IN PICS: Sexy saris set the runway on fire

India's favourite garment at the Lakme Fashion Week

Androgynous fashion may have been prominent at the recently concluded Lakme Fashion Week but the runway also saw a fair share of Indian feminine silhouettes. Saris, the eternal Indian favourite, dominated these designs of which we bring you a select few.

We start out with the this outfit from Pallavi Jaipur's collection. The young designer sought inspiration from the bazaars of Jaipur, each outfit more colourful than the previous one and screaming for attention.

More photos from Pallavi Jaipur's collection here!

Asmita Marwa paid a tribute to the gypsy woman with her latest collection. Shriya Saran dazzles in this somewhat unconventional sari. Teamed with a cowrie choker and cowrie-bordered sling bag, this may not exactly be up your alley even on the office traditional day.

More photos from Asmita Marwa's latest collection here!

Goran Konjevod would have probably never imagined his organic origami work to be part of an Indian outfit. The origami artist who works on creating original designs -- abstract shapes that are naturally formed by the tension of the paper when its layers are arranged according in patterns -- was the inspiration behind this stunning blouse by Astha Narang.

Even as most of Nikhil Thampi's silhouettes were western, you couldn't miss that one rare Indian outfit that sought to blend the two diverse design sensibilities.

Zoroastrian designer Ashdeen Lilaowala presented a beautiful line using the traditional Parsi gara embroidery technique on contemporary and traditional outfits. The motifs of the gara range from floral to Chinese villages to birds. A model glides on the runway in a sari featuring red floral motif over white, a colour that the Zoroastrians associate with purity.

More photos from Ashdeen's collection here!

Also a vision in red and white is this breathtakingly beautiful sari by Soumitra Mondal with traditional embroidery work that almost blends into the background.

More photos from Soumitra's collection here

More photos from Soumitra's collection here

It may have been draped rather simply. But don't miss the intricate embroidery on the pallu and a hint of the stunning Madhubani prints that peeks out from behind it on this sari by Agnimitra Paul.

More photos from Agnimitra Paul's collection here!

Even though it was tad predictable, we couldn't help but notice the calm pastels from Bhairavi Jaikishan's bridal line.

More photos from Bhairavi Jaikishan's collection here!

More photos from Bhairavi Jaikishan's collection here!

India's foremost beachwear designers Shivan and Narresh present... hold your breath... a beach sari!

More photos from Shivan-Narresh's collection here!

Aarti Vijay Gupta's unusual sari designs used unconventional prints inspired by Indian elements like the postal stamps, Indian tiger, the Indian aircraft, coal train, space ship, map of India and even Mahatma Gandhi. Seen here is Gupta's showstopper actor Misti Mukherjee who walked the ramp in a dual map print sari.

More photos from Aarti Vijay Gupta's collection here!

The city of Mumbai was the muse for Archana Kochhar as she presented her line at the Lakme Fashion Week. Seen here is a brightly coloured sari teamed with a daring strappy blouse.

More photos from Archana Kochhar's collection here!

Don't miss the motif of the railway tracks -- Mumbai's lifeline -- on the pallu and a silhouette of the iconic Rajabai Tower at the feet of this sari by Archana Kochhar

More photos from Archana Kochhar's collection here!

Yet another sari by Archana Kochhar, this time with the motif of the BEST bus at the bottom even as the rest of the outfit is a riot of colours.

More photos from Archana Kochhar's collection here!

Perhaps the most extravagant show at the fashion week was one that supported the cause of rural upliftment. Even so, the outfits, designed by Vikram Phadnis, like this sari spelt elegance and opulence.

More photos from Vikram Phadnis' collection here!

Pooja Kaoor paid tribute to the 'warrior-priestess', a woman who in the desiger's words 'strives to use fierce grace in her battle for truth and higher consciousness'. The colours in the line were exclusively shades of white and bright yellows such as this one, seeking to celebrate the woman's calm purity as well as her fiery grace.

More photos from Pooja Kapoor's collection here!

Rimi Nayak's collection called 'Letter Flow' unleashed alphabets and words onto stylish summer wear. A close look at this almost tomboyish sari has prints will reveal the Bengali alphabet all over its blouse.

More photos from Rimi Nayak's collection here!

Presenting their latest collection called Leafage at the Lakme Fashion Week were Shikha and Vinita. This rather simple sari with the leaf motif stands out with the stunning embroidery in black teamed with a gold choli.

Keeping it simple yet sexy, Sailex Ngairangbam's sari may not be the thing to wear to a 'Garden Safari' (as he chose to name his collection) but rather for an evening out at a glamorous do.

More photos from Sailex Ngairangbam's collection here!

Bollywood's favourite designer Manish Malhotra paid a tribute to the industry with a show that celebrated 100 years of Indian cinema. The designer looked at fashion evolving through the decades on the big screen. Here he pays tribute to the black and white era of Hindi cinema in which the demure damsel must be covered completely revealing practically nothing neck downwards!

More photos from Manish Malhotra's collection here!

Finally, we have Manish Malhotra's showstopper, desi girl Priyanka Chopra who made sari sexy again courtesy Dostana doing an encore for Bollywood's favourite designer.

More photos from Manish Malhotra's collection here!