Designers opt for out-of-the-box thinking at LFW

Creativity is on a high at the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) summer-resort 2014 with young designers like Ken Ferns, Tanya Sharma, Sonaakshi Raaj and Subhika Davda giving interesting touches to their collections.

Ferns has been inspired by unconventional themes in the past and this time, he took inspiration from Golden Age of the Azulejos form of Portuguese art of painted ceramic tiles.

Using modern summer colours like blue and white, with touches of turquoise, green, bubble gum pink and lime green, Ferns created a floral fantasy for his garments. Called the "Secret Garden" the silhouettes were utterly feminine with contours that were moulded and crisp giving the outfits a New Age feel.

The silhouettes comprises of cropped tops, pleated shorts, floppy sleeves for asymmetric tunics, maxi skirts teamed with blouses for women. Men's wear was a line-up of shorts, printed pants, shirts and muscle sleeved tunics.

Actress Gauhar Khan walked the runway for the designer in printed corset worn with a long pencil skirt seductively slit at the back.

Describing her clothes as classic with a sense of madness,Sharma's collection at LFW was aptly called "Out of the Box".

Keeping true to her design philosophy, Tanya's colour story moved from pastels with hints of turquoise onto men's shirt stripes and checks. The fabrics that created the base were in very fine silk voile, cotton blends and organza. The prints were restricted to pastel block printed flowers especially created for the ensembles.

From sweatshirts and pants, shirts, turtle necks, the collection swayed to bomber jackets, trench coats and windcheaters with a marked sporty silhouette.

Raaj brought red carpet glamour on the catwalk at LFW. Titled "A Broadway Affair", the design was utterly sexy and totally exotic line.

From flouncy formal skirts in pretty pastels teamed with sexy cropped tops with 3D appliques to seductive black high waist cigarette pants were figure hugging and looked sensational with an ornate bustier under a black tulle blouse.

Pre-stitched draped saris were offered in a variety of options topped with corsets, lacy blouses, cutwork covers, halter gold bustier or cut-out boleros. Ending her show was Bollywood star Prachi Desai in a stately lacy corset and moulded draped sari.

Making her debut at LFW, Davda presented her collection called "Roar" under her label "Papa don't Preach". The spotlight was on intricate hand crafted trendy accessories that recreated traditional Indian touches with a twist.

Metal, thread work, embroideries and hand beading were the highlights of the collection. Strands of chains were draped over shoulders, neckpieces added to the glitter of halter dresses, glitzy yokes with chains, rustic belts, cross body ornaments, suspenders, rigid armours with tribal necklaces and cummerbunds as well as breast plates attached to shoulders garbbed eyeballs of many.