The Glamour Shade Card

Creating serene,fluid garments is second-nature to Harangad Singh. The Delhi-based designer,who had named his collection Azure,showed a line of menswear and womenwear,all in the autumn-winter shades of blue,black and grey. Lightly flecked with gold,it was a more subdued and elegantly created collection than Singh’s last flirtation with a similarly festive look. Balancing sheer and solid,the clothes were all well-cut with light texturing and tightly-controlled embellishments. In fact,the richness of the silk he used to create the collection played a much greater part than surface embellishment,in making the clothes beautiful and formal enough for festive and occasion wear. It was a remarkable collection of Indo-Western clothes,which featured lightly draped dresses,a couple of outstanding saris with gold block prints,and a series of waistcoats and jackets,created for both the sexes.

Sougat Paul:

The path that Sougat Paul has charted for himself has been clearly visible since he launched his label on LFW’s Gen Next platform a few seasons ago. His obsession with finding the perfect balance between simplicity of structure and the intricacy of texturing,finally found its way towards perfection with the collection he showed on Sunday. Inspired by Pedro Almodovar’s movies ,this collection was Paul’s ode to the complex inner lives of women. With plenty of sheaths and cocktail dresses in shades of peach,mauve,grey,burgundy and black,the collection had Paul showing his best work yet. The intricate weaves,which the Mumbai-based designer has developed into his signature drapes,fringes and folds,may have created a fussy look in the hands of a less competent designer,but Paul showed how the complex can be used to create a glamorous but streamlined look.

Manish Malhotra:

The grand finale of Lakme Fashion Week Winter/ Festive 2011 proved why designer Manish Malhotra is still king,when it comes to sheer drama and opulence. His sets were elaborately designed like the winding cogs of a timepiece. The collection set a lot of potential trends into motion,one of them being a stiff bounce in lehengas and Anarkalis as a throwback to Elizabethan fashion. Another trend was that the pairing of gowns with kurtas. Using fabrics such as lace,chiffon,velvet and silk,the beauty of the garments lay in the use of pink and coral in collars,borders and dupattas. Set against white and black,paired with rich festive colours like wine,gold and royal blue,the garments were truly eye-catching.

His menswear was elegant,showcasing sherwanis and suits with Indo-western influences. Again,Malhotra made ample use of shocking pink and coral tones in each and every piece.

For the finale,actress Kareena Kapoor walked the ramp in an off-white gown with silver sequined work,a great combination featuring Indian and international influences. With this collection Malhotra has pulled out all off the stops to bring out a range that’s wearable and appealing.