OK focuses on and brings to life the philosophy of “you wear it how, when, and where you want”.

USP: 3D floral shapes, fluidity in tailoring, handloom techniques like Shibor, digital abstract and floral prints on silks, satins, and denim.

Next-Gen

1. Gaurav Khanijo

Collection Name: Into the Labyrinth

Khanijo with his models at LFW Oct ‘22

Inspired by Greek culture and mythos, Into the Labyrinth is Gaurav Khanijo’s work of illusions with the cuts and silhouettes reflecting the Indian trends and the textures and patterns collaborating with the roots of Greece. This collection is one part of his brand’s three categories, which are Lab- high, streetwear; Roots- ethnic, classic and timeless Indian wear; and Soul- leisure clothing with linens, khadi, hemp, and bamboo which is all vacation-friendly. The presented collection is imbibed with street fashion with irregular pleats, twisted seams, and a dark palette accentuating the style.

USP: Blacks and greys, designed creatively from fabrics that had piled up as dead stock, traces of illusion, Loose, comfy silhouettes.

2. Aseem Kapoor & Pooja Haldar

Collection Name: Ambi

Aseem Kapoor & Pooja Halder on the ramp at LFW Oct’22

Envisioned as “a tatted nostalgia of a vintage Kanni Jamevaar” by the designer Aseem Kapoor, his presentation of the Ambi Collection at LFW 2022 remains a devastatingly talented fashion designing proficiency of the gen-next of INIFD. He took inspiration from his mother’s spliced Byzantium jewels, and aged metal yarns to create this astounding collection.

The duo’s extensive and in-depth fashion knowledge is evident in their collection Ambi which is an amalgamation of natural crepes and mushroom twills, accentuated with gemstones and beadwork and print appliques, zardozi, marori work in fine zari forming their essence.

USP: digitized prints of hand-painted motifs, zardozi marori work in zari and gemstones beadwork.

3. Somya Goyal

Collection Name: New Light

Somya Goyal presenting her collection at Lakme Fashion Week Oct 2022

Focusing on contemporary fashion, Somya Goyal, a graduate of marketing and styling from Central Saint Martins, and a chosen winner of INIFD introduced her ‘New Light’ collection.

This collection is sustainable in both spirit and material made from experimental fabrics like Tencel, Cupro, and Viscose and also features environmentally friendly practices uncompromising on the sense of fashion with hand weaves with PVC cords, and creative use of leftover fabrics.

USP: eight looks, sustainable and upcycled clothing, accessibility of movement and wearability.

4. Ankur Verma

Collection Name: Khwaab

Brand Til by Ankur Verma at LFW Oct ‘22

Categorizing responsible fashion into the fashion scenario of today, Ankur Verma with his brand Til and mentored by Bottega Veneta, Armani, Sabyasachi and Varun Bahl, presents an outstanding collection, Khwaab, at the Lakme Fashion Week 2022.

Khwaab collection showcases a seasonless collection adorned with handprinted digitalized designs, textures, patterns and silhouettes imbibed with the art of Zardosi, features outfits of kurta sets, embroidered dresses, sarees, gilet, and co-ord sets.

USP: Digitised handpainted artworks, hand embroidery, zardozi work