A show-stopping affair

The glamorous Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) is back with a bang as it celebrates 20 years of introducing and propelling new talent and design. Likewise, the season will be an amalgamation of fresh, emerging talent and established names in the fashion industry, setting an unparalleled benchmark for inclusivity, sustainability, creativity, and diversity.

Ace designers Manish Arora, Ritu Kumar, Shivan and Narresh, Samant Chauhan, Gauri and Nainika, Payal Singhal, Anand Kabra, Pankaj and Nidhi, Rina Singh, Kunal Rawal and Amit Aggarwal — among many others — will present breathtaking collections from February 12 to 16 at JioWorld Garden. The opening ceremony on Tuesday is dedicated entirely to their Gen Next programme, with features from alumni and newcomers alike.

Thirty Gen Next designers, who made their start in the fashion industry through the programme, will present modernised representations of an iconic look from their debut collections. Taking forward LFW’s pursuit of recognising new and emerging talent, four new designers have also been given the chance to showcase their creations this season.

Additionally, the week will see a forum featuring Ananya Panday, who will address cyberbullying and her SoPositive campaign in an interactive session with Anaita Shroff Adajania. Meanwhile, veteran designer Manish Malhotra will be part of The Voice of Fashion session on Questions No One Asks. PETA will also be launching an exclusive campaign on vegan fashion.

Besides their initiatives at Sustainable Fashion Day, LFW in association with Sankalp Taru Foundation will initiate a ‘TREES OF LFW’ campaign this season to help reduce fashion’s carbon footprint through tree plantation in various farmlands across Maharashtra. The new and improved Showroom — comprising display areas made of sustainable material — will take place at the Sea Link Promenade Garden, which is a carbon-neutral garden.

Speaking about the upcoming season, Ashwath Swaminathan, Head of Innovations, Lakmé says, “Every season, our focus is to introduce new beauty trends brought alive on the runway. Summer/Resort 2020 marks the 20-year celebration of Lakmé Fashion Week, so we are thrilled to partner with Amit Aggarwal for the Lakmé Absolute Grand Finale to bring alive the theme of #BetterIn3D through his futuristic collection.”

Talking about celebrating 20 years, Jaspreet Chandok, Head—Lifestyle Businesses, IMG Reliance Ltd, says, “This season marks a milestone. Season on season, we have set benchmarks in the field of fashion and beauty. We will have the best of talent gracing Lakmé Fashion Week and remain committed towards the growth of the Indian fashion industry and sustainability.”

However, the highlight of the week will be designer Kunal Rawal’s show, set in the backdrop of Asiatic Library and Bandra Sea Link Promenade Garden.

THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD

l    Amit Aggarwal makes his debut as the Lakmé Absolute Grand Finale designer of the season
l    Gen Next Alumni to come together for a nostalgic Opening Show presented by Trends
l    Manish Arora makes a comeback with a colourful and vibrant presentation ‘We Are Family’, an ode to the LGBTQIA community
l    India’s Largest Sustainability Award – Circular Design Challenge, a collaboration between Reliance’s R|Elan ‘Fashion For Earth’, Lakme Fashion Week and United Nations Environment
l    Programme, to return to Sustainable Fashion Day
lKunal Rawal’s show by the Bandra Sea-link promenade Garden
l    NEXA presents Samant Chauhan and Gauri & Nainika for menswear and womenswear respectively
l    Corcal Bone & Beauty presents Payal Singhal for a show that denotes #BeautifullyStrong
l    Ritu Kumar returns to Lakmé Fashion Week with a sustainable collection in collaboration with LENZING™ ECOVERO™ for a Sustainable Fashion Day Finale
l    Rina Singh’s Eka to showcase her sustainable collection in association with Telangana State Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society Ltd, Government of Telangana
l    Pankaj and Nidhi to return to Lakmé Fashion Week with R|Elan™
l    Reebok and Chola to collaborate for a high energy performance show that launches Reebok’s new collection
l    Lakmé Fashion Week partners with Diamond Producers Association to present the 3 rd season of ‘The Real Cut’, a program that will enable natural diamond jewellery designers to collaborate with fashion designers
l    Anand Kabra’s comeback collection will feature reinvention of his signature embroidery techniques
l    Afroz Shah Foundation in collaboration with IMG Reliance to address tackling of multi-laye packaging problem
l    Shivan and Narresh to present a collection in collaboration with Caprese
l    A unique walkthrough commemorating 20 years of Lakme Fashion Week set to take everyone on a trip down memory lane