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With an endeavor to provide a national platform and shine a light on talented designers across the fashion spectrum in India, the Fashion Design Council of India presented two labels as part of a new showcase as part of Sustainable Fashion Day of Lakmé Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI.
Titled ‘FDCI Innovators’, the presentation featured different perspectives on French culture by designer Nitin Bal Chauhan and label Akaaro by Gaurav Jai Gupta.
Commenting on the first-ever ‘FDCI Innovators’ showcase, Sunil Sethi, Chairman, FDCI said, “At FDCI, we are constantly working towards and launching initiatives that bring to the fore, some of the most talented designers and labels in the country. As we enter a new era of design, it is extremely important for us to showcase these voices, whose creations will set the course for a varied approach to fashion. Both these designers have shown promising fashion moments in the past and have distinct perspective on the idea of fashion and design. We are very happy with the reception of the presentation that the audiences witnessed on the runway.”
AKAARO – THE SKY IS MINE
It was a chance visit by designer Gaurav Jai Gupta to the Yves Klein retrospective at the Centre Pompidou in Paris that turned into a three-year exploration, which ended in the Autumn/Winter 2023 line for his label ‘Akaaro’.
The collection “The Sky is Mine” was inspired by the project ‘The Sky is Blue’ from the international Klein Blue that the French artist visualised. Adopting this unique artistic approach to fashion, the ‘Akaaro’ brand brought to centre stage its signature handwoven fabrics that were masterly developed using unconventional materials like stainless steel, Merino wool, monofilament silk, along with cotton for a grand exploration and potential of the colour blue.
There were magical blues that brought visions of Lord Shiva in sharp focus, as the hues ranged from deep blue that were reminiscent of outer space, or glossy shades from computer programmes and artificial intelligence that moved on the futuristic theme of the show.
There was a great explosion of straight lines as they merged creatively with concentric circles and abstract forms that further added beauty to this contemporary collection of garments.
“The Sky is Mine” by the ‘Akaaro’ label created by Gaurav Jai Gupta, looked at fashion through an innovative prism, when it came to showcasing Indian art, textiles and fashion.
Gaurav Jai Gupta said, “It was a great experience to showcase my collection at Lakmé Fashion Week X FDCI almost after six years. My last show was in 2017. I started my career with FDCI, so being part of the FDCI Innovators showcase made it all the more special. It felt like life has come a full circle.”
NITIN BAL CHAUHAN – THE OUTSIDER
Nitin Bal Chauhan’s collection “The Outsider” had a very unconventional inspiration at Lakmé Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI. The designer is known to showcase collections that have inspirations as well as construction, design and silhouettes that make the audience sit up and take notice of the designer’s creative talents.
It was the Albert Camus novel L’Estranger (The Stranger) that encouraged Nitin Bal Chauhan to convey the author’s views through fashion by translating the subtle emotions onto the garments.
The asymmetric silhouettes were the focal point of the look, along with the unusual off-centre design detailing that was eminently eye catching. The juxtaposed panels further added to the inspiration of the collection and created a feeling of absurdity that was derived from the author’s novel.
Layers of textures formed the base of the look, while the 3D hand embroidery, which is the designer’s signature touch was observed on the clothes, shoes and even headgear.
Nitin Bal Chauhan is renowned for his clothes that have a marked punk flavour and this season too, his extensive use of metal on the garments projected a neo-minimal punk look.
When fashion aficionados want to create a stylish stir, then “The Outsider” collection by Nitin Bal Chauhan will ensure that they are definitely on the inside track of the fashion story.
Nitin Bal Chauhan, said, “It doesn’t get bigger in this country – Lakmé Fashion Week X FDCI is the best platform and with the best talent. So definitely we wanted to bring in our best notions to surprise the audience with something refreshing and new so that it doesn’t get dull and boring. This is what matters. We push boundaries and make things that look different.”
