Homegrown chic

A t the latest edition of Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2018, held in Mumbai between January 31-February 4, menswear designers pulled out all stops to ensure that the envelope of men’s fashion was pushed to new levels. From experimental silhouettes and avant-garde colours to gorgeous fabrics and innovative textiles, the fashion industry witnessed a much-needed fillip in men’s trends. Mumbai-based fashion blogger Ritcha Verma commented, “Now is the best time to be Indian. Everyone wants to wear their Indian identity on their sleeve. Designers are going all out to revive forgotten textiles and fabrics and make them in vogue again. The ongoing wave is one of revival and showcasing indigenous textiles and weaves. No longer is it all about over-the-top bridal wear. Indian elements are being subtly incorporated into Western silhouettes and in the most discreet manner. Sometimes, a small little element of embroidery sends out a strong message.”

A case in point is Ahmedabad-based haute couturiers Shyamal & Bhumika, whose bridal collection for this season was a veritable homage to India. While the collection was largely dominated by women’s silhouettes, the designer duo did showcase six men’s looks which ranged from an embroidered grey tulle shirt to a matka silk jacket with an antique gold pitta border. Shyamal Shodhan elaborated on their theme, “Our 2018 menswear lines aimed at giving a contemporary twist to classic ethnic-wear silhouettes. Hand-woven matka silk was used in jackets, which were worn over draped collar shirts, that had subtle embroidery details. These are perfect wedding attires and can transition into great occasion wear and attired for formal events.”

However, the designer insists that pieces from this collection are not all classic. Shyamal Shodhan said, “For men who are more open to contemporary styles, we have incorporated embellished tulle shirts with sequins and appliqué that are paired with trousers and classic oxfords. These add a dose of much-needed drama to menswear, when layered with a draped collar jacket.”

Shodhan added that his take on the wedding sherwani was one “...designed in raw silk and delicately embroidered with resham and zardosi . The sherwani has intricately embroidered floral motifs to reflect the beauty of spring with the help of traditional workmanship. Monotone colours and ornate gold zardosi was incorporated to keep the understated feel alive. These sherwanis were paired with tissue shawls to complete the bridegroom’s look.”

Another designer duo whose menswear showcase created waves was Delhi-based Shantanu & Nikhil. India’s contemporary narrative has always been at the centre of the duo’s design inspiration, , especially last year’s military-inspired collection “The Regiment”, which was received with success. Aptly named Tribe — The India Story, their collection was a reflection on modern India, as seen through the eyes of the millennials. It was characterised by a monochrome palette which was complemented by the duo’s unmistakable sharp tailoring. Exquisite drapes in a variety of ways and distressed textures accentuated the Indianness of the collection. Tassels and broaches were used as accessories to wonderful effect. After their show, the designer duo commented that “there is a tribe out there for everyone and our Tribe, being a cultural cauldron, is a move towards breaking boundaries, reinforcing our belief to go beyond just the facade.”

A special day was dedicated entirely to sustainable fashion at the Lakme Fashion Week. One of the standout collections this season, especially for men, was that of Daniel Syiem from Meghalaya. At his third showing at the Lakme Fashion Week Syiem celebrated the colours and textiles of his home state — turmeric, green, brown and red, embellished with bamboo, wood and pinecones. Men’s silhouettes included baggy salwars paired with pleated pants, cropped tops, unstructured bandi jackets and poncho sleeves.

“The entire collection is based on our indigenous hand-woven fabric called the ryndia. Also known as Ahimsa silk, the ryndia is 100 per cent organic and is also known for its thermal and medicinal properties. All the colours are natural and vegetable dyes. The fabric is hand-woven by the women weavers of Ri-bhoi district here in Meghalaya. For this collection, we worked with the weavers of Umden village (Ri-bhoi district).

Furthering his oft-quoted mission towards sustainable fashion, another noteworthy menswear collection was by Rajesh Pratap Singh, who used colour blocking techniques in addition to hand-block, digital and screen prints on garments. Pratap Singh’s collection had flowing trousers, flared pants, all-white suits for summer and, of course, Singh’s signature pin-tucks. Key silhouettes included double breasted jackets with wide-legged trousers, lending a decidedly “contemporary dandy” allure. The cuts, as one can expect, were of impeccable quality. He collaborated with fibre company Tencel that promotes innovation in fabric development that has a positive impact on the environment. Tencel yarns were blended with weaves like herringbone and hopsack for menswear.

Tarun Tahiliani was not too far behind either, his collection brimming with elements of chanderi silk, cotton, georgette, crepe, Italian tulle, resham work, crystals and sequins making it quintessentially Indian. The colour palette was sophisticated in ivory, beige, blush and werebeautifully transposed onto kurtas, bundi jackets, sherwanis and dhotis, with subtle and understated embroidery.

Another designer whose menswear creations was particularly striking was Anita Dongre. If showstopper Shahid Kapoor’s uber-simple white, embroidered sherwani was anything to go by, the collection was an ode to a typically homegrown sense of elegance and simplicity. The collection was characterised by its eye-pleasing hues like blush, beige, blue, white and yellow, and fabrics were lightweight, primarily hand-woven silk and cotton from Banaras. Elements such as zardosi and gotta patti was generously used. Discretion is the word du jour with Dongre’s menswear creations and a sense of restraint was visibly exercised in terms of embroidery, being placed in small, discreet doses.

One of the most talked-about menswear collections at this edition was Falguni and Shane Peacock’s collection, which marked their grand foray into menswear. Their collection named “The Louche” was a rhetorical question on what it meant to be a gentleman in the modern world. To begin with, the colours were unconventional and threw us off-balance — light grey and pastel pink used with blue, black and even charcoal grey. The collection was all glitz and glamour inspired from the disco-era, and had a profusion of sequins and shiny embellishments. Labels appeared on the backs of shirts while bold statements were also seen on jackets. Blogger Verma concludes, “Falguni and Shane Peacock’s collection targets the modern dandy, with its quirky silhouettes and experimental colours and textures. It truly signifies a new direction for Indian menswear and hopefully Indian men will warm up to these silhouettes.”

Riaan Jacob George is a luxury journalist specialisng in men’s fashion, luxury travel, aviation, cars, watches and retail.

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