Nikhil Thampi & Payal Singhal | Lakme Fashion Week Winter 2015 Review

Review | Collection

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Day 1 of Lakme Fashion Week Winter Festive 2015 had designers Nikhil Thampi and Payal Singhal showcasing their collections. Nikhil Thampi, famous for his gorgeous western and Indo-western forayed into a trousseau collection titled ‘Alchemy’.

Nikhil Thampi Winter Festive 2015 Collection Review

Nikhil Thampi’s collection had equal amounts of experimental elements as it had the designer’s touch of some of his signature elements. The end result was an unsurprising exquisiteness that delighted the eye as much as it intrigued the critical mind.

The silhouettes were an unconventional take on traditional trousseau of the Indian bride. The chooridars (leggings) used sheer gold or white fabric, shining with sequins. The kameez donned the shape of tunics, gowns and pencil dresses, with sequins and slitted sleeves. Dupattas became  tulle capes. Sarees transformed into belted gowns and capes over chooridars. Blouses became thin noodles, bikini tops or bandage straps. Some fit for the unorthodox bride, and some for red-carpet appearances.

The color palette comprised basics like neon red, mango, nude beige and white paired with copious amounts of gold. Sequins, shimmer and embroidery adorned the pieces. Accessories included gold metallic armlets, glittery belts and peep-toe stilettos. The makeup was party-ish with deep contouring and smokey eyes. Lips had a color palette of all the fall colors – maroon, crimson, deep purples and reds.

“Some fit for the unorthodox bride, and some for red-carpet appearances.”

Some of the pieces were too experimental, not in a good way. Save those, the collection was off the beaten track and very becoming of Nikhil Thampi, a modern Indian designer. Some of my favorite pieces were a red blouse-less saree with gold sequinned border, a white caped tunic with sheer chooridar (above) and a white one-shoulder dress with white tulle scarf and leggings. My least favorite included a mango belted gown with a bra top and a nude-beige saree with a bandage top that had a costume-like appearance. Another piece was a strapless white gown with ruffle front was unflattering and inappropriate for the otherwise well-fitted collection.

Payal Singhal Winter Festive 2015 Collection Review

Payal Singhal’s collection ‘Maaya’ took its inspiration for traditional Indian-wear from ancient Egypt and India, with plenty of Arabic influences. Her silhouettes comprised salwar kameez, lehenga choli, kurtas and trousers, chooridars and harem pants. Fabrics included silks, organza and tulle. Embellishements were in threadwork, mukaish and zardosi. The color palette included earthy tones like off-white, cream, rose, navy and grey with black. The pieces were wearable and elegant. The most interesting were short-sleeveless jacket and shimmery palazzo pants that could be experimented with more to create casual or party ensembles.

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Nikhil Thampi and Payal Singhal: Lakme Fashion Week Winter Festive 2015: Couture Gallery

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