Sequinned maxis, high-collared shirts and flowing trousers in floral prints – all with a distinctly Indian flavour – dominated the catwalk on Tuesday, March 17, as designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee kicked off Lakmé Fashion Week summer/resort 2015 in Mumbai with a 1970s inspired show.
Bollywood stars brought a touch of glamour to the opening night – actress Deepika Padukone arrived in a full-length, long-sleeved floral-print dress in red by Sabyasachi. Kalki Koechlin, Farhan Akhtar and Irrfan Khan (in a long tan kurta with black trim and intricate silver-grey embroidery) also attended the show.
"I wanted to do something which was inspired by disco, which had a loung-ey feel and which was sexy," Sabyasachi, 41, told The National. "I think all my friends from all over the country came out in support and I think that's the best thing that one can aspire for."
The designer, who is based in Kolkata, is a favourite among celebrities, and his clients include Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Renée Zelleweger and Reese Witherspoon.
Models took to the runway in oversized sunglasses, showing a collection that ranged from 70s-inspired designs – stylised florals and flowing pants – to beautifully draped saris paired with blingy, puffy blouses. Men were sent out in floral designs, too, including a green kurta and churidar, both lavishly printed with turquoise flowers.
“I absolutely loved it,” said Charu Sachdev, an audience member who owns the Kitsch chain of fashion stores in India. “He’s taken ditsy prints and enlarged them – very Sabyasachi. He’s still being true to himself. What I like is the touch of sparkle, which adds a bit of glamour, which is what everyone in India likes as well. I’m a huge fan.”
The venue was Richardson & Cruddas, a converted industrial warehouse in south Mumbai.
A D Singh, a prominent Mumbai restaurateur, said he had largely tired of fashion shows, having attended so many, but Sabyasachi’s collection managed to grab his attention.
“It was spectacular in terms of the setting and the vision. I loved the way he showed such a wide range. I thought there was a lot of stuff I could wear, not as it was, not as suits but as separates. There were a few piece that I liked over there.”
Lakmé Fashion Week is celebrating its 15th anniversary and features some of the biggest names in Indian fashion including Manish Malhotra, Wendell Rodricks, Tarun Tahiliani, and Raghavendra Rathore, among the 80 plus participating designers.
Ekta Rajani, the fashion editor of Grazia India, said that Sabyasachi’s collection was “a great start” to the beginning of Lakmé Fashion Week.
“I think people are going to be talking about this for a while to come,” she said. “If you just look around and see the guest list, it’s a really a sign of how influential, how loved he is. To have Deepika and Kalki wear his clothes, is again testimony to his popularity.”
Rajani said she particularly liked the larger floral prints.
“It was an ode to the seventies but there was a contemporary twist to the colour combinations in the chintz prints that he used. I think that anyone who represents, reinvents what is the signature of Indian clothing deserves to be celebrated because we’re lucky we come from a country which has its own signature Indian style. It would be a sure shame not to celebrate it spectacularly and I think he does that beautifully.”
• Lakmé Fashion Week summer/resort 2015 runs until Sunday. Visit www.lakmefashionweek.co.in
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