FDCI X Lakmé Fashion Week came back to the ground, after a long hiatus of 2 years. Before the pandemic, both these fashion bodies operated independently in Mumbai and Delhi—but for the last couple of seasons, they’ve joined forces and come together for virtual and phygital showcases. This time around, the fashion week returned, with all its glory in the capital city. 6 days of extensive and exhausting runway presentations by the big-wigs of the industry along with some emerging names, concluded with an extravagant grand finale—all in the heart of Delhi. As things return to normal, it was a homecoming for the Indian fashion industry. From seasoned editors and models to influencers and budding content creators—everyone came to play.
Let’s talk about the fashion at fashion week—while there was no blanket theme or season that was being followed—a sartorial celebration seemed like the underlying mood. Although there were a lot of hits and misses, here are some of the trends that ELLE spotted and approved.
1. Itty Bitty Tops
Judging from Varun Bahl and Outhouse Jewellery’s runway collections, we’re taking it a notch higher from the cropped tops and going ahead with tiny crochet and bikini tops this summer.
2. Bold Body Suits
Bodysuits are not new to the runway, but they certainly aren’t a regular on the Indian catwalk. This season, designers deconstructed the versatile bodysuit under casual as well as glamour wear.
3. Men In Cropped Tops
Popular opinion: Men in cropped tops are a moment we are here for. Designers Shivan & Narresh, along with label Huemn, sent down their abs-bearing models down the runway in a quirky yet stylish cropped top, paired with relaxed denim and fitted cargo-style trousers.
4. Chaotic Prints
From mismatched prints and print-on-print, we are now onto chaotic prints. Rajdeep Ranawat and Rara Avis by Sonal Verma made a strong chase for chaotic prints that weren’t necessarily symmetric or coordinated with the rest of the outfits.
5. Balaclavas
Balaclavas made a huge splash on the international runway this season during the Autumn-Winter 2022 presentations. Bringing this trend to the home turf were labels like Satyapaul and Huemn, who intelligently incorporated this face-mask-style accessory with their newest lines.
6. Daring Denim
Denim on acid – the vibe this season. From barely-there to completely tethered, our beloved jeans was given a bold treatment on the runway.
7. Dresses & Lehengas on Dudes
These showstopping moments from Siddartha Tytler and Shantnu & Nikhil clearly redefined menswear in India. Genderless clothing is not a fad, fashion is subjective and emotional for all, why make boundaries about who gets to wear the pants (or skirts)?
8. Body Positivity
Before the keyboard warriors come for us and call it tokenistic, as someone who witnessed the entire fashion week in person, body positivity was not just a single show or single look occurrence. Not only were diverse body types celebrated, but they also weren’t singled out in a separate show—an equal platform for all is the only way to go.
9. Age Is Just A Number
Fashion has been ageist for as long as we can remember—while it hasn’t entirely changed, these are some steps in the right direction. Veteran designers JJ Valaya and Tarun Tahiliani opened their runway to elderly models that aren’t generally seen sashaying down the ramp in couture or pret.
10. More Is More
Judging from the opening show and the last show of the season, designers wanted to go big as they are coming back home. Whether it was Rahul Mishra’s botanical 3D textures on sculpted ensembles to Falguni Shane Peacock’s ostentatious feathers, sequins and faux-fur etched attires, OTT glamour was definitely at the forefront.
