As Lakme Fashion Week starts on October 31, Aditi Shah fills you in on the shows to keep an eye out for.

Vikram Phadnis



This choreographer-turned-film stylist-turned-designer hasn’t undergone any formal training. But he’s dressed much of the Bollywood glamour brigade. It’s his first time showing on the fashion ramps of India. His collection ‘Blithe Panache’ is all about flowy dresses, skirts, gowns and sarees with graphic abstracts and florals in silk chiffons, jerseys, nets and georgettes. Kitsch or glam? Filmi or with it? Will he ‘arrive’ on the official ramps or is Bollywood the safest bet for him? People will be watching.


Sabyasachi Mukherjee

As Kolkata’s ‘king of couture’ and one of the most celebrated Indian designers with quite a presence internationally, his grand finale is perhaps one of the most eagerly awaited shows of the year. His clothes on the ramp are not as wearable as they’re extremely attractive, and his eclectic artistic sense of style may have a fair share of critics (first it was kitsch, and later redundancy) along with throngs of fans (who swear his clothes are like a canvas). Either way, here’s one designer you definitely can’t ignore. And his ‘Free Spirit’ inspired collection is supposed to capture his state of mind and his design mantra.


James Ferriera



After 11 years of creating couture from his home/studio at Khotachiwadi, he’s launched his own flagship store called D’Box recently and is participating in fashion week for the first time ever. For a designer who has claimed he hasn’t been confident enough to go mainstream up until now, his style is very neat, chic and confident, albeit experimental. His collection ‘Mumbai Tokyo’ has an interesting mix of origami, Warli, Sholapur shawls and bias cuts on crochet, drawstring fitted dhotis and iridescent silk cocktail dresses, as well as saris and more with Diwali and Paithani motifs.


Wendell Rodricks

This Goa-based designer’s American dancer Isadora Duncan inspired collection at LFW’s fall/winter 2006 edition was charmingly simplistic in its sensibility, with sinuous cuts and a muted colour palette. And this time, his show ‘Les Vamps’ is to pay a tribute to Goa’s pagan past�in whites, midnight blacks, dusk greys and blood reds�a world of spirits, demons and deities, fears, emotions and secrets (read: the many moods of a woman), as perceived by villagers, tourists and the urban intelligentsia. His work, by and large, is reflective of a designer who’s completely secure in the knowledge that he’s found the pulse that fully becomes him.


Nandita Mahtani

Her inherent sense of personal style is often more diverse than her trademark ‘girly’ kaftans, tunics, skirts and dresses. But her designs are very appealing in an understated and glamourous yet completely non-kitsch way. This collection is heavy on lycra, georgettes and satins in pastel colours like baby pink, powder blue, sea green and white. The embellishments are toned down, with sequins, gota, mirror work and resham.


French and South African Designers



For the first time in India, international designers will be making their debut on local ramps. As part of Lakme’s promised ‘global fashion exchange’ and such-like, many eyes will be on these four showings�by South African designer Clive Rundle and Vanya and Thando Mangaliso’s brand Sun Goddess, as well as French designer Nathalie Garcon and the fashion house Leonard.


Rahul Mishra: This 25-year-old made quite a debut at the last LFW (in the ‘Gen Next’ category) where he showed a small simple collection of khadi based reversible clothing. He was privy to wild applause, great compliments from veteran designers and a rush of buyer interest. As an emerging talent and based on the premise of his previous success, his show will be keenly scrutinised.


All in all, LFW is going to be watched for its host of emerging designers, with names like Abhishek Dutta and Samar Firdos showing promise. Besides, there are the established names like Narendra Kumar, whose last show featured well structured clothes and visual theatrics, Surily Goel (riot of colour and Bollywood drama) and Arjun Saluja, who has shown natural flair.