Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

LFW GenNext: Meet the new kids on the block

February 01, 2017 12:40 IST

These young guns will introduce fresh designs into Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2017

Their world is about to be turned around -- these three designers are all set to make their fashion debut in front of the Who's who of the fashion industry. 

For those who didn't know, the GenNext programme at Lakme Fashion Week has been responsible for introducing some top Indian designers including Nachiket Barve, Masaba Gupta and Rahul Mishra. 

Among this year's batch are Poochki by Ishanee Mukherjee and Anirudh Chawla, Nakita Singh, Pallavi Singh, Soumodeep Dutta and The Pot Plant by Resham Karmchandani and Sanya Suri.

Introducing three GenNext designers who showcased their talent for the first time at Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2017

Poochki by Ishanee Mukherjee and Anirudh Chawla

LFW_Poochki

IMAGE: Ishanee and Anirudh are using Indian fabrics to create edgy garments. 
Photograph: Kind courtesy Lakme Fashion Week

About the designers: Ishanee, 24, is a textile designer from New Delhi. She graduated from the Pearl Academy.

A hotelier, 27 year old Anirudh is from Nainital and has no former design education. 

The brand is named after their cat Poochki. The duo focuses on reviving Indian textiles and handicrafts through their urban, creative and colourful brand.  

First big break

Cracking the GenNext programme by IMGR, which is a great platform for young and upcoming designers.

What inspires you?

Nature, in particular fauna, has always caught our eye and is what inspires us.

Designer you admire

One of our favorite apparel designers is Miuccia Prada for her eccentric mix of colours and chic silhouettes for the modern woman.

Poochki

IMAGE: The designers love to self-illustrate the quirky fauna prints in their collection.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Poochki/Instagram

The Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2017 collection

The forthcoming collection, through our print, is about showcasing animals in their natural environment as opposed to being caged and showcased.

The prints in the collection are inspired from oriental illustrations.

Fashion trends in 2017

Anti-fit silhouettes and sheer fabrics would top trend charts in our opinion. We believe comfort is going to be a key factor for the modern customer.

Style mantra

Dress for yourself and forget to impress.

What's next?

We plan on taking a short vacation. Hopefully it will inspire us enough to take the label a notch higher, keep experimenting and having fun with beautiful textiles.


Nakita Singh

Nakita Singh_LFW

IMAGE: Inspired by the outline form of doodlage, Nakita has used natural fabrics for a summery, light and chic vibe.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Lakme Fashion Week

Age: 26

Hometown: Kolkata

Design school: Pearl Academy, Jaipur

For Nakita, every garment is a piece of art! The fabric is her canvas and she experiments with different self-composed embroideries, prints and comfort silhouettes.

First big break 

Being a part of the five GenNext designers at Lakme Fashion Week 2017. I am very excited! I think this is the best platform for any newbie designer.

What inspires you?

My inspirations are mostly composition based -- be it a scenery, nature, flora or fauna, it's what grabs my attention at that time.

Designer you admire

I really like Manish Arora's dramatic quirk.

Nitika Singh

IMAGE: Nakita loves to give a vibrant, artsy feel to her outfits. 
Photograph: Kind courtesy Lakme Fashion Week

Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2017 collection

My collection is called the Outline. It has been inspired by sketches/doodles and raw outlines, especially the embroidery.

But the theme/story line is tropical. So you'll see birds, messy flowers and butterflies with a very comfortable relaxed silhouettes.

Fashion trends in 2017

Trench coats, detailing-fringes, shirt dresses and florals.

Style mantra

Keeping the outfits comfortable.

What's next?

I plan to do more shows and keep getting better.


Pallavi Singh

Pallavi Singh

IMAGE: Pallavi strives to create ensembles that are not defined or restricted by age.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Lakme Fashion Week

Age: 31

Hometown: Bodhgaya

Design school: Wigan and Leigh, New Delhi

She's got diverse work experience and has worked with ace fashion designers like Rohit Bal, Namrata Joshipura and Ankur and Priyanka Modi. Her outfits focus on the wearer's personal style and comfort.  

First big break

My label being chosen among the GenNext designers 2017 by Lakme Fashion Week.

Who inspires you?

My mother! History of any form of art has always inspired me to create.

Designers you admire

I like Etro, Valentino and Delpozo.

The Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2017 collection

It's about the traditional art of texturing the fabric, which is picked from Japan and India.

Fashion trends of 2017

Colours like yellow and shades of blue, stripes, geometric prints and polka dots.

Style mantra

Let your clothes say something interesting while making you feel confident and comfortable.

What's next?

I will soon start working on the fall collection.


Anita Aikara