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Recap Of 20 Glorious Years Of Lakmé Fashion Week

Recap Of 20 Glorious Years Of Lakmé Fashion Week

Rashmi Bhosale
Kareena Kapoor Khan for Gauri & Nainika at Lakme Fashion Week WF’19 in Mumbai | Source: Yogen Shah

We’re still reeling from the amazing #5DaysOfFashion that we experienced last month. The Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2019 edition showcased some amazing styles and fashion trends to look out for the upcoming season. The luxurious colours, desi and contemporary silhouettes and the overall sustainable direction of the fashion week made sure we won’t forget it easily. But this edition was extra special!

Katrina Kaif for Manish Malhotra at Lakme Fashion Week WF’19 in Mumbai | Source: Viral Bhayani

With this edition, Lakmé Fashion Week celebrated it’s 20 years in this glamorous industry. Being an enigmatic platform and institution for designers across India, Lakmé Fashion Week became the hub for talent and the best that India has to offer to the fashion industry. Over the course of two glorious decades, it has charted its journey to new heights with some iconic moments that’ll be remembered forever. Here’s a look at them:

1. The First-Ever Lakmé Fashion Week

The very first edition of Lakmé Fashion Week took place in the year 1999, with 33 designers from eight cities across the country. It was held in the Taj Palace Convention Centre where the designers showcased their prêt lines through 24 fashion shows over seven days.

2. The ‘Gen Next’

As mentioned earlier, Lakmé Fashion Week has become a platform for upcoming and new designers and emerging talent. Along those lines, their initiative, ‘Gen Next’, which was introduced 27 seasons ago, became the launchpad for some of the most sought-after names today in the Indian fashion industry. 260 designers have made their debut under the ‘Gen Next’ designer program. Aneeth Arora of Péro, Kallol Datta, Masaba Gupta and Rahul Mishra are a few of the alumni of this platform.

Gen Next Masaba Gupta 2010

3. Indian Textile Day, Now Known As, Sustainable Fashion Day

With the introduction of Indian Textile Day, the intention was to focus on the indigenous crafts and textiles that are foundations of the Indian fashion industry. The very first Indian Textile Day was part of Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2009 edition. Broadening this idea and keeping a sustainable future in mind, it’s now known as Sustainable Fashion Day. It has become a platform that brings together weavers, craftsmen and designers to create meaningful fashion for the present and the future.

Indian Textile Day LFW

4. Kareena Kapoor Khan‘s First Grand Finale Walk For Lakmé Fashion Week

Kareena Kapoor Khan first walked the ramp for designer Manish Malhotra in 2011. Now, she has become synonyms to the grand finale.

Kareena Kapoor walks for Manish Malhotra

5. Carol Gracias Flaunts Her Baby Bump On The Runway

Supermodel Carol Gracias briefly came back to the runway and proudly flaunted her baby bump for her favourite designer Gaurang Shah at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2016. This one made headlines for all the right reasons.

Carol Gracias For Gaurang Shah at LFW

6. Kareena Walked For The Grand Finale By Sabyasachi With A Baby Bump

Speaking of baby bumps on the runway, Kareena walked the ramp as the showstopper for the grand finale of Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2016 by Sabyasachi Mukherjee while she was pregnant. The pregnancy glow was evident and even befitting to the regal show that Sabyasachi presented.

Kareena Kapoor Khan for Sabyasachi Mukherjee

7. Post-pregnancy Grand Finale Walk By Kareena

Again, this grand finale made headlines because it was just a month after Kareena gave birth to Taimur Ali Khan. She walked as a showstopper for Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2017 grand finale show by Anita Dongre.

Anita Dongre’s Alchemy At The Grand Finale Of Lakmé Fashion Week Summer Resort 2017 With Showstopper Kareena Kapoor Khan

8. Fashion For A Cause

For the first time, the runway transformed into a medium to promote a cause. For Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2013 edition, 40 designers came together to put forth fashion for a cause with the ‘Save Our Tigers’ initiative. The collections were then retailed with the proceeds going towards tiger conservation.

Save Our Tigers At LFW SR 2013

9. Manish Malhotra Presented The Blue Runway Collection

Manish Malhotra launched WEvolve, a global campaign which challenged existing social norms that lead to gender-based violence at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2015. It was an off-site show held in the old-world ambience of the Great Eastern Home, and the campaign was launched in partnership with the World Bank, UN Women and ELLE India.

Blue Runway By Manish Malhotra

10. India’s First-Ever Cruise Show

Another first was the dramatic grand opening show of Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2017. Befitting the season, the show by Monisha Jaising took place on the cruise. The landscape of an international luxury cruise liner played its part right for this regal collection.

Monisha Jaising at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2018

11. First Transgender Model To Walk The Ramp In India

Spreading the message of inclusivity, India’s first transgender model, Anjali Lama walked the ramp of Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2017 for the very first time. It put a spotlight on Anjali and Lakmé Fashion Week.

Champagne by Pinakin at Lakme Fashion Week SR’17

12. Shades Of India

A unique collaboration between Lakmé Fashion Week, Kranti (an NGO that empowers girls from Mumbai’s red-light areas to be agents of social change) and designer Mandeep Nagi of Shades Of India saw the runway of Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2017 transform for an unexpected presentation.

Mandeep Nagi Of Shades Of India In Collaboration With Kranti NGO

13. First-Ever Plus Size Show

Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2016 edition held its first-ever plus-size model audition, followed by a show for men and women. The show was a collaboration between aLL- The Plus Size Store, a retail brand, and ace designer Wendell Rodricks.

LFW’s First-Ever Plus Size Show

14. Age No Bar

Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2018 challenged another perception of fashion. Half full | Curve by designers Rixie Bhatia and Tinka Bhatia chose models of all ages, from 18 to 80 and proved that when it comes to fashion, age is just a number.

Half Full | Curve at Lakme Fashion Week SR18

15. International designer Naeem Khan‘s Presentation At Lakmé Fashion Week

After making a mark in New York with his eponymous label launched in 2003, Naeem Khan came to India after a decade to showcase his collection at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2013.

Naeem Khan at Lakmé Fashion Week

16. Return Of The Maestro: Manish Arora

It was a homecoming for Manish Arora as he showcased his collection in India after six long years. His presentation at Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2017 was his Paris collection and denoted his return to the Indian Fashion Industry.

Manish Arora at Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2017

17. Supermodel Padma Lakshmi Walked For Tarun Tahiliani

Lakmé Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2017 presented a supermodel surprise for everyone as the TV host and cookbook author, Padma Lakshmi, walked the ramp as a showstopper for Tarun Tahiliani.

Tarun Tahiliani’s Chashme Shahi At Lakmé Fashion Week Spring Summer 2017 With Showstopper Padma Lakshmi

18. Cirque du Soleil Performance At A Grand Finale

How to make a larger-than-life grand finale? Have a performance by Cirque du Soleil, of course! That’s exactly how Monish Jaising‘s grand finale began at Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2018.

Cirque du Soleil At LFW Grand Finale

19. The ‘Gender Bender’ Show

Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2018 witnessed a unique presentation by 4 India designer labels; Anaam, Bloni, Bobo Calcutta and The Pot Plant.  The ‘Gender Bender’ show was an inclusive detour to fashion and showcased their versions of the gender-neutral fashion.

#GENDERBENDER ANAAM THE POT PLANT BOBO CALCUTTA BLONI at Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2018 | Source: Yogen Shah

20. Union Minister For Textiles, Smriti Irani, Launched Project SU.RE

The Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2019 saw a special move by India towards sustainable fashion on the Sustainable Fashion Day. The Union Minister for Textiles, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani launched Project SU.RE along with the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI), United Nations in India and IMG Reliance. SU.RE stands for ‘Sustainable Resolution’ – a firm commitment from the industry to move towards fashion that contributes to a clean environment.

Mr Jaspreet Chandok, Ms Renata Lok – Dessallien, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani and Mr Rahul Mehta at the inauguration of SU.RE At LFW

Wow! These two decades of Lakmé Fashion Week had some monumental effect on the Indian fashion industry, and we’re so glad to be part of this indispensable journey.

Don’t forget to follow #MMAtLFWWF19 on @missmalinifashion, @missmalinibeauty, @missmalini on Instagram and @MissMalini on Twitter to get all the LFW updates from this season’s edition!