Can ‘Make in India’ really work, when we have moral police brigade as the custodian of our arts, crafts and even fashion shows?

On Sunday evening, the Lakme Fashion Week’s grand finale show by Anamika Khanna was supposed to be held at Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Mumbai. However, a group of MNS workers (Read: goons), protested against the fashion show on moral grounds, tore down curtains and even threatened to vandalise the venue of the 143-year old museum, if the fashion show was not called off. Considering the security issues, at the very last moment the organisers decided to shift the finale show back to the Palladium hotel, the main venue for the fashion week.

‘My World of Glass’ by Aartivijay Gupta: Lakme Fashion Week Summer Resort 2015

Titled, ‘My World of Glass’, the collection was inspired by the intricate artwork of mosaic glass. The designer depicted the beauty of Moroccan mosaic art by bringing in nature to the collection. Images of trees, fish, owls, parrots, and peacocks were all a part of her mosaic story.

A modernist interpretation of Henri Rousseau’s art work:SHIVAN & NARRESH Cruise Resort '15/16 Lakme Fashion Week 2015

For their Cruise Resort 2015 collection, India’s well knows swimwear designer duo, Shivan & Narresh also known as the pioneers of Bikini sari, took inspiration from the artwork of the French Post-Impressionist painter Henri Rousseau. They saw his art work back in 2008 during their visit to the Musée D’Orsay in Paris.

Titled, ‘Henri’s Garden’, the sharp cut-outs and flowy silhouette of the collection played around three underlying print stories – geometric cabana in Rousseau’s signature colour palette, an abstraction of the Artist’s foliage tips, and a juxtaposition of vintage vegetable against sharp geometric shapes.

Anamika Khanna wraps up Lakme Fashion Week by ‘sculpting’ the runway with an exquisite Summer Resort 15 collection

In a perfect closing ceremony to the celebration of its 15 year journey, Anamika Khanna brought the curtain down on the Lakme Fashion Week Summer Resort 15 yesterday, with an exquisite grand finale show. Inspired by the main sponsor Lakme’s range of beauty products named Sculpt, the designer merged the aesthetics of ‘sculpting’ and ‘de-sculpting’ with structured drapes in her latest offering.

Tarun Tahiliani presents an Artsy collection inspired by the works of ‘The Singh Twins’ “ Lakme Fashion Week S/R15

The master of drapes, Tarun Tahiliani presented an impressive artsy collection, inspired by the contemporary art works of the British –Indian sisters, The Singh Twins. The Singh Twins, Amrit and Rabindra Singh are well known for their excellence in miniature paintings, and Tarun with his unique design aesthetics transformed the paintings into contemporary digital prints. The collection was an eclectic mix of summer colours such as yellow, shades of blue, orange, red, peach and pink combined with subtle white.

“Popology” by Wendell Rodricks : With an ode to the 60s, Wendell puts happy, smiling models on the Ruway :Lakme Fashion Week S/R 2015

And then there are runway shows that bring an instant smile to our face. Unlike many other shows, where the clothes look happy, but the models look sad, Wendell’s show was all about happy vibes, where the models were allowed to smile, laugh, dance and have real life fun on the runway. It was indeed refreshing to see Wendell’s gang of girls and boys, smiling, flirting and celebrating life, without any restrictions, all the more when we hardly ever see those beautiful faces smiling. They were not the walking mannequins, but real people just like you and me. After all, isn’t summer holidays are all about being relaxed, at ease and having fun? Or maybe it has got something to do with the quintessential charm of Goa, the place Wendell calls home.

“From Russia, with Love”, by Neha Agarwal: A Tale of two cultures: Lakme Fashion Week : Lakme Fashion Week

Titled, “From Russia, with Love”, the S/R 2015 collection by Neha Agarwal was inspired by the form-fitting fashion of early 1900s Russia, that tells a tale of two cultures, where Russian inspired silhouettes and motifs are fused with Indian fabrics and techniques. Usage of intricate hand-embroidered appliqués on georgette, ahimsa, dupion, pure mal, tussar and pattu silk on Russian inspired artwork are some of the key highlights of this vibrant collection.

“Munkee.See.Munkee.Doo” S/R 15: Of the guns and crime: Lakme Fashion Week

Gun motifs on the clothes, represented the dark world of weapons and increasing crime rate against women, but with a message of positivity and fierceness- time to stand up and fight against the menace.  Armed with mint, lavender, blue, white and charcoal, the duo offered an array of wearable pieces, predominantly in cotton, such as layered shifts, double breast blouse with peplum, jumpsuits, midis, boxy shirts and dresses, in pleated and embroidered details.

“The Eternal Sleep” by Ken Ferns :Lakme Fashion Week 2015

With Poppy flower as the protagonist of this collection, titled ‘‘The Eternal Sleep’, Ken Ferns took us on a journey of hallucination, visuals, dreams and nostalgia. There was an underlying calmness to the collection, recreated through georgette, organza, and crepe, in a colour palette of poppy red, blue, black and white.

Shahid Kapoor & Arjun Kapoor charmingly eccentric in their dark smoky eye makeup at the Kunal Rawal S/R15 – Lakme Fashion Week

Shahid Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor walked the ramp as a show-stopper for their friend and designer Kunal Rawal’s S/R15 menswear collection at the Lakme Fashion Week. With their dark smoky eye makeup, both the boys lived to the eccentric character of the collection. So, do we see eye makeup trend for men in the coming season? What say?

Quirk Box Summer Resort 15: Of the unseen geography, the people & their culture and more: Lakme Fashion Week

Christened ‘Wanderlust’, the collection was an attempt to explore the unseen geography, the people and their culture and the landscapes around the world, including mountains, seascape, and more. Intricate prints of monuments, postcards, airplanes and the cityscape, added an element of free spirited quirkiness to the idea of travelling.

SVA by Sonam & Paras Modi : Of the blue mosque and the harems & more : Lakme Fashion Week S/R 15

Named ‘Istanblu’, the collection was inspired by the splendour and colours of Turkey. The Blue Mosque, the hues of the Bosporus strait, the motifs of the harems and the intricate workmanship of the Topkapi palace, formed the backdrop of the collection.

‘Mix Media’ by Dhruv Kapoor : Lakme Fashion Week S/R 15

Titled ‘Mix Media’, the designer used a variety of fabrics like leather, silk, linen, crepe, lace, feather, mesh and even metallic to create an array of sporty and boxy pieces for both men and women. Jackets, skirts, trousers, hoodies, shorts and tops, were presented in a colour palette of midnight blue, black, mustard yellow, white and burgundy.

‘Wanderlust’ by Sahil Aneja : Lakme Fashion Week S/R/15

Titled ‘Wanderlust’ the menswear collection was inspired by the art district in Miami, known for its colourful and vibrant culture. With a combination of playful and subtle colours like orange, blue, grey, white and black, the collection offered a varied range of wearable pieces such as shirts, shorts, T-shirts, sharp jackets and suits.

Gauri Khan goes tropical for her Satya Paul debut collection: Lakme Fashion Week S/R 15

After interior design, Gauri Khan forayed into fashion and for her Satya Paul Summer Resort’15 debut collection show today, at the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week; she chose to take a vibrant tropical route. Bold tropical prints, flowy sultry silhouette, see through and shimmer defines the joyful holiday vibe of this collection.

Kiran Uttam Ghosh S/R 2015: For the woman who is outrageously global but with a local twist : Lakme Fashion Week

Kiran Uttam Ghosh’s woman is a world citizen, who has no qualms embracing her roots, but with an unapologetic contemporary twist. She appreciates the unique personality of her clothes, which is authoritative yet delicate.

VALLIYAN by Nitya Arora : ‘Iridescent Space’ : Lakme Fashion Week S/R 2015

Titled ‘Iridescent Space’, the collection was inspired by the Star Wars and the futurism of the space age. Silver and solid gold along with gunmetal formed the crux of this imaginary collection, while semi precious stones with marble patterns, and Swarovski crystals brought out the galactic beauty of the signature pieces.

Harpers Bazaar Textile Show presents ‘Mulmul’ Collection by Anand Bhushan :Lakme Fashion Week S/R 2015

The all white capsule collection of four garments offered Jodphur pants, saree, drop waist dress, beaded jacket and a belted shirt dress. Relaxed smart cuts, cutwork, houndstooth patterns along with the textured surfaces, defined the refined contemporary aesthetics of this collection. 

Harpers Bazaar Textile Show presents ‘Mulmul’ Collection by Dev r Nil : Lakme Fashion Week S/R 2015

Taking nature as an inspiration, the designer depicted the beauty of the falling autumn leaves in his latest capsule collection at the Lakme Fashion Week 2015. Appliqués and fine cutwork details brought out the organic beauty of the autumn leaves, while the ikat borders represented the changing shades of the autumn leaves.

Royal yet relaxed: Raghavendra Rathore Keeps it Safe & Classic for his S/R 2015 Collection: Lakme Fashion Week

Royal yet relaxed, the collection offered a range of conventional and classic menswear pieces, which included bandh-galas, kurtas, pajamas, dhoti, tuxedos, waist-coats, shirts and jackets. Taking Imperial India as an inspiration, the designer tried to inject a bit of contemporary with sharp cuts,in a colours palette of black, white, beige and ivory,but with an occasional pop of pink, yellow and bright blue.