A Season Apart: Things to look out for at the LFW Summer-Resort 2016

Tech That
With “wearable-tech” being the buzzword internationally, it’s no surprise that the folks at LFW are dipping their toes in the technology pool. Day one will also mark the debut of Berlin-based fashion house ElektroCouture and Friends, where Lisa Lang and seven other designers will showcase their pret-a-porter fashion technologies on the ramp. From inventive battery systems to digital knitting and weaving, the latest in light technology to new materials that respond to the body — prepare to have your minds blown with the advanced gadget-garments on display. With names, such as Lina Wassong, Melissa Coleman, Igor Knezevic, Miss Be and Chritian Bruns, among others, on the roster, this promises to be a power-packed show, literally.

Woven Wonders
Day one will also see a unique collaborative effort called “Walking Hand in Hand” by Craft+ Design+ Society. The show will bring together five designers, who’ve teamed with five artisans and worked with five indigenous crafts, along with handmade fabrics, to promote textile crafts in India. So, while minimalist maestro Rajesh Pratap Singh works with Banarasi kinkhab and Aneeth Arora of Pero shines the light on chikankari, Hemang Agrawal will showcase Banarasi brocade, Anupama Bose will focus on leheriya and Asif Shaikh will bring Ajrakh block-prints into the limelight. Shaikh, who founded and launched Craft+Design+Studio in Ahmedabad last month, has 23 years of experience in embroidery and has curated the show with the aim of bringing craftspeople and their skills into mainstream focus. “Designers work closely with artisans, produce the collection together, but the craftspeople rarely get their due recognition. The aim of this show is to promote their talent and recognise their contribution,” says Shaikh.

Foreign Affairs
Bringing the “global local” conversation to the LFW table will be the #IndiaCollective show on Sustainable and Indian Textiles Day, which focuses on labels that have made a mark internationally, with design philosophies that are grounded in Indian textiles and local practises. From Nupur Goenka’s scarves label AISH, to accessory label Deepa Gurnani (a piece from the line pictured), clothing by Injiri by Chinar Farooqui, apparel brand NorBlack NorWhite and Ahmedabad-based Maku — the collective is versatile. Jay Lakhani of Deepa Gurnani calls their LFW debut timely in view of this being the brand’s 10-year anniversary. “Everything about our label is about the art of handmade — from intricate embroideries to handwoven fabrics sourced locally,” says Lakhani, whose jewellery brand will also debut a clothes line for their black and gold collection, Oblivion.

Finale Call
Showman extraordinaire Rohit Bal presents yet another finale show — his second at LFW and his tenth over the years. And while Bal maintains that finales are “a huge responsibility and a huge headache”, there’s no doubt that his show at St Xavier’s College will be a sartorial spectacle. While Lakme’s seasonal theme “Illuminate”will be the starting point of the collection, Bal promises to do what he does best. “There will be no overt sparkle and bling like the theme suggests. Instead, we will bring the concept to life with avant garde lighting techniques,” he says. The clothes will play to Bal’s strengths with undertones of antique gold, ivory and neutral, and a flash of dramatic colours to give the impression of “a garden gone mad”. Expect to see luxurious hand embroideries, lattice-work and intricate cutwork.