Trends from Lakme Fashion Week 2013

By Monica Mistry

Photography: Courtesy the designers

Payal Singhal's creation for LFW 2013

Lace and bright hues are the style notes from the recently concluded Lakme Fashion Week at Mumbai, India. 

When flashbulbs go click-happy, models get pretty, makeup artists begin to take crucial decisions on lip shades and designers get into frenzy, we are confident that the city is witnessing a fashion week.

Mandira Bedi in an ensemble by Pallavi Jaipur

At the recently concluded Lakme Fashion Week 2013, we saw heaps of fabric, design and innovative use of textiles; here are two trends that stand out as a common thread for most designers: a celebration of colour and a play of lace.

Colour fest: Modern day Bill Blass would have re-phrased his famous quote to, “When in doubt, wear hint of colour.” This season hint of colour is a must, so be it coral with white or deep indigo with an ivory; the shades to choose from are yellows, blues, greens, fuchsia and more.

A model in Shehla Khan outfit

Designers Namrata Joshipura, Payal Singhal, Manish Malhotra and Vaishali Shadangule expressed this latest trend in beautiful chiffons, georgettes, organzas and nets. Pallavi Jaipur’s showstopper outfit had bright hues of green, blue and yellow in soft balls around the waist.  Payal Singhal’s collection dressed up the summer bride in ochre (again) and indigo with dull gold borders.

A model in Shehla Khan outfit

Lace: A favourite for a few seasons now, lace is the designers’ muse once again this season.  Designers have reduced the use of lace but with design tact, applying it in smaller proportions to augment womanly sensuousness. For instance Rocky S has used lace to the utmost (no, we aren’t complaining), around the waist on gowns and more. Arpan Vohra had a very flirty take -- she used it on the waistline and also on the sleeves. Shehla Khan showcased a range of ultra-feminine white lace dresses along with a hint of the fabric in forms of a border, on the sleeves, or as pretty frills on the hemline or as a hot short skirt in a full-length net dress.

Payal Singhal's creation for LFW 2013

Overall, vivaciousness and über feminine silhouettes can be the expected trends in the coming months as haute couture takes yet another fresh look at the feminine form.