Each season, Bollywood stars help bring the glitz to the runway at Lakme Fashion Week, India's premier fashion showcase. Held in Mumbai, which is also the home of Bollywood, the latest event, which concluded on Sunday night, was no different.
Stars on the runway spanned generations, from veteran actress Madhuri Dixit, who modelled for designer Ranna Gill, to young star Ananya Panday, who walked for Rahul Mishra's grand finale show.
Mishra, known for his sustainable designs and preserving Indian crafts, is the first Indian to be invited as a guest designer to the Paris Haute Couture Week. For Lakme Fashion Week, he crafted a collection inspired by nature, and his eight-year-old daughter's favourite book, The Fox and the Star, by British author Coralie Bickford-Smith.
Other stars on the runway include Diana Penty for Charu & Vasundhara, Janhvi Kapoor for Kalki, Tripti Dimri for Shantanu & Nikhil, Taapsee Pannu for Gauri & Nainika, Malaika Arora for Anushree Reddy, Rakul Preet Singh for Ritika Mirchandani, Sara Ali Khan for Varun Chakkilam, and Kriti Sanon for a presentation by American apparel brand Sketchers.
Actress Dia Mirza, known for her environmental activism, was one of the stars on Sustainability Day, and walked the runway for the label Inca. Founded by designer Amit Hansraj, Inca's philosophy is to ensure no textile is wasted in the process of making clothes, and all outfits are cut to fit any form and size.
"This garment made me feel free and fluid. Just as mindful design and craft should make a person feel. Loved being your muse Amit! Inca is made with exactly the level of care our world needs," Mirza posted after the show.
There was also a smattering of male actors. Aditya Roy Kapur modelled for Kalki's menswear collection and Aashim Gulati was the star attraction for designer Siddartha Tytler. Actor Abhimanyu Dassani, the son of 1980s star Bhagyashree, also walked the runway for Nirmooha.
