NIFT gaduates Fazal Mahmood and Akansha Arora brought back the splendour of digital prints and played with interesting trims. A futuristic line with neon-lit coats and jackets, the duo clearly seemed to have a lot of fun with surface detailing, zippers, patched leather, rivets swirling plastic tubes for sleeves, cord work for long, swirling coats. Not a collection for the faint hearted.
Kerala-born designer Jelin George’s collection was heavily influenced by the 80s – big 
shoulders, tiny waits, strong silhouettes and so on. Yet all the pieces alluded to the sensual feminine side with luxurious fabrics, figure-hugging silhouettes and classic styling. With black as the dominant colour George gave the Rajasthani mirror embroidery a modern twist by juxtapositioning it with zippers. The puffed hot pants, micro shorts, tie-up woolen cropped jacket and the bubble skirts with sheer tops were all edgy yet immensely wearable.
Zuilee Bendkale who already retails her line of womenswear through reputed designer boutiques like Ogaan, Amara and Zoya, created excitement through geometric patterns and origami detailing. Her collection of pleated shrugs, feminine dresses and wide draped salwars revealed a design sensibility that is contemporary and global in spirit. Soft flowy drapes complemented geometrically patterned details to create an urban yet organic look.
London College of Fashion graduate Ruchika Sachdeva questioned conventions and challenged aesthetics with her fresh and contemporary ensembles called Biomechanics. Using cotton, silk, wool and crepe in shades of black, grey and white, Sachdeva carved out a collection that was not just unconventional but very futuristic. The silhouettes revolved around the three dimension of the human anatomy with special emphasis on the backbone. Jumpsuits with metal backs, tie and dye gown with metallic shrugs, mini rompers, drop-crotch pants and long lean dresses with front detailing gave the ultra-stylish look.
A first for Gen Next, a mother-daughter duo, Pragya and Megha Samor showcased a fun and flirty collection dedicated to the media. With newsprint body suits, multi-layered skirts, knit dresses, extended collars that turned into mufflers and long flowing coats in neon colours, the duo had fun written all over the collection.
