The talented designers were Soham Acharya, 36, with his Alpona Designs and Shriya Khanna, 28, who were judged by a prestigious virtual jury.
SOHAM ACHARYA – BEAUTY OF NATURE
A graduate of the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi, Soham Acharya gained valuable experience with ace designer Ritu Beri Designs in New Delhi before starting his ‘Alpona Designs’ label.
Soham presented with great panache, “The Eden Garden” collection, which was inspired by the beauty of nature. The line was a colourful feast for the eyes, as a rainbow of shades full of earthy and antique hues burst on the ramp. Warm tones of nature gently danced with colours of dusk, when ebony, moss green and midnight blue met red, white and quaint accents.
The fabric base was made of silk Dupion, cotton silk and cotton that came together in perfect harmony. Surface ornamentation added to the glam quotient with beads, threads and wool along with the arresting geometrical textures that brought to life the creations. The balance of tiered and structured looks was ideal, as the collection moved from flowing, dreamy dresses, parallels, skirts and then onto stylishly visualised free-fall jackets and jumpsuits. The exotic hand painted flowers and birds created a beautiful symphony with hand embroidery and digital artistry.
Opening with a high neck kaftan over tights, the show quickly moved to a jumpsuit, wraparound flared dress, strappy, tiered creations and kurtas and pants. The knee length batwing kaftan set the pace for the colourful line, while the floral kurta worn with a swirling skirt and luxuriously, draped, flared cape created a show stopping entry. Saris came with stylish cholis, while the dolman-sleeved tunic and pants offered relaxed options. A layered, strappy maxi, slim tunic with tights and the mini cape over a colourful choli and lehenga was a great finale look. It was a grand visual treat as florals in colours of the rainbow were the focal point for every ensemble.
Soham Acharya’s collection “The Eden Garden” projected the perfect global look for the coming season aimed at the trends of fashion followers.
Soham Acharya, said, “Nature is no less than a Paradise. Through “The Eden Garden”, I have tried to honour our Earth in all its beauty. I feel extremely blessed to be crowned one of the winners this season. To be given this huge opportunity to showcase my collection on a prominent platform like INIFD presents GenNext at the FDCI x Lakmé Fashion Week, means a lot to me and I’m absolutely gratified to be chosen for such an honour.”
SHRIYA KHANNA – LUXURY PRÉT
When it came to fashion expertise, Shriya Khanna from Coimbatore believed in pushing the creative envelop to its ultimate limit. With a dual degree in fashion designing from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Chennai and the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, Shriya further honed her talents with designers Amit Aggarwal, Rimzim Dadu, Naeem Khan and Nikita Mhaisalkar.
Shriya’s luxury prét collection was aimed at the 25 – 40 age group and was inspired by the work of Peter Collingwood’s Macro gauze, which is in woven textile pieces. The ensembles had a marked delicate layered almost geometric as well as a monochromatic but graphic look.
The key elements of the collection were textures, which blossomed from carefully selected fabrics like silk organza, raw silk, novelty organza and satin. The focal point of the creations was the ombré dyeing along with the digitally cut fabrics sewn together, while fabric scraps were fused cleverly with some sublimation printing.
The intelligently visualised geometric patterns along with cut work by hand and cotton cords couched onto fabric and recouched with silk threads, created an irate-like base for the textiles. The shades of maroon were cleverly ombréd for the short-sleeved, cutwork dress. The draped, shimmering, silver; floor-skimming creation with a thigh high slit was intriguingly worn with geometric line work drape over the shoulders.
Opening with the ombréd, maroon line of mini, cutaway shoulder dress, angular skirt with fluid top, maxi skirt with high slit worn with halter blouse, the collection moved to shimmer. Sari gowns, pre-stitched sari with cutout pallav and white corset midi dress with linear work were stunners on the ramp. A marked emphasis on sleeves with trellised or latticework added a delicate element. The final black section was a feast of stylish ensembles comprising, trapeze line mini, draped pallav over a slim creation, a black cheongsam and sets of trousers with angular blouses.
When it comes to fashion that leaves a lasting impression, Shriya Khanna unveiled some memorable pieces that will appeal to the trendsetters.
The designer, Shriya Khanna said, “As a kid I’d often imagined myself making it big in life and achieving awards, winning the INIFD presents GenNext and showcasing at the FDCI x Lakmé Fashion Week, which is highly prestigious is so overwhelming and splendid, that it feels like an enormous responsibility to be worthy of it. Our Indian fashion industry is ginormous and provides a means of livelihood to millions. It’s an honour to be a part of it. As a brand (SHRIYA KHANNA) we’d always want to contribute by congruously utilising our resources, reviving and working on our rich Indian weaves by creatively espousing and endorsing sustainability”
