For the forthcoming Lakme Fashion Week Payal Singhal presents the story of a woman living a life on her terms, is intelligent, modern, elegant, French and living in Marrakech.

Her Spring Summer collection called lady Sahara is inspired by the French Moroccan culture and architecture of the period when the French occupied Morocco. It is an ode to the cultural crossroad of Marrakech, the shapes and the grace of Islamic architecture.

The collection done in tulle, linen and silk in muted colors of sand, grey, rose and pale blue is a modern interpretation of a bygone era. The intricate patterns of Moroccan filigree work are incorporated in detailed embroidery in beaten silver, gold and salmon “Kora”. The modern contemporary silhouettes reference the austerity of the time and the rich elaborate textures and cultures of the local land.

LFW announced a robust line-up of 98 participating designers as the event enters into its fifteenth year to celebrate the very best of fashion and creative talent.

With Manish Malhotra opening the week and Rajesh Pratap Singh’s collection for grand finale will be a magnificent interplay of light and color through make-up and outfits that represent his signature style of simplistic cuts and minimal but flawless detailing in rich colors reflecting a modern style.

As Mandira Bedi, Jade, Papa don’t Preach showcase for the first time, we saw leading designers with their muses at the recently held conference in Mumbai.

Day 4&5:
After the much glorious three days of the fashion week, day 4 and 5 kick-started with even more excitement and enthusiasm. Designers making a debut appearance at the fashion week included Mother of Pearl and Whistles.
Day 4:
To start with day 4, the list of designers participating included Antonio Berardi, Burberry Prosum, Issa, Mother of Peral, Ashish, Whistles and Tom Ford among others. The star attraction of the evening included live performance by the singer Paloma Faith.

Whereas on the runway, Burberry proved to be among the major highlights. The collection was replete of fine quality bohemian carpet bags, thistle printed ponchos and dresses. The show also marked the start to the partnership between Burberry and Charleston to help protect the house.
Designer Christopher Kane displayed his first line of handbags. His collection was occupied by deep blacks, greys and blues and neon greens. From knew length straight fits, to skinny trousers, Kane used detailing in every single piece and embellished them to a completely new look.

Speaking of the debutant Whistles and Mother of Pearls, the respective collections comprised of earthy colours like maroon, off white, black, grey and blue. Where Whistles was all about simplicity and comfort, Mother of Pearl also was all about casual wear, with a unique artistic touch added to each dress.

Day 5:
The concluding day of London Fashion Week saw Kate Middleton’s bag designer Anya Hindmarch sending her latest accessory collection to the ramp. Capturing the front row for designers Simone Rocha, Osman and Marques’ Almeida were celebrity faces like Diasy Lowe, Poppy Delevingne and Olivia Palermo.

Zoe Jordan, Fashion East, Tata-Naka, KTZ and BarabaraCasasola among others were the fashionistas who displayed their collections. From Hindmarch’s designer handbags and metallic clutches, to the designers’ apt collection for the upcoming autumn, with extremely less make up and simplicity, the fashion week left long lasting effects on the onlookers and stylists.

Day 2 & 3:

A day after people in love were getting rid of their hangovers during the valentines, London saw a major disturbance in its weather. Disregarding the rain storms and the gale, the fashion week continued with its glamour and the latest fashion trends. The run way saw its debut with brands like Hunter, Joseph and Toga to name a few, on the 15th and 16th of Feb.

On day 2 of the fashion week, the ramp was graced by collections from designers such as Jasper Conran, OrlaKiely, John Rocha, Sibling, Antipodium, 1205, J.W.Anderson, Joseph, Hunter Original and House of Holland among others.

Speaking of Joseph Conran, his collection was replete with the dark colours like black and grey. Besides, fawn-shaded dresses, a few neon oranges were among the others. The golden glitter dress with the sparkling clutch was the show stopper for Conran. The designer’s style statement reads, ‘confidence on top and hotness underneath’, which he visually expressed through his collection.

Whereas, ‘Hunter’ the British brand was graced by Suki Waterhouse on the runway. The list of onlookers included singer Jessie J, Anna Wintour and Stella McCartney in the front row.

The onset of Day 3 of the Fashion Week was highlighted by Cara Delevingne designing for Mulberry. Her barefoot appearance with a white slip dress did wonders among the audience. Next was Vivienne Westwood promoting Anti-Fracking, a collection that was signature Westwood with tartan, expertly hipped in blazers and perfectly draped dresses.

Following which was Alice Temperly’s ‘Temperly London’. Monochromatic outfits, thigh-high dresses, vibrant blue full-length dresses, semi sheer tops were all-embracing Alice’s collection.

Margaret Howell, Richard Nicoll, Paul Smith, Toga, Topshop Unique and others were among the designers who displayed their artworks on day3 of LFW.