IMAGES: LFW goes fashionably patriotic

Day Two of the Lakme Fashion Week saw designs from Aartivijay Gupta, Anushka Khanna and Sougat Paul. Photographs by Hitesh Harisinghani

Day Two of the Lakme Fashion Week saw designs from Aartivijay Gupta, Anushka Khanna and Sougat Paul.

Designer Aartivijay Gupta opened the Day Two of the Fashion Week in Mumbai.

Her collection titled I Love India combined patriotism to lifestyle in a fashion that became a fitting tribute to the glory of India.

The amazing prints were each inspired by Indian elements like the postal stamps, Indian tiger, the Indian aircraft, coal train, space ship, map of India and even the Father of the Nation- Mahatma Gandhi.

Seen here is a model wearing a long sleeved plunge neck sheath with wide flat collar featuring different elements of the Indian subcontinent.

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The garments with Indian motifs were both colourful and trendy as they appeared in quick succession on the ramp.

The saris with prints of Indian legendary heroes or the telephone looked unusual when teamed with long sleeve blouses.

Indian silhouettes got a cultural twist when blended with textures such as lush raw silk and pure silk khadi.

Actor Ronit Roy who was also the showstopper, is seen wearing a white jacket featuring Gandhi motifs.

Aartivijay Gupta takes to the ramp with Misti Mukherjee and Ronit Roy.

Next up was Anushka Khanna's show.

Aptly called Looking Through the Window, Khanna's collection was a melange of prints, colours and comfortable shapes.

Khanna's exclusive collaboration with London based artist Rewati Shahani, reflects in her designs that experimented with digital prints, appliques, intricate thread work and beading.

Some of her designs were also inspired from the Art Deco window panes that come in vibrant colours.

The choice of sheer fabrics teamed with organza layering and georgette in tones that moved from dawn to dusk added to the aesthetic aspect of the collection.

In the formal wear, one could see a lot of bright hues like red, orange, fuchsia, deep blue and purple.

Western wear saw a few cocktail saris with large doses of gold and silver that added to the festive quotient.

And last, but not the least, Sougat Paul's unique but intricate line had our attention.

Titled Labour of Love, but Love for Labour, his opulent line of garments focused on detailing that included interwoven wires, metal cut-outs, and mesh of cords all skilfully merged to create maximum impact on the ramp.

Seen here, is a model wearing a machined corded corset and printed skirt which pretty much reflected the theme of the show.

Strong on texture play, Paul's designs blended well with the choice of summer friendly fabrics -- fluid silks, crepes, chiffons, georgettes and tulle with a touch of embroidery.

Paul experimented with teal, pink, grey and gold with random hints of glitter.

The layered satin gown with pearl and crystal bodice was one of the many beautiful creations from Khanna.

Sougat Paul's garments wove a fashion story which was unique yet feminine with enticing looks that took the audience on a sartorial odyssey.