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PICS: Ananya @ Grand Finale of LFD

The collection is called ‘Ready. Set. Play.’ and it’s inspired by Lakme’s beauty theme #MiniPlayMegaSlay and the games and the small things we find joy in…Anaya speaks with Puja Gupta.

Fashion weeks are always fascinating to both fashion experts and for the fashion lovers.Fashion designer Ruchika Sachdeva closed the phygital FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week as she launched her collection ‘Ready. Set. Play.’, with Bollywood actress Ananya Panday as the showstopper.

Ananya, who is also the brand ambassador of Lakme, was seen sporting a vibrant pleated skirt with geometric prints and the full sleeved crop top.

Sachdeva reveals that the collection came to life during the pandemic at a time when we were all looking for ways to find some cheer amid the gloom.

We spoke to the 2018 Woolmark Prize winner to know more about the collection, its inspiration. She also comments on how the pandemic has influenced her creations, and how it has changed the perspective towards fashion as a whole. Excerpts:

Q: Tell us about the collection and its inspiration.

A: The collection is called ‘Ready. Set. Play.’ and it’s inspired by Lakme’s beauty theme #MiniPlayMegaSlay and the games and the small things we find joy in. As a brand we were faced with so many hurdles and challenges, but I also found a lot of excitement and happiness along the way in the creation of this collection. It came to life during the pandemic at a time when we were all looking for ways to find some cheer amid the gloom.

In tough moments like these, it becomes important to look back and discover what made the journey thus far so unique and special. This collection is, in a way, about the delight of building Bodice from the ground up, piece by piece — adding two, three, five more blocks for every one block that fell out. We’ve experimented quite a bit in this collection, introducing more colours than we usually do and also playing with the silhouettes. Of course the Bodice signature of lines and a structural approach to our silhouettes is very much present.

Q: What influences of the pandemic can we see on the collection?

A: What we create will inevitably be impacted by what we’re going through inwardly. While creating this collection in isolation in the Bodice studio, I realised I was working much more freely and minus the stress and anxiety of making a collection. I rediscovered the joy in the process which allowed me to experiment with the colours and the silhouettes.

Q: How has the pandemic changed the perspective towards your craft?

A: I don’t think it has, except, like I said, it has taught me that we don’t always need to take everything so seriously but at the same time, it is also important to take nothing for granted. The process is where the joy lies, and that’s what this collection is about.

Q: What changes has it brought in the way fashion is perceived?

A: People are taking more notice of what is right and wrong, they are asking more and more questions before buying anything, and realising the importance of pieces that last a lifetime over fast fashion pieces. I think there is a general mindfulness and a state of hyper awareness regarding what is being sold.

Q: How do you see the industry shaping in a post pandemic era?

A: We’re still very much in the pandemic and the industry is still finding its way to function around it. Finding novel ways like the Phygital edition of the FDCI X Lakme Fashion Week is just one example of how people are getting innovative in finding solutions after a year of a lot of frustration and disappointment. Hopefully fashion will become more and more local and the conversations around sustainability will only amplify going forward.

Q: How do you think the Indian fashion industry is placed on a global platform, amid the pandemic?

A: People are definitely taking notice, which they already were even before the pandemic. Covid surely accelerated that but I think Indian fashion was already getting attention and appreciation for our innate wisdom in ancient crafts, the wonderful textiles we have in our backyard, and the sheer skill of the artisans. I think that is something we at Bodice have always strived for — to bring this craftsmanship to the world to take note of — and it is wonderful to see it happening at such a great magnitude.

Q: What changes do you think the industry has to undergo in order to minimise the carbon footprint and become more sustainable?

A: I think some of the things that will help us keep our footprint in check are holistic sustainability measures that are treated as every small and big business’ responsibility, working closely with local artisans, tailors, weavers, etc., investment pieces that are made to order and last long, a bottom-up approach to ethical decisions starting from the initial stages of production to packaging and shipping.

Q: How is your brand working towards sustainability?

A: Doing things sustainably was never a conscious decision for me. I simply wouldn’t have done it otherwise. With Bodice, I have always treated it as a responsibility and not something we do over and above everything else. Ethical decisions and accountability are good values to have. It isn’t an added conversation, it is just the foundation of every conversation at Bodice. And I think it is the responsibility of every designer at this day and age; in fact it should be a prerequisite to designing clothes, I feel. We question every norm and try and rethink it with the help of extensive research and knowledge.

Ananya Panday for Grand Finale of Lakme Fashion Week (Photos :Pallav Paliwal) 

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Shades of happiness in Fashion week

The inspiration for the collection is the ‘Valley of Flowers’ in Uttarakhand and I’m really just talking about ’50 Shades Of Happiness’…Suneet Varma speaks with Puja Gupta.

There wasn’t a single person who remained unaffected by the pandemic, and fashion designer Suneet Varma feels that here has been an impact on creativity because of it.

“I actually have felt more creative,” the designer tells as he launched his collection ’50 Shades Of Happiness’ at the ongoing phygital FDCI x LFW event.

Talking about how the industry will fare in the future and his own personal take on the global crisis, Varma speaks to in depth.

Excerpts:

Q:Did the pandemic bring about any change in your design philosophy?

A:Yes certainly, there has been an impact on creativity because of the pandemic. Most people have come out of the pandemic a little bit changed — some for the better, some for the worse, some have had to deal with their own personal issues, some have had to deal with financial issues.

I actually have felt more creative. I also feel that fast fashion is not something that we necessarily have to adapt to or embrace. I think something more classic, something more beautiful, something that’s forever, something that’s timeless is more my focus for creativity right now.

Q:How do you see the future of the fashion industry taking shape in a post-Covid period?

A:Most certainly, the pandemic has brought the entire world to a standstill, not just the fashion industry. And the fashion industry like any other industry has had to brace itself and get on with it. I think it’s really important. And life is for the living, so we all have to live it and live it up as well. A pandemic is something that comes along every 100 years and it takes a good 5-10 years to overcome it completely. But it’s nice to stay on the positive side. I personally feel the pandemic has been good in some ways for the world — it made the world stop and think and take stock of their own life.

I’ve actually worked more diligently, harder, and in some ways with more satisfaction through the pandemic. We have done fashion week last season, we are doing fashion week this season, we have done couture week — we have never done these many shows and collections ever through a year — so I feel you can sit back and wait for the tide to turn or you just literally have to swim to the shore yourself.

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Q:What has been your greatest achievement?

A:I don’t look at my life as having achieved anything great — there are far more important emotions I believe in — such as happiness, satisfaction, love for life and my passion for my work. Even after 30 years of doing the same thing, I still believe my greatest work is in my future collections!

Q:Tell us about the inspiration behind this collection.

A:The inspiration for the collection is the ‘Valley of Flowers’ in Uttarakhand and I’m really just talking about ’50 Shades Of Happiness’. I think coming out of the pandemic it becomes really imperative and important that we find joy in almost anything… so I call it ’50 Shades Of Happiness’ — look for happiness in smaller things and whatever will make your day more joyful.

The collection really symbolises the importance of staying mentally fit and alert and being able to deal with calamities and coming out of it feeling joy — it can be through colour, art, music — it can be anything that gives you a certain satisfaction and happiness. The collection offers a lot of colour — which is very unusual for my work. It offers a lot of beautiful light silhouettes and very happy tonal embroideries.

Q:Who do you see wearing your collection?

A:I see all my clientele all over the world wearing the collection since it symbolises Happiness — the one emotion we all need most after a very difficult year post the pandemic. The collection is joyful and exuberant and will add that extra spark to bridal dressing.

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Fashion Lite Blogs

Stars’ glow at FDCI, Lakme Fashion Week

Women’s bridal wear included silver and gold gowns, backless and button less cholis. The designer has used mini capes with gowns, floor-kissing ornate robes, kurtas and kurtis with cropped, flowing pants…writes Puja Gupta.

This is an awesome month of fashion, style and trends. Veteran fashion designer Manish Malhotra showcased his latest couture collection ‘Nooraniyat’ with Bollywood stars Kiara Advani and Kartik Aryan as the showstoppers for his phygital show at the FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week.

The designer presented a line-up of bridal wears — dominated by metallics and a lot of blacks and blue. The primary line of inspiration for the collection is from the old world repertoire–the embroidery in particular, says the designer.

For the show, Kiara wore a shimmering silver gown with cut outs and a silver sheer, long shoulder train. While Kartik was dressed in a black, bundgala jacket with three silver reindeers embroidered, teamed with an asymmetric ink kurta and slim pants.

“Everyone knows my fondness for the deft embroidery, the intricate and ornate designs. However, I’ve given my own take to the collection where it is influenced by contemporary times. I wanted to bring together a new composition that is balanced in its heterogeneous elements. Where everything exists. The collection is developed on the ethos of tradition but influenced by the new world’s present. A collection that sits firmly with the pandemic-induced preferences but also relatable to our aesthetics and our loyalists,” he tells.

The collection also saw a mixture of sumptuous sorbet and blush shades, like vibrant pink with lilac, grey-blue and royal beige-gold. The fabrics used were pure two-toned silks and Dupion silks, gold silks, sheer organzas, lush crepes and tissue fabrics.

Manish Malhotra

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There were oversized jackets and colour blocked lehengas, Kalidar kurtas, the diaphanous lehengas, gowns, shararas, kurtas, palazzos, jackets and traditional dupattas.

Women’s bridal wear included silver and gold gowns, backless and button less cholis. The designer has used mini capes with gowns, floor-kissing ornate robes, kurtas and kurtis with cropped, flowing pants.

For men’s wear, Manish offered a variety of jackets with beaded lapels or silver shawl collars. He teamed the conventional or jodhpuri jackets with kurtas and added discreet, animal motif embroidery for the Sherwanis.

Meanwhile, commenting on the collaboration of two fashion giants — FDCI and LFW — Manish says: “As we are gradually progressing towards the shared purpose to strengthen the fashion industry, this joint presentation makes even more sense based on the collaborative spirit and collective growth. What can get better than this?”

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