LAKMÉ FASHION WEEK WINTER/FESTIVE 2011: Day 2 at a glance!

Lakme Fashion Week's second consecutive day was full of keenness and fervor just like the first day. It started with a triple fashion statement made by Juilee Bendkhale, Pallavi Goenka and Vaishali Shadangule. While Juilee Bendkhale made the audience gaze at the crafts and fabrics of India, Pallavi Goenka took us through a rustic fashionable tale and Vaishali Shadangule made a strong style statement with her collection.

Amalraj Senugupta and Sanjay Hingu gave their feminine and masculine versions for the LFW season. An expert at fabric texturing, Amalraj fused the various versatile options and gave them innovative dimensions that completely left the original feel far behind. Using the Persian blue, flowery peaches and camel browns collection, Amalraj presented a line that revealed the creative blends of Asian inspirations whereas Sanjay Hingu who has always been very experimental in his offering for the stronger sex gave an edgy line for men's wear inspired by the motifs in Indian wear. His line of creations had ethnic touches for western clothes aimed at the more stylish daring 21st century male. The highlights were the zippered silver biker jacket, striped orange beige double breasted jacket, the trench coat with red cuffs and lapels and the double shawl lapel coat.

After a blend of versatility, Pravesh Jai showcased Indian bridal wear returning to the glorious bygone era of zardozi splendor. The exquisitely hand crafted and stitched garments dazzled with embroidery, that has been a part of India's rich heritage. The season of color came into life on the ramp with Payal Kapoor's collection. Called "Rang Birangi", the line evoked the festive spirit that will come alive in the months to come. Staying on the ethnic path, Payal Kapoor gave her saris, blouses, salwar/kameezes and tunics all the touches that will appeal to the festive dressers and the bridal wear shopper.

The trio of very creative designers, who have turned into top fashion stars on the ramp, put their creative touches to collections that were inspired by the colors and characteristics of DHL ' the international service that has been closely connected with fashion and Lakmé Fashion Weeks for several seasons. Presenting the "Future of Fashion" at Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2011, DHL gave designers Nachiket Barve, Little Shilpa and Swapnil Shinde an opportunity to put their creativity to the ultimate test with 'Speed' as the inspiration. From the design studios of Nachiket Barve came "The Golden Hour" collection. Feminine, utterly sensuous and totally elegant, The Golden Hour was an impressive collection from Nachiket Barve which kept the theme of DHL within fashionable parameters. Remaining true to her extreme creativity, Shilpa Chavan for her Little Shilpa label, presented head gear that fitted into the theme of DHL's Future of Fashion show. Once again Little Shilpa proved that no matter what the theme is, her creativity soars through the sky with great speed just like the various services of DHL.

Calling the collection "Speed of Sound", the creations had subtle hints of ripples, created by sound waves from mobile phones, internet, modems and music; interpreting it cleverly, Swapnil used folds, pleats and drapes to dream up unconventional effects for the garments. For women who want to bring some drama onto their fashion charts then it is the "Speed of Sound" collection by Swapnil Shinde for the DHL Future of Fashion Show which will make a "loud' impression wherever they go.

Style and beauty came together in the gorgeous Rajasthan inspired bridal collection by the famous, Anita Dongre. Remaining true to her roots, Anita Dongre once again dazzled the audience with her magical bridal collection inspired by the beauty and grandeur of Rajasthan. The show was a panorama of ethnic style, fabrics and colours so characteristic of Rajasthan. The mesmerizing bandhani of the region, the lush brocades of Banaras, combined with ikats, velvets and glittering with Zari, gota Patti work; Badla and traditional metallic patterns gave the creations the perfect festive touch. It was a gorgeous collection from Anita Dongre that paid fashionable tribute to the land of the Rajputs that will appeal to the sartorial sensibilities of brides anywhere in India.

The great Gatsby era came alive with Narendra Kumar's characteristic design touches for his stylish men's collection. It was a rocking end to the second day of the Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2011 as the presentation opened to a live singing trio led by Suresh Bhojwani, Ashwin Deo and T C D'Souza which made the audience sway to the foot tapping music of Frank Sinatra. The show began with sprightly Tamara Moss in a slinky suit who opened the all-male presentation featuring an army of dancing male models who tried some tricky steps on head ramp. It was an impressive men's wear collection inspired by the Frank Sinatra chart topper "Fly me to the Moon" which Narendra Kumar used as the title for his line. The finale was the surprise of the night as super star Kabir "Sandokan" Bedi looked eternally handsome in a white brocade tuxedo, mandarin collar pleated shirt and a red pouchette rakishly peeping from his breast pocket as he strutted with utter confidence down the ramp to thunderous applause.

Finally when it comes to fashion, how can Bollywood stars stay behind!! Neil Nitin Mukesh and Pooja Bedi marked their presence at Narendra Kumar's show. With such a fair share of glamour and glitz the day ended with a blast. | By Aanchal Kohli [aanchal(at)adgully.com]