Spring is right here and before you get your wardrobe spring/summer ready here's a peek to what the Indian designers brought on tables - direct from the runways of the recently wrapped Lakme Fashion Week Summer and Resort 2014.

Summer clothes bring life to the wardrobe and allows you to experiment with colours, fabrics, drapes, layering. And I love resort wear. Originally resort was the clothes that you'll wear when hopping on a cruise and going off to travel. But now resort has evolved into this collection of seasonless clothes that are a huge help in a transition period (when you don't know whether its winter, spring or fall). When in doubt - pick up from your resort wear.

What were the key trends at the fashion week? Peplum blouses and jackets in Indian wear, soft pastels, thread embroidery, sheers (tops, jackets, skirts, half and half), embellishments, complex layering, double breasted jackets and asymmetrical hemlines were aplenty at the runways of Lakme Fashion Week Summer Resort 2014.

Sport luxe trend made its way from the international to Indian runways where we saw sequinned jerseys, glittered sporty jackets and silky sweatpants adding glam to the sportswear that can be worn from the day to night. Silky sweatshirts were paired with pencil skirts, sneakers worn with dressy tunics and saree given a sporty look at the runway of Huemn, while Nishka Lulla showcased sweat pants with metallic infusion, pretty sweatshirts in sheer fabrics.

Bringing yet another season of creativity and progressive apparel, here are some of the best shows at LFW Summer Resort 2014.


Bright floral inspired hues immediately grabbed my attention at Anushka Khanna's show that had an interesting interpretation of resort fashion. I am completely sold on these high-fashion lookalike pieces to pack for my holiday look.

Rajesh Pratap Singh goes playful with pastels and metallics
A rainbow of soft springtime shades reigned through Rajesh Pratap Singh's runway that ended the Lakme Fashion Week with a bang. The hue which was seen all over spring summer 2014 runways across the world (Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung, Christian Dior), {yes I am talking about the pretty pastel}, painted the sheer tops, jackets and pleated skirts at Singh's runway. He also played with heavy metal that translated into metallic head to toe separates and metallic infusions in pastels. Silhouettes were relaxed making for oversized coats and jackets, breezy skirts and suits with menswear touches. He closed the show with edgy black dresses and separates with a hint of shimmer. What caught my attention at Singh's collection were the jackets {want them, want them, want them}.


Nupur Kanoi shows less is more
Nupur Kanoi's Summer Resort collection showed less is really more. Spring translates to colours (brights and pastels), but Kanoi stuck to the basics. Her neutral colou palette, which included blush, greys and blacks, and play with androgyny {flowy skirt teamed with sharp blazer} made for a slew of gorgeous looks that successfully showed off the beautiful silhouettes. The models strutted down her runway with slicked back hair worn as a bun, natural yet contoured face and neutral lips.Feminine and sharp.

But I have some gripe with Kanoi's clothes - they are exorbitantly priced for the offering. I mean yes her designs are good, but just because the likes of Sabyasachi and Tarun Tahiliani command a premium its not a benchmark price for everyone. I wouldn't buy a simple asymmetric kurta and chruidar with just some machine embroidery on the neck and chest for ~Rs 70grands (>$1,100) {even if Chitrangada wore the same outfit; and I am sure she didn't have to pay to wear it}

Shantanu & Nikhil's dreamy collection redefines feminine
It's not because Shantanu & Nikhil is one of my favourite designers (especially when it comes to Indian wear), but their show was undeniably one of the best I've seen this season. Playing cleverly with silhouettes, colours and fabrics in the shades of peach, mint, beige, white and dusty rose their collection was gorgeous. I always love the colours they use, it adds a nice contemporary, glam and modern look to their clothes.

Vintage was the inspiration in Shantanu & Nikhil's collection and seen on the runway were intricately embroidered lehengas paired with peplum tops and blouses, gowns in dusty rose, ruffled necklines, draped hems and their signature designs in whites and peaches. In fact I loved their menswear collection, it was an absolute stunner. I loved how the show started off with the model wearing a vintage inspired gown and hairdo, reading a vintage book and hitting off the runway.

Another interesting element from the duo's collection was this interesting fringed hand glove-ish kind of accessory. I would love to get a closer look.


Ritika Mirchandani brings a fresh take to the indo-western
From the Jabong Stage (a platform for new designers) some outfits from Ritika Mirchandani's collection was quite evolved and caught my attention. Interesting drapes that was a cross between Indian and Western wear, subtle metallic embroidery, whites-yellow-blues, A-line hemlines, jackets paired with skirts and interesting twist to sarees were seen on Ritika's runway for summer resort wear at LFW.

Statement earpieces and necklaces {dominated by metallics} and metallic peep toed shows reigned the accessories department on her runway.




Another label that I liked during the LFW was The French Connection. Ok not literally TFC, I meant the Parisian label Zhen and Mossi who's the brainchild of Mossi Traoré and Wei Zhen - two people from very different cultures (French and Chinese). This designer duo presented their debut collection at LFW that was an amalgamation of French sensibilities and Indian ethos and exuded artistic touch, luxe and elegance. Amazing detailing with understated chic, fluidity and lightness through elegant silhouettes on which the artisanal mastery of the duo was gently apparent. Their white separates were my favourites in the collection while I loved watching some of their futuristic pieces, intriguing use of colours and edgy designs.


Arpita Mehta channels the holiday spirit actually inspired by her holiday in the island of Mykonos.
It was a pleasant change at Arpita Mehta's runway with her flowy dhoti pants paired with heavy embellished short kurtas, which are such a good alternative to the boring floor length and exaggerated Anarkalis that's been doing its rounds season after season for the last few years now. In fact it wasn't just Mehta, these short kurtis with tulip pants, embellished pants and other lower-wear {bringing unique twist to pants} were seen on the runways of many other designers. Ahhhhhh, such a  relief, I am totally done with overwhelming Anarkalis, they are so désuet.

Back to the runway of Mehta. Her collection was dominated by embellishments of her (signature) mirror work and falisa embroidery that were adapted on indo-western silhouettes dominated by shades of yellow and blues. Her range comprised of embroidered and embellished bodysuits, peplum tops, dhoti pants, cropped cholis, geometric prints, buttoned down dresses, sheer floor length kurtas and floor length skirts that were paired with nude and metallic gold shoes. It was a gorgeous collection (and I hope she doesn't price them as heavily as Kanoi).



I'd also check out prints at Ken Ferns and creativity with heavy embellishments by Sourabh Kant Shrivastava.

Which collections did you like from LFW?

Image Source: Lakme Fashion Week Facebook