Editor’s Picks: 9 Best Collections From The #LMIFW AW’19 Runway

The fashion week hustle isn’t something new to me. So were I was obviously extremely familiar with the drill—lots of social media coverage, complaining about the network, loading up on Americanos, chatting it up with celebrities, being in awe of the makeup and hair backstage and wanting to own almost everything from the runway—and this season of Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week Autumn Winter 2019 was no different.

I began my journey to the capital along with my Features Director, Alisha Fernandes and fellow writer, Rashmi Bhosale functioning on approximately 4 hours of sleep. So incidentally eyeshadow was unblended, shoes were worn in the car and perfume sprayed as we walked into the open space at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium—even though I was kinda physically unprepared for all the runway awesomeness I was about to experience, my mind was ready to take it all in!

A new season meant new designs, fresh fashion and styling ideas on the runway. LMIFW AW’19 served up everything from Siddartha Tytler‘s take on grunge athleisure to Doh Tak Ke’s ‘kachra’ couture (as the designer herself called it) and let me just say that it was all worthy of every double-tap. So today, I’m taking you through seven of my favourite collections that were showcased in these past 4 days at Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week AW’19.

1. Doh Tak Ke

Literally translating into ‘2 paise’ this designer was inspired by the BTS of fashion. Her collection ‘Sola Maala’ told the stories of the karigars, dyers, weavers and artisans who make the very clothes one sees on the runway. She used waste materials such as plastic bottles, wrappers, packaging and told their stories thourgh her garments.

Doh Tak Keh At Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week AW’19

2. Vaishali Studio

Some might think that the saree blouse is just something that complements the saree but Vaishali Studio saw it in a whole different light. The collection has a contemporary take on traditional aesthetics where she used a century old weave called Khun. This form of weaving has a deep cultural and spiritual significance but as years passed, the art of Khun has seen a downfall.

I observed the same when I recently visited Guledgudda, a small but historically rich oasis of fabric in Karnataka, where the art of the centuries old weave “KHUN” has been close to death.

Through the sarees and statement-making blouses she showed us her take of modern silhouettes crafted with this gorgeous weave. Each design was unique and one that would definitely be a conversation starter in the room.

Vaishali Studio At Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week AW’19

3. Samant Chauhan

The way Samant Chauhan crafts garments doesn’t compare to anyone else and this time his collection vibed with us just right. On a canvas of white, he gave us dresses, gowns, and jackets with detailed embroidery that showcased the layers of being a woman—the harmony, the truth, and the conflicts. The floral embroidery in shades of pink, orange, rust, and burgundy spelled that out pretty perfectly.

Samant Chauhan At Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week AW’19

4. Rohit Kamra

A dubstep-esque Rajasthani track set the mood for Rohit Kamra’s show and I was ready for all desi inspo! He stuck to a colour palette of white, grey, creame, beige and black for his AW’19 line. What I personally loved seeing were the sherwanis and kurtas he made for women. He used mirror work and coral bead embroidery to give his collection a regal edge. 17th century India believed that the use of mirrors help trap and blind the evil eye and helps reflect bad luck and evil away from the individual wearing—facts like these, along with the kind of materials and silhouettes we spotted at Rohit Kamra’s collection reinstate my passion towards Indian crafts as well as Indian wear.

Guneet Monga and Aparshakti Khurana with Rohit Kamra At Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week AW’19

Rohit Kamra At Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week AW’19

5. Siddhartha Bansal

Siddhartha Bansal’s collection would vibe perfectly with every millennial out there as it did with me. His line was all about detailed prints, bright colours, and statement accessories—a combination that I would never usually wear but this showcase convinced me to reach out for more colours as opposed to blacks.

What I especially appreciated about his collection was the incorporation of statements like ‘Flower Power’, ‘Wake Up Shake Up’ in the most understated way—it wasn’t in your face but there enough to draw your attention towards it.

6. Nikita Mhaisalkar

Winter hues took center stage at Nikita Mhaisalkar’s AW’19 showcase as shades of olive green, navy, earthy pinks and brown. Her biggest source of inspiration was the natural beauty of Autumn in the woods and so her collection aimed to bring the same feeling alive. Each garment was built with so much attention to detail and each look styled so impeccably that it’d make you want to own everything in a jiffy.

7. Nitin Bal Chauhan

Pop art makeup, 3D embellishments in a pallette of black and white introducted us to Nitin Bal Chauhan’s AW’19 collection. Drawing inspiration from the graphic novel, From Hell by Eddie Campbell and Alan More, each of his garments was a work of art.

8. Dolly J

Glamour, flounce, and fabulosity is what Dolly J’s designs are about and her AW’10 collection was all about that and more. I used my slow-mo feature to its maximum as each of her flowy, breezy garments made their way to the runway proving that there is no such thing as too much ‘flare’ in a garment.

9. Siddarth Tytler

Grunge met athleisure at Siddarth Tytler’s newest collection. He not only gave us runway-worthy looks but ones that are so wearable, and stylish for the winter season—and isn’t that the dream combination? There was sparkle, trendy silhouettes and loads of glamour packed in one show.

Which of these collections did you like best? Do let me know in the comments below!

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