Lakmē Fashion Week X FDCI: Runway Highlights Rooted In Craft, Sustainability, Handmade India And Star Power

The 25th edition of Lakmē Fashion Week in partnership with the Fashion Design Council of India has just concluded after a five-day celebration at The Grand in Delhi. This anniversary edition was special for many reasons; it echoed that ‘hand-made in India’ is crafted for the world with the newly-opened crafts mall The Kunj being the backdrop for the opening day’s showcase. Further, we saw several collections that paid homage to local Indian crafts and sustainability such as NIF Global Presents GenNext designers focussing on Ajrakh craft, upcycled waste creations, natural dyes, and hand-painting on eco-friendly fibres like Kala Cotton. The fashion show also stunned us with boldest debuts where we saw lingerie turn into couture in a nod to women’s desires and fantasies. Not to miss was star power with Tabu, Mrunal Thakur, Vaani Kapoor, Aneet Padda, amongst others stealing the spotlight at fashion shows and over 20 designers presenting their new-season ready-to-wear lines.

Below are some of the biggest highlights of the 25th edition of Lakmē Fashion Week that brought craft, sustainability, unconventional debuts, diversity, and unveiled new creative roles shaping the fashion spectrum in India.

India on the map

Marking its silver jubilee, Lakmē Fashion Week opened at The Kunj, the first of its kind luxury handicrafts mall in India. Designer Anavila Mishra showcased her collection Sarmast with handwoven linen, appliquéd satin, and delicate French lace, while label Akaaro put a spotlight on handwoven silk, khadi silk, cotton, metallic threads, and their signature kinjis along with The Edit by The Kunj. It set the tone for the key message: ‘Handmade in India, crafted for the world’ showing that the country is well in tandem with the global fashion trends and it’s time we recognise our handicrafts, local crafts, fabrics that are versatile enough to be tailored for the global contemporary wearer.

Aditi Rao Hydari joins Satya Paul

The Lakmē Fashion Week was also full of surprises. In a major announcement, actor Aditi Rao Hydari joined as Co-Creative Director for Satya Paul joining forces with Creative Directors David Abraham, Rakesh Thakore and Kevin Nigli, for an exclusive collection, coming out next year. The brand hosted an immersive showcase at Lakmē Fashion Week to make the announcement, making this collaboration Aditi’s first foray into creative direction and writing a new chapter for the renowned label.

Debut of lingerie couture

In a boundary-pushing collaboration, lingerie brand Enamor collaborated with maximalist label Papa Don’t Preach to present A Luxury Curation turning lingerie into embellished couture. Drawing from Autumn Celestial Energy, the collection featured corsets, lace bralettes, balconettes, slip dresses, and shimmering capes, bringing intimate wear into conversation. It dispelled ideas around shame, secrecy and conservatism and empowered women to freely express their inner desire and fantasies.

A homage to Zubeen Garg

Designer Sanjukta Dutta offered a heartfelt tribute to the late legendary Assamese singer Zubeen Garg with her collection Gadhuli- The Twilight, melding traditional Assamese weaves with modern silhouettes. Her showcase at Lakmē Fashion Week became a heartfelt moment when Miss Asia University, Rewati Chetri, walked the ramp in a black and maroon Mekhela Chador adorned with Zubeen’s sketches and song lyrics in a homage to the singer who died in a recent tragedy.

All eyes on GenNext

The NIF Global Presents GenNext platform celebrated its 40th edition by spotlighting three emerging talents namely Mohammed Anas Sheikh, Anam Husain, and Pranita Choudhury who made waves with their collections rooted in craft, innovation and sustainability. Sheikh’s label 23°N 69°E paid homage to Ajrakh craft through natural dyes, mirror-work, and personal hand-painting on Kala Cotton. Husain’s Cut-Putly collection reimagined Rajasthan’s Kathputli dolls using repurposed sculpted denim crafted from nearly 1,000 kgs of post-consumer waste. Choudhury’s Recalling collection brought Bengali script block prints, Kantha embroidery, and natural fabrics like Eri silk and Chanderi to the focus.

A starry runway

The runway sizzled with celebrity showstoppers whose presence aligned with the collections on showcase. From the evergreen beauty Tabu walking for ITRH’s Noor bridal edit in an embroidered green anarkali, actor Mrunal Thakur turning showstopper for Pankaj & Nidhi’s Araquis collection in a show about empowered femininity to Vaani Kapoor walking for Mahima Mahajan’s Fanah collection in a pastel floral lehenga, each celebrity brought their star power.

The runway also had emerging actors such as Vishal Jethwa of Homebound fame who walked for Jigar & Nikita’s 11°E collection,  B**ds of Bollywood actor Sahher Bambba who turned heads in a bold monochrome glam look from Richa Khemka’s collection Vantage, and Saiyaara actor Aneet Padda closing the show for Tarun Tahiliani on the last day.