Designer Swati Vijaivargie unveiled the first look of her Lakme Fashion Week Winter Festive 2014 collection with actress Deeksha Seth, her muse, wearing a shibori printed knee length dress with a printed jacket.

The collection is inspired by the traditional clothing of Hmong women and pays homage to the culture of Vietnam. The motifs, colors, textures and details are all derived from Vietnamese tradition. The key element of the collection lies in the inspirations drawn from their textiles and the patterns noted in the nation’s clothing and architecture. The fabrics used are handmade, hand textured and tie-dyed to bring forth the originality of the Southeast Asian country.

The prints are created predominately by using shibori, a pleat and bind technique. Hand made silk buttons and quilting forms the base for the texture and embroidery. The history of Vietnam finds its place in the bloomed geometric lotuses and the appliquéd dragon motifs.

Designer Sidharth Sinha’s collection titled ‘Meta-Modernism’ under his label ‘N&S GAIA’ for the upcoming Lakme Fashion Week, takes its sole inspiration from the tiny precious objects of nature like Moths and butterflies abundantly available in the beautiful state of Meghalaya.

Likewise, the designer will employ a diverse range of textiles from Meghalaya like eri silk, khadi silk and cotton silk, all carefully hand woven by the indigenous tribal weavers of the state. With the unique blend of western sensibilities and traditional north-eastern techniques of natural dying and crafting, Sidharth carefully purports to display the beauty of nature with a classy and elegant touch.

Meanwhile, replete of structured silhouettes, drapes, irregular textures and an obvious vintage nocturnal colour scheme, the creations gracefully reflect urban drama and feminine simplicity.

Taking us to an era of elegance is designer Anavila Misra, with her pure, rustic and organic collection of saris, inspired by the magnificence of Mohenjo Daro. The designer’s signature style shines through with Konkona Sen Sharma as her muse wearing a natural indigo dyed sari with patches of hand block printed indigo patterns and blouse with thread work with armlets made of bell metal hand moulded by the bell metal artisans from village Aura in Gujarat.

Anavila’s Autumn – Winter 2014 collection for LFW W/F 2014, has taken cues from various objects found in excavation, the regional economic conditions, cultural influences, architecture, craft practices and art remains, resulting in an inspiring visual story.

With the emphasis on hand-woven textiles, the fabrics used are linen, cotton and silk. The extensive use of natural dyes on these fabrics are in indigo, madder, sap green, rust, gold, bronze, cement, ecru and an array of beiges.

Techniques like extra weft weaving, block printing and ikat bring alive the Indus motifs. Over-dying and printing has also been used to create an aged, rustic look. Ajrak printing, featured in the archeological survey of Mohenjo Daro, makes for an essential element of Anavila’s collection.

Anamika Khanna’s ode to the globalisation of fashion took a stupendous turn when she showcased her couture collection aptly titled ‘Luxury 2014’ at her Outram Street Store, Kolkata, as part of India Couture Week 20 14.

The installation was an aesthetic blend of Anamika’s innate love for everything organic, and underplayed as she used the finest craftsmanship to give brides something unexpected yet new-age breaking free from traditional constraints. In a subtle palette, she used the extreme power of vintage to explore new arenas by creating pieces which exude a timeless charm. “I have always been a lover of vintage pieces, which I have been collecting for many years now, they emit a distinctive glamour which leaves you spellbound, in terms of the craft techniques used,” says Anamika.

Luxury 2014 is a contrasting blend of baroque and the brutal, while the fabrics range from silk organza to luxurious muslins, the techniques include everything from English floral patterns to African tribal forms, which are all brought together seamlessly.