Fashion Fervour

The First Lady’s choice

American couturier of Indian origin,Naeem Khan,is a favourite in the West,with America’s First Lady Michelle Obama leading his patron brigade — other loyalists include Penelope Cruz and Nicole Richie. His show on Saturday night will draw partly from his previous two shows. “I will be showcasing dresses and gowns in chiffon,organza and lace since light and fluid evening wear is our forte,” he says. The colour palette will have both bright hues as well as black-and-white combinations.

Celeb couture

Bollywood’s favourite stylists-cum-designers Manish Malhotra and Vikram Phadnis will ensure a steady flow of filmstars on the ramp. Malhotra’s show to mark Indian cinema’s centenary will see directors Karan Johar,Dibakar Banerjee,Zoya Akhtar and Anurag Kashyap turn models alongside actors Priyanka Chopra,Siddharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan. Phadnis,who has collaborated with the Disney UTV headhoncho Ronnie Screwvala’s NGO Swades Foundation,promises it to be a celebration of rural India. He has roped in Kiran Rao and the Kai Po Che! team,among others.

Design philosophy

Once again,designer Arjun Khanna seeks inspiration from the past. The theme of his vintage collection is messenger boys of the ’40s and it draws inspiration from the bicycle culture. The designer,who returns to LFW after three years,will use elements as varied as contrasting prints and colours,apart from cropped jackets with military influences. Narendra Kumar Ahmed’s show will display his rebellious streak. Apart from choosing “disturbing socio-political environment in our country”as the theme,he has chosen the uncommon afternoon time-slot for showing.

Textile trail

To create awareness and a market for Indian textiles and crafts,the India Textile Day on Monday will feature a talk by Ritu Kumar and a show curated by textile designer Mayank Mansingh Kaul. He has handpicked three designers — Ashdeen Lilaowala,Gaurav Jai Gupta and Swati Kalsi — who have used Indian textiles as a central motif.