With high dose of Bollywood, LFW set for new edition

The Summer-Resort edition of Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) will start here Wednesday, with the five-day fashion gala promising some of the best names from the fashion world as well as Bollywood, including Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sushmita Sen, and Kriti Sanon, walking the ramp. Over 70 designers will showcase their collection at the fashion gala, to take place at JioGarden, Bandra-Kurla Complex.

Kareena, who skipped LFW last year after becoming a mother, "can't wait" to make her comeback on the fashion week runway this edition with finale designer Anamika Khanna's show.

Khanna will reinvent nude with her finale collection and her contemporary designs will be interspersed with the diverse nude palette that Lakme will be introducing this season

The designer told IANS: "This collection is difficult to define and put in any bracket as it is very experimental, using couture techniques. The inspiration is the new millennial who is bold enough to wear their individuality on their sleeves. This time, the mix of materials... has never been used before.

"A lot of fabric development and manipulation techniques are used. Using traditional zardozi in the most experimental ways and mixing various textile colours and print, makes each piece one-off."

Former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen will be a showstopper for brand Kotwara by Meera and Muzaffar Ali. This season, they will present Samanzar: A Garden of Flowers.

Young designer Ridhi Mehra is ready to showcase her collection titled CINCO at the fashion gala to celebrate her five years in the fashion industry. She has roped in "Mohenjo Daro" actress Pooja Hegde for her show.

"I am thrilled to be completing five years in the fashion industry. This collection is a fusion of elements from my previous creations and holds an extremely special place in my heart," said the designer.

Master couturier Tarun Tahiliani will showcase an avant-garde collection, which will have actress Kriti Sanon as a showstopper.

"She is the appropriate fit for the new, modern youthfulness and trans-India cool that she displayed in 'Bareilly Ki Barfi', so we are very excited to have her on the show," said the designer.

Another Bollywood celebrity to be seen on the ramp will be Vaani Kapoor, who will showcase a creation of label AGAMI by Neha Agarwal.

"I am enthused to walk for Neha. The brand beautifully pays homage to the indigenous culture of Indian handloom textiles while adopting the most unconventional ways. With the right amount of fluidity and structure, and all things in best proportions, the collection will be a sure hit," said Vaani.

It's not just Bollywood. The forthcoming edition of LFW will also see some new ventures and associations to promote Indian heritage and craft.

Designers Shane and Falguni Peacock will make their menswear debut with a line titled Louche. They have said it has happened "after years of wishful thinking". With this line, the brand aims to refer to a period in the 1970s when there was a lot of cultural and social movement similar to present times.

"The collection has been created keeping in mind millennials who hold the power right now," said the designer.

Also, Usha Silai, a label made by rural women of the Usha Silai School from regions like Rajasthan, West Bengal, Gujarat and Puducherry, will debut at the Sustainable Fashion Day on Day Two of the fashion gala. The initiative aims to reverse the migration of skilled workers by empowering them with resources to create clothes and accessories that can be retailed in the urban fashion market.

IMG Reliance, with the United Nations in India, will host an action-oriented dialogue on the northeastern region (NER), followed by a curated show featuring six sustainable fashion designers from the region on Sustainable Fashion Day.

R|ElanT from the house of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) will present a range of new-age fabrics as a part of designer Anita Dongre's embroidered bridal couture collection. The show will witness the launch of this specially engineered fabric brand.

"It will provide us a great platform to showcase apparels made out of our innovative fabric technologies," said Gunjan Sharma, Chief Marketing Officer - Polyester Business, RIL.