Lounge
A season celebrating indigenous weaves and craft techniques
Summary
Ahead of Lakme Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI, Lounge got sneak peeks from some participating designersSlated to be held in New Delhi, the upcoming Lakme Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI is likely to be a season of reimagining indigenous weaves and reigniting time-honoured craft techniques which have always been at the heart of Indian fashion. Designer Shruti Sancheti's collection, Advayaa extrapolates chintz, also known as calico. Moreover, the designer reinterprets the timeless beauty of Kashmiri shawls known for the distinctive paisley motif. On the other hand, Margn's collection traces the human instinct of protection, common across all cultures through – innovative ties and coverings. A union of craft and functionality is intrinsic to this exploration offering versatile pieces like – handknit puffer jackets, technical boucle jackets and workwear blazers. Designer Pawan Sachdeva unveils a denim collection crafted in skin-friendly denim textile catering to a diverse range of tastes from Gen Z to millennials. Here's the lowdown on the sneak peek of some of the collections:
Crafting Chintz
Chintz, renowned for its vibrant floral patterns, gained popularity in 17th-century Europe for its elegance and resilience. Designer Shruti Sancheti draws inspiration from this age-old technique and applies it to her signature easy breezy silhouettes. This season, the designer also trains her focus on the Kashmiri shawls which were highly prized luxury items at one point. "Besides scaling embroidery and re-engineering weaves, I've also employed crafts like Kalamkari and hand screen printing," shares the designer.
Also read: The best of Paris Fashion Week
Denim with a new spin
While last season, he focused on mesh and activewear, this year Pawan Sachdeva experiments with denim. Titled Trailblazer, the line-up offers pieces crafted in skin-friendly denim. "Realised in various washes, colours and brushstrokes, it comprises both oversized and anti-fit pieces, as well as fitted jackets and trousers," informs Pawan.
Protectionist streak
Margn’s brand philosophy is heavily influenced by the universal human conditions of protection and preservation and our Fall/Winter 2024 Collection traces the human instinct of protection, common across all cultures through – innovative ties and coverings. Saurabh Maurya, creative director at Margn, shares, "This idea of amalgamation of craft, utility and functionality come together through blends of several crafts- from handwoven technical jacket to hand-knitted puffer gilet with recycled down to utilitarian performance jacket."
Inspired by Brutalist architecture
Drawing inspiration from the raw and robust beauty of brutalist architecture, Line Outline by Deepit Chugh's new collection - Chapter 6 - Convergence dives into learning the essence of urban structures and construction. "It focuses on dictating urban life and for what makes an engineering marvel we call ‘CITY’. It is the convergence of personalities, directions, and experiences that bring stories to life," says Deepit.
Reigniting Renaissance
With a nod to mosaic art from the early centuries, designer Richa Khemka's debut collection, Composite, draws inspiration from the style of Roman mosaics and has a hint of hues from the Renaissance era which was a transition from the old to new. "Composite is a culmination of different perspectives, dreams big and small, experiences and experimentations. A rebirth of ideas, of pieces that might not mean much on its own, but come together to form art," says the designer.
Manish Mishra is a Delhi-based writer and content creator.
