October 10, 2021 Asmita Aggarwal

Classics over Chic

Anamika Khanna urges us to slow it down with easy silhouettes, while Payal Jain makes us all choose wisely. Nikita and Shruti get playful with exaggerated sleeves as their offerings beckon a long-awaited beach holiday

By Asmita Aggarwal

If there is anyone who can do it with grace and elegance it has to be Anamika Khanna, manipulating any fabric to her advantage. Maybe that’s why her showstopper Shraddha Kapoor at the FDCI X Lakme Fashion Week on the fourth day dazzled in a ripped asymmetrical dress to keep the glam factor alive. But the uncrowned queen of Kolkata known for her painstaking attention to detail let her two boys Viraj and Vishesh take the lead on her almost prêt line AK-OK. Their interesting graphic prints which artist Viraj enabled on kaftan-esque silhouettes were accessorised with the mini clutch-compact and added merely for a dollop of fun.

This may be a more affordable line than the enviable Anamika Khanna couture, but glimpses of the love for dhoti and draping was evident on ocean blue soothing hues. Men wore dhotis with almost ankle length kurtas, and then came the kimono-style belted shirt-jackets, a kind of hybrid which you can style with separates, while the opposite gender swept us off with voluminous capes you can wear with what Lakshmi Rana wore— a Grecian, gold knee-length draped skirt. The twins along with Anamika wanted to create something that is easy on the eye and the pocket, without compromising on the brand value or the artistic prowess the label is coveted for.

Geometrics, florals, pastels or sea greens, maxis have seen resurgence, and if you add statement belts they offer a whole new dimension. This is just what Shruti Sancheti did to mark her ten years in the business of fashion. The mood was relaxed, as if you are on a beach vacation and all you need is an airy pair of pants or a tone-on-tone embroidered cuffed button down breezy shirt to accompany your chilled Mojito. The mood was 80s with the iconic sleeves seeing a comeback- puffed, poufed, translucent, exaggerated a la Joan Collins look. Much like what Nikita Mhalsalkar offered besides her kaftans, tiered dresses, chunky leather belts to cinch waists and saris worn with tunics, ombre dyed in luscious organza. The cut out body huggers made a play for glamour as the omnipresent asymmetry managed a playful look.

What ushered in joie de vivre were shades of pink that dominated the catwalks for the past three days from corals, fuschia, flamingo to watermelons.  You can call it whimsical, laser cut to perfection or expect the unexpected “cutwork”, husband-wife duo Pankaj and Nidhi, also made the hemlines rise in their pleated and ruffled skirts. Naughty back knotted blouses, evening clutches and maxis which are now di rigueur just as sparkle can now be worn in the day with bold piping detailing made sure the future is “bright”.

If you want it to pop choose a white canvas and that’s just what Samant Chauhan did, with his dip dyed sleeves, to signature tunics which came embellished with appliqué flowers, as the designer added pleats to structured dresses.

What is it that fashion can do to save over consumption—nurture nature, which is what Payal Jain did with her line “Earth Song” as he recycled waste to make us all more ‘conscious’. Her daring prints saw a hearty representation from the animal kingdom and her embroidery ranged from Sujani, Rabari to quilting. Patchwork denims, ruched shoulders of dresses, made way for bell sleeves in keeping with the spirit of our times.

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