“A pause and then a reboot”, is not something you expect a designer to say—especially when he can ride out the high of presenting 2 shows as a creative head in a single fashion week. But, not everyone is Rajesh Pratap Singh, the man is highly inconspicuous and private about his moves. Just like his personality, his work doesn’t scream for attention either. Last night, Rajesh closed the edition season of Lakmé Fashion Week X FDCI with a magisterial collection that will be imprinted on the minds of the attendees for many seasons to come.
Curated at the ground level of the Jio Convention Centre, the location of the show was almost treated like an international runway. With no exaggerated elements or grand props obstructing the view—the clothes were the real star. The presentation opened with a monologue by actor and Lakmé India ambassador Mrunal Thakur, paying homage to the cosmetic brand’s 70 years of legacy.
“The finale is the culmination of a fashion week. It is the celebration of our industry. This year coincides with 70 years of Lakmé which makes it extremely special, and I am happy to be chosen as the designer. Lakmé has been one of the pioneering partners of the Indian fashion industry and it is a time to celebrate and thank them as a partner too. Dressed in a black concept sari infused with tapered trousers, draped over a crisp white shirt—Mrunal, unlike any other showstopper, ditched the conventional closing walk in the end and chose to commence the evening with a walk in the beginning and then went on to sit with the audience to enjoy the show.
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Amplifying the unembellished backdrop with the power of music—a band of musicians including Opera Singers (Jateen Sharma, Shambhawi Mishra and Renie Mathew), a rapper (Rae Mulla) and a choir group crafted a unique symphony that transcended the crowd into the 19th Century. “Music plays a very important role for us, in this case, even more so. It is 70 years since the inception of Lakmé, a brand created by Mrs Tata and it has an interesting connection with music—which we have always loved and adored and we want to celebrate that,” shared Rajesh.
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The collection features cropped boleros with exaggerated shoulders, cocoon jackets, structured jumpsuits and saree drape dresses with resin-coated khadi jackets and suture seam details. Stainless steel blended with khadi and his trademark engineered pleated jackets were some of the highlights ensembles from the line. Master of clean cuts, intelligent yet simple patterns and intricate components—for Rajesh, God is always in the details. “Lots of construction capturing and releasing the textile through pleats. Free draping, constructing it around the body, has been engaging and fun. There are some techniques from the late 40s and early 50s which we have applied, that are essentially incorporated in couture, but the clothes we are making are contemporary and we would like to believe they are timeless,” explained the veteran designer.
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A swift departure from regular finales, the strength of Rajesh’s storytelling lies in its depth. Right from the clothes to the atmosphere he created, the idea was to make a loud impact without making any noise. “Each collection is different. The approach this time has been to keep in mind the story and the eras (the ’40s and ’50s)we are revisiting, the milestone we are celebrating. We are doing what is coming naturally to us keeping the moment and context in mind. And in this endeavour, we hope we meet what is thought to be that elusive sweet spot of honouring the occasion and the scale of it, but with authenticity. The finale is the culmination of a fashion week, it needs to be inspiring and thought-provoking.” When Rajesh quietly entered the centre stage which was buzzing with applause, the designer did exactly what he intended to do with this collection when he took the final bow by sharing the accolade with his entire team, basking the glory as a unit—inspiring indeed.”
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