When I go through five days of intense fashion, I end up having withdrawal symptoms on the sixth day and that is exactly what happens to me after every Lakmé Fashion Week. What shall I do next day? My life was so well tabulated from noon to midnight. Regular fashion shows, meals and hard work with 15 minute deadlines hanging six times a day like Damocles’ sword! What a great life! It kept me organised and made me lose a couple of inches too.

Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2010 was a very satisfying five-day fashion odyssey. Great, glittering, glitzy bridal wear glided down the ramp from talented designers like Shymal and Bhumika, Abhi Rahul and even resort wear specialist Anupama Dayal and punk wear queen Rehane presented some grand wedding wear.

Nachiket Barve proved he can dream up subtly pretty saris and kurtas too; and Vivek Kumar taught me never to junk old wires, motors, eclectic circuits and sliders. They will make ideal embellishments for my dresses.

The Defining the Future of Fashion Show featuring ten Gen Next Stars gave me a great feeling that the future of Indian fashion is in good hands while the newbies – the six Gen Next debutants proved that they will go a long way.

It was great to see the Paris collection of whiz star designer Manish Arora with so much electric energy in his clothes and designs. Manish Malhotra and Neeta Lula kept the Bollywood flag flying with their creations meant for the divas in the front row.

The Catwalk by TIGI show featuring Arjun Saluja made me wonder how this designer can think of such extreme construction and finish. There was something interesting in the collections of Ritu Kumar, Anita Dongre Krishna Mehta and Payal Singhal.

Specialists of the ecofriendly genre, Digvijay Singh, Soumitra Mondal and Paromita Banerjee went the khadi way to show fabulous collections. Jewellery by Eina Ahluwalia, Malini Agarwala and Suhani Pittie was totally avant garde. Narendra Kumar’s off site Tote show was the best fashion bet as he transported the audience to a Mumbai local train platform. For his ‘Killer Nari’ show it was a new look at denim with a killer instinct!

I’m not much of a Bollywood star watcher but the tinsel town parade kept me amazed. When the photographs’ pit gets noisy and in frenzy, I know there is a biggie in the audience. The icing on the cake was the appearance of Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan at Nachiket Barve’s show. The line up on and off the ramp was glittering with loyal divas cheering their favorite designers.

The much awaited Gypsy collection at the Grand Finale inspired by Lakmé’s Gypsy colour line was by the very feisty Malini Ramani and proved a perfect end to Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2010.

Another season is over. It’s time to unwind, slow down a little because six months can pass in a jiffy and soon it will be Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2011 time. I’m waiting impatiently for it, as it gets me organised, in shape and on my toes, which does wonders for my skin, weight, diet and body. Now who says excess of fashion is bad for the body and mind?

Tresmode's 7 foot tall shoe art

LFW models wearing Tresmode shoes

The Devil may wear Prada but look what the hotties will be wearing at LFW this season. Nothing screams “fashion” louder than a giant stiletto right? Besides you already know I heart Trèsmode; this year’s official footwear partner for Lakme Fashion Week. This one-of-a-kind 7 foot tall art installation in the shape of a giant stiletto is going to be the spot for many a Kodak moment in the days to come I feel. Hand crafted entirely by artist Paul B. using fragile aluminium wire mesh, this exceptionally challenging installation, weighs 60 kilos (that’s way more than me!) and took over ten days to fabricate. What will they do with it after? Might come in handy if Big Foot fancies finding himself a freakishly tall (albeit fashionable) Cinderella I guess, Lol!

And finally it was closing day of the Lakmé Fashion Week in Mumbai with Delhi-based designer Malini Ramani bringing the curtains down with the grand finale. Firstly, the finale, which was scheduled to begin at 9.30 pm started at 10.30 pm. So, there were guests who were twiddling their thumbs in anticipation. Some even commented if this would even begin today or not. But then, we were all there inside the show area and the colourful show began with thumping beats.

PERFORMANCE TIME: The Audio/Visual clip had Malini come on-screen speaking about the universe, inspirations from nature, yoga benefits and more so, what lies within our hearts and soul – true happiness. It did look a bit like a comic script, where a person would be perched on a lotus and many lights would go revolving behind. So, here was Malini doing just that and announcing her collection’s nomadic inspirations. And then amidst a burst of colours, models showcased the four seasonal looks by Lakmé.

BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: The show showcased a collection with minis, tunics, one-shoulder outfits and kaftans. For the strong-willed, beautifully-built and aesthetically-inclined woman, Malini’s clothes were impeccably- crafted. Different and bold is what I can call these designs.

In between the models line-up was a performance by a 7-feet tall African performer who did somersaults on the ramp and effortlessly moulded his body into garland links made with his arms and legs. The guy was super-flexible. But beyond a point, his writhing muscles and flexible joints started to get us to peak (err puke) point. Phew! in a moment it was done.

MALINI ARRIVES WITH THE FOUR FACES OF LAKMÉ: And then came the end of the show when Malini’s name was announced. She made an entry by being perched on the shoulders of this African performer. Who brought her down like one is descending from a huge tusker. Malini herself showed some yoga postures on the ramp, replete with a feathery outfit, floral tiara and jute wedges.

Malini and the four faces of Lakme including Amrit Maghera, Indrani Dasgupta, Lisa Haydon and new face Shraddha Kapoor (daughter of actor Shakti Kapoor) walked the ramp to take a bow.

The show had an international appeal beyond any doubt and I’m sure the firangs would’ve loved a finale like this. Since, we, the Indians have yoga sciences available at our backyard doorstep and kowri shells, beads and feathers littered near our jogging tracks, we often fail to see the merge between exoticism and dramaticism.

And so the verdict goes that Malini has a strong sensuous appeal in her designs. While many women may like it, few may feel daunted by its bold cuts. Sometimes, clothes can transform a personality, Malini’s clothes are such.

Day 3 of the Lakme Fashion Week saw a fabulous splash of festive colours, something that the previous two days couldn’t pull through. And along with some brilliant designs came stars who we thought would give a skip to LFW this season.

On Sunday, when Ganesh pandals in the city drummed beats of traditional Ganpati songs, some ‘not-very-famous’ but ‘have fire-in-the-belly’ designers were all set to showcase their worked-upon collections.

I’ve always believed that the younger ones take the theme more seriously than the senior ones. Perhaps that’s why the Winter/Festive theme came alive on Day 3 and how…

THE SHOWS:

Masaba Gupta: This girl opened the show on Sunday. Purvi Doshi and VJ Balhara followed. Masu (as Masaba is lovingly called by her pals) created a sensuously-woven and wearable collection. She chose a peppy number of ‘Choli Ke Peeche’ song, made famous years ago by actress Madhuri Dixit’s dhak-dhak moves. Incidentally, Masaba’s mom Neena Gupta had sung this song on-screen in the film Khalnayak. Net sarees, lovely blouse cuts which show the collar bone, anarkalis and more. Now, if the price points remain affordable, Masu’s line will sell. We spotted Jackie Shroff too at the F-row.

Nachiket Barwe: Yes, we all knew he’s got detailing and texturing in his blood. But the way he picked a common subject like the ‘magpie’ bird and weaved an entire story around it only made us wonder and yonder further about his craftsmanship. So, when audiences were thinking about Sunday going sans Bollywood attraction, Nachiket pulled off a coup when Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya walked in to cheer him for his show. Jaya wore Nachiket’s creation of a black saree with panelled border. Big B came for a LFW show, for the very first time.

GOSSIP: We hear that two biggie designers (one gentleman and one lady) who are showcasing on Monday and Tuesday respectively are feeling the jitters because Nachiket got the big stars to his show. Not only were his designs worthy, the star attraction (who wear his clothes often) was tremendous.
Let’s see if someone else can out stage the Big B effect at the LFW.

I love to be pampered at a beauty salon but am quite restless and cannot sit still long enough to experience the relaxed pleasures of a manicure or facial.

It will be hard for many to believe that I wait for a fashion week not only to see the best designs but to get the nicest manicure in town. That’s at the Lakmé Fashion Week every six months. This time for Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2010 there was an added service at the luxurious Lakmé Salon – a nail art experience with the very gentle and expert Arabu from Nagaland.

Waiting impatiently for Arabu to set up his equipment, I was quite excited to experience this first time treatment for my nails. Sitting in front of him I was asked to select the base nail polish. I picked a dusty brown from the Lakmé Gypsy collection the latest in the market for the coming festive season.

28 nail art designs were put before me. Should I go for zebra stripes, leopard spots, checks, strips, bunch of flowers, abstract forms? Sense prevailed and I let Arabu’s creativity take over but cautioned him to keep it simple and minimalist in design.

The result was superb tiny white flowers sprinkled on my nails with a black bead in their centre. A guarantee from Arabu assured me the nail décor will last for a week. No more washing dishes from today for me – will get my son to do that!

I flashed my hands around and waved them like an energetic Italian while talking hoping people would notice my nail art. Many did immediately. While others wondered why I was behaving like a mime artist.

Ah well the smart ones need a wave of a hand to spot art. Waiting for Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2011 – wonder what new beauty treatment I can try out?

The power is with the Gen Next and yes Mumbai knows that…

For some reason, the most breathtaking show on Day 2 of the Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2010 was by not the stalwarts who showcased and that includes Ritu Kumar and Babita Malkani, but by the group of 10 designers who had started from the Gen Next platform themselves some years ago.

Call it a kind of thanksgiving by designers Aneeth Arora, Kallol Dutta, Anuj Sharma, Rahul Sharma, Swapnil Shinde, Nachiket Barwe, Nitin Bal Chauhan, Rahul Mishra, Rimzim Dadu and Sailex Ngairangbam, the group of 10 were equal to the force of 100. Such was their diversity and design expertise.

Celebrating five years of defining fashion with the top ten Gen next designers was a fabulous idea as the buyers did make maximum enquiries with these designers post their show.

THE SHOW:

Aneeth Arora’s ‘Global Local show was aimed at fashionistas around the world. With international trends, traditional fabrics and crafts, this lady showcased the perfect blend of local skills with international styling.

Anuj Sharma thinks out of the box we know (and also shoots way too much truth from his mouth, at times). So he had triangles edged necklines, cloth bubbles outlined bodice, and giant covered buttons were ornaments for the dress, cones appeared on the bustier and tiny 3D motifs on the neck. Only Anuj Sharma could have thought of not using sequins and still done justice.

Kallol Dutta’s kohl-lined eyes were brimming with eagerness on the ramp. He called his line ‘Black Humourist’ and showed his inspiration through quirky funky prints. He chose long sombre silhouettes with lots of cowls in unconventional places but the prints were pure Kallol – a giant fork and spoon imprint on the back of the garments or stars on a black or white background.

Kunal Rawal, yes, the one designer who looks quite the showstopper personality himself came pushing a garbage box on the runway. He had a point sure. His collection called ‘Deconstruction’ unfolded a story , which was seen through the eyes of the karigars.

Nachiket Barwe: This designer, who’s the only ‘black sheep’ from his clan of doctors showcased some mind blowing detailing techniques. Girls in the audience gasped as he opened his show with a multi-coloured bikini and cover. But Nachiket himself needs to usher in some colour in his personal wardrobe (wearing the black shirt way too many times).

Nitin Bal Chauhan: He preferred to blend social causes with fashion so this time he called his line “Freedom! Freedom” and used as his inspiration the Government and the Naxalite problem.

Rahul Mishra: He used organic khadi with a toga drape, and showed zari hand embroidery on black. Very wearable collection.

Rimizim Dadu: Unconventional and uber stylish on all fronts it was fashion that can be a conversation piece around the globe by Rimzim.

Sailex Ngairangbam: This Nagaland boy knows his craft and he showcased pure cocktail glamour for the divas in India and the west that had that ultra devastating touch.

Swapnil Shinde: He is the man who dresses the Bollywood divas in sexy numbers so his ‘Provocative’ show had a futuristic appeal and for some reason I feel Swapnil is absolutely fascinated by the space crafts and stars. This Star Trek boy is star-struck man…