Fashion Weeks have gone digital this year. At the recently concluded Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week (LMIFW) organised by the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) and the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week (LFW), the backstage frenzy has been largely replaced by fashion films. Designers have been showcasing their collections through films shot mostly outdoors, enabling safety protocols for the models during the pandemic. For once, the focus is more on the collections rather than showstoppers or the front row celebrities.
Here are a few collections by Hyderabad designers:
Ode to Taramati
Gaurang Shah
Filmed in the picturesque Taramati Baradari with Sufi music wafting through the heritage structure, Gaurang Shah’s collection ‘Taramati’ featured 30 handwoven saris. Showcased on the Sustainable Day of LFW, the collection prided itself in creating a heritage line of saris that inspires from the aura of the bygone era. The fashion film is a throwback to the past, when Hyderabad evenings were characterised by dance and music. The intricacies of ikat weaving, the finery of Kanchi silk, the painstaking Patan Patola double ikat weave, kota, uppada, Benarsi, paithani and complex jamdani weaves were all part of this heirloom collection. The handwoven saris are accentuated with aari embroidery, chikankari, kasuti, kantha and Parsi embroidery, among other techniques. The colour palette varies from beige to sunny yellows, wine reds to magenta and purple, and greens.
The wildflower
Archana Rao
An Archan Rao spring-summer 2021 ensemble 
The LMIFW focussed on spring-summer 2021 and looking ahead to the season, Archana has put forth a collection that subtly incorporates the floral motif. Titled ‘Do you suppose she’s a wildflower?’, the line has saris, dresses and functional separates. The pastel hues of dusty pink and ivory whites that Archana’s label is known for, pervades this collection too. The ensembles come alive with ruffles, floral motifs sewn such that they seem perched on the fabric, and pearl embroidery detailing. The label underplays the embellishments, believing that less is more. The label looks to transcend fickle fashion trends and promote slow fashion, as it moves towards being a zero-waste fashion house.
(Jayanti Reddy and Anushree Reddy will be showcasing their collections at LFW on October 24)
