When it’s a Manish Malhotra’s show, apart from Bollywood attendees on the front row, you can expect grandeur and sparkle — and the design maestro’s show on Day 1 of Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2016 was no different. Manish played with floral motifs, velvet and silk fabrics, tailored silhouettes, and unconventional pairing to seamlessly bring together the classic and the contemporary. Stunning statement jewellery by Anmol Jewellers complemented each creation that made its way down the ramp. Actors Shraddha Kapoor and Sushant Singh Rajput were showstoppers for the show, evidently excited to be there.
In a first, Manish joined hands with Etihad Airways to present a Virtual Reality show, apart from the one that took place at the LFW stage at St Regis, at ITC Grand Central, Mumbai. Both shows displayed the designer’s signature larger-than-life creations and sets.
The men at the show donned velvet bandhgalas, tailored silk jackets and kurtas over cigarette and dhoti pants in both deep winter hues as well as brighter metrosexual colours like yellow and salmon.
The women’s collection gave us what we were looking for — outfits for the upcoming wedding season. Jackets with saris, flowy gowns, cold-shoulder crop tops with maxi ghagra skirts and large, floral motifs were the order of the day.
Plunging necklines were offset by princess-like ghagra skirts, and long, intricately embroidered jackets displayed a sharp contrast to one of our earmarked pieces — the fringed silver cropped blouse.
Tons of glitter and sequin made sure the Manish Malhotra aesthetic was kept intact. Indian handlooms, silks and crepes celebrated what was born and has been worn in our country for generations. Capes replaced dupattas and anarkalis were broad-legged pants instead of churidars.
As always, Manish effortlessly marries the traditional with the contemporary, playing with silhouettes and modern cuts, while presenting outfits that are inherently ethnic (don’t you just love that one-shoulder cropped blouse?).
Gold in all its glory and various shades took over Manish’s ramp as familiar models took the stage in sheers, lace, sequins and peek-a-boo cuts.
Shraddha Kapoor looked like Indian royalty in a floral embroidered cropped blouse and heavily embellished ghagra skirt with minimal makeup and her signature bright smile. The dapper Sushant Singh Rajput made up swoon in a rich black bandhgala teamed with white jodhpur pants and loafers. Post show, designer and muses were seen mingling with the A-list crowd, letting their hair down after a successful evening.