Krishna Mehta, Vaishali Shadangule showcase collection at LFW

It was a free spirited, vibrant, line that had all the designer touches, which Krishna is well known for. Rugged linen and twill cotton made fashionable music with smooth satin and rich traditional brocades. 

Florals were prominent in daring hues; while the chromatic alchemy of prints was highlighted by embroidered graphic patterns.

Brocades from Varanasi, jamdanis from Bengal, tussars from Bhagalpur and silk muls from Maheshwar; were the star of the show along with the block prints that were hand carved by artisans in Farukhabad.

The colours were a magnificent line up of fuchsia, orange and red, which moved gradually to relaxing cool tones of indigo, black and purple with bursts of embroidery and hints of ivory. Block prints lots of tie/dye motifs and a riot of prints were part of the multilayered creations.

The bohemian influence was prevalent in the oriental touches and opulent silhouettes. 

From short sexy asymmetrical creations to floor kissing apparel, high waist fluid trousers and cinched at the waist pleated skirts, the collection offered varied options.

Creating visions of beauty was the Lucknowi multicoloured embroidery on the jackets, tunics, waistcoats and kedios.

Startling visions on the catwalk were the high waist gathered skirt with embroidered waistband, red printed asymmetric tunic, blue cowl skirt and dress and the ecru tulip pants.

 The dhoti pants with printed tunic and shaded palazzos along with khadi pyjama gave an Indo-west look to the collection. The three saris were vibrant in print and colour with shibori and teamed with embroidered kedios or vests.

For women who long for extreme luxury in fabrics, prints and colours along with a dollop of contemporary spirit, Krishna Mehta's 1970's inspired fun collection had the right look.

Inspired by the traditional performing art form of India in Maharashtra, Vaishali Shadangule's collection called "Behrupia" (or Songadi) inspired her to use this theme. Like the thread which changes its form on the looms and keeps attracting the buyers like the Behrupia does in public with disguises and hidden identity; the creations reflected this theme.

Like the human Behrupia Vaishali zeroed in on the thread, which turns into Khand, the fabulous textile of Maharashtra, which has an amazing hand weave. Mixing Khand with khadi Vaishali reinvented the textiles and presented them in modern shapes with intricate geometric construction for dual tone creations.

The colour palette was muted with white, black, maroon, grey, blue and gold for short and long dresses with hints of drapes.

The show opened with a belted grey dress with maroon collar and cowl back followed by a lean column long dress. Draped angular one- shoulder creation, pleated fuchsia mini skirt or a sheath with the same detailing, a modern version of the cheongsam were blended skilfully for traditional fabrics with contemporary silhouettes. A royal blue toga with intricate drape, the white long sheer trench coat and layered organza Khand choli were innovative constructions from Vaishali.

The stylish creation with maroon bodice and white layered shoulder drape was a study in intricate construction. The deep blue lean maxi with side panels, the stunning gown with cut-out back and the halter asymmetric maxi creation in grey/black/white checked/striped were stunners.

The one-shoulder draped blue gown, another in deep green, the stylish white khadi/Khand long sleeved summer coat and the dramatic cowl neck shifts were intricately crafted entries on the ramp.

The final white khadi sari with a grey/white layered choli sporting a front tie-up was a super end.

For lovers of Indian textiles with a creative twist, Vaishali Shadangule's "Behrupia" collections will always add a surprise element to the wardrobe.