Shovit Dasgupta, Durba Nag, Sharan Kaur showcase 'NOTLIKEYOU' at LFW

Their designs were about the wonder that is India. Something about the rawness of hand woven fabrics drew them to venture into the aesthetics of this widely practised but undermined form of art. The idea was to promote the beauty and create a new hopeful future for this art.

Unusual but unique, the cuts were fun and new like the revival of a 25-year-old sari turned into a cropped top and dirndl skirt set. Each fabric used was painstakingly handmade down to the last inch like the pure Khadi fabrics of Bengal.

Jamdani weaves, hand painted and wood block prints were some of the elements that stood out. An ensemble that was particularly striking was the parrot green tunic, with pleated detailing with a lighter shade of green shawl-draped around the neck. Another lively piece was the pink tented tunic with a wide green border.

A healthy reminder of talent in the very potential of this craft was the ideology behind Shovit Dasgupta’s, Durba Nag’s and Sharan Kaur’s label ‘NOTLIKEYOU’ and certainly achieved it.

‘Yagyaseni: The Warrior from Within’ by Vasundhara Mantri empowered with her collection at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2015

‘Yagyaseni’ was another name for Draupadi, the heroic princess who was firm with a stone hard will, in the Hindu epic ‘The Mahabharata’. Draupadi grew into her own person after emerging through hardships, pains and trials in life. Delving into the moral of the story, the collection told a tale of every women overcoming hurdle after hurdle to find herself in the process.

Using jute as a main component for her designs, Vasundhara judiciously incorporated it along with sheer fabrics to create a stunning fusion between the two. Colours of jute like beige and mud brown were used in jibe with translucent blacks, pearl whites and dull greys.

An element of the apparel that was enrapturing was the Cleopatra-like, front-open jute dress adorned with golden accessories and the black cropped corset amalgamated with a sheer maxi skirt with alternate panels in jute and a beaded gold cape.

The compilation used statement-making jewels that emphasized the power of women, and incorporated it into metal and pearl meshes used in various styles.

The collection comprised jewelled caps, body and leg-chains, mesh gloves, hand harness, cuffs, earrings, jewelled veils and waist backbone.

Fashion at its best, ‘Yagyaseni’ by Vasundhra Mantri was an eye opener for all the ladies to recognize their self-worth, and want to be fashionable in doing so.