Lotus Make-up India Fashion Week S’19

The Lotus Make-up India Fashion Week that started with monochromatic designs on the runway, ended with a holistic tribute in the form of a ‘Rainbow’ show on the last day. More than forty designers from across India came together with their interpretations of the historic article 377 judgement by the Supreme Court of India.

Rainbows are reigning supreme in India as the Indian Penal Code recently scrapped Section 377, which criminalises homosexuality. Since fashion has always been a form of showcasing one’s individuality, more than forty fashion designers from across India came together for the gallant grand finale to showcase the ‘rainbow theme’, at the Lotus Make-up India Fashion Week (LMIFW) S’19, which concluded recently.

It was the first time when so many designers, including Manish Malhotra, had come together to show their respective work, based on one single celebratory theme which was undivided by any gender or sexuality, as transgender models and genderfluid outfits graced the stage, paving a way for a more inclusive society.

Global interpretation of unique storylines of weaves

With beauty brand Lotus Make-up as the new title sponsor for India Fashion week 2019 (LMIFW), the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) organised the four-day event celebrating beauty, glamour and fashion through cultural and socio-economic storylines in their designs. As the show unfolded, it saw several celebrities walk the ramp for their designer friends – from Sonakshi Sinha, Huma Qureshi, Athiya Shetty to Tabu, Bollywood actors enthralled the audience.

On the first day, it was the Indo-Australian Project, wherein five Australian designers worked with Indian handloom weavers to create capsule collections. Rimzim Dadu’s HUEMN Spring Season collection was influenced by the ambience of conflict ridden Kashmir set against its raw beauty and the hope and pride in its growing youth. The stark contrast of what has passed in the state and what is to come, formed the backdrop of the narrative.

It was also the first time in India that virtual reality was being used live for a fashion show. The virtual world was used as a canvas to interpret designers collection with Google Tilt Brush.

Designers today are taking inspiration from the bygone era to create ensembles that are modern and waste-free. The second day of the show thus saw designers Pratima Pandey and Bhumika Jyoti adopt a zero-waste policy. Actress Sushmita Sen turned showstopper for the day and wore a green gown that symbolised the tulip flower along with a turban, setting the headgear trend strong for the season.

The third day of the show was taken over by Silk saris, khadi maxis and ikat pantsuit. While designer Architha Narayanam’s designs titled ‘Garden Rose’ were about soft pastels and mild neon lehengas with Prachi Desai as the showstopper, WNW (Warp n Weft) designs titled ‘Dejhoor’ showcased bold hues like orange and red with Yami Gautam ending in style. The FDCI had also collaborated with the Japanese Embassy to bring promising designers like Atsushi Nakashima to LMIFW.

For the finale, the main show area was decked up with rainbow coloured frames and slogans like ‘love has no gender’ in cut out hearts. As promised, it was the main highlight of the show and ended with a tribute to the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer) community.