Comfort and wearability were the key elements in the creations of six young Indian designers, who made their fashion show debut at the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week.
Abhishek Paatani, Paridhi Jaipuria, Gaurav Khanjio, Anupreet Sidhu, Vaibhav Singh and Diming Rubu presented their collections in the Gen Next segment.
Jaipuria, who is from Jaipur, gave traditional weaves a contemporary touch in her Bunai line with asymmetrical dresses, ponchos, trousers and jackets.
“Comfort is certainly one of the main concerns of young designers like us. I design clothes which I can wear without thinking twice. It is very important to look at ease in your clothes. Times have changed now, experimenting with designs is not stopping us from making comfortable silhouettes,” she said.
Delhi-based designer Khanijo created a range of menswear using Bhagalpuri silk with a dragonfly motif, and said menswear cannot afford to ignore comfort.
“Men are finicky about their clothes. They can’t live on something which doesn’t makes them look and feel good. I used silk but created trench coats, trousers, jackets that can be worn normally without any hassle. The idea was to experiment with the fabric and bring in bright colours but keep the range wearable at the same time,” he said.
“Fashion is not only for the runway now. It has to have relevance in day-to-day life,” he added.
Sidhu, who presented a collection inspired by warfare, created multi-utility clothes with pockets on the back. His aim was to showcase durability. His designs had neoprene, velvet and leather as their base fabrics.
The collection was inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s painting Starry Night Over The Rhone, and the line included flared trousers and dresses with metal and wood adding a touch of uniqueness.
Gurgaon-based designer Singh’s Hybrid collection had sharply cut and tailored garments for men.
With wool and leather dominating the range, pieces included ankle-length trousers, waistcoats, long-sleeved shirts, cuffed capri trousers and kurtas with low-slung pockets.
