Two contrasting elements of nature -- sky and water -- made their way to the ramp at FDCI presents Lotus Make-up India Fashion Week SS'20 on Wednesday.
While Samant Chauhan presented his clothing line inspired by a 'Starry Night in Spiti Valley', Rimzim Dadu paid glowing tributes to movement of waves and ripples on the opening day of the fashion extravaganza.
Chauhan said his recent trip reminded him of Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh's 'Starry Night' and the designer tried to translate the famous painting into his collection.
Famous for his penchant for monochrome, the new clothing line saw spurts of florals in shades of turquoise, red, blue and pink on the dominant black.
The designer said his trip to the picturesque valley in Himachal Pradesh altered his concept of how he viewed the colour 'black'.
"We have always done white and it is the second edition of black. The first was how I used to view black as per my nostalgia. This collection was how I now see black," he told reporters at the post-show conference.
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Fabrics ranged from sheer silk, cotton linen, organza to sheer, and Chauhan said the embroidery, a mix of handmade and machine, was woven into his staple Bhagalpuri but not on the typical tussar silk.
The collection, which the couturier described as "timeless", had bell-sleeved gown with a trail, boat neck ankle length gown, jacket style gown to corset with embroidered denim, among the total 37 looks.
"We don't follow a trend or the forecast. We do what we haven't done before and how we can bring freshness to our collection," he added.
The models wore hair neatly in a bun with Victorian-style bow, but according to Chauhan, that was where the similarity with the era ended. The intricate embroidery did not make the viewers miss any jewellery on the models.
The small grey rocks underscored the environment degradation at the hands of human beings.
"When Van Gogh made this painting, perhaps he predicted through it that how difficult it would be to see the stars in the times to come. That we would have to travel 600km over two days to see such a view. It is going to be rare," Chauhan said.
Dadu, known for innovative textiles and material exploration, drew inspiration from the idea of movement - frozen in time and sculpted in material.
She said she used her signature materials like steel wires and metallic cords to create a clothing line that are structured yet fluid, inspired by waves and ripples in the ocean.
This collection also launched her first-ever line of menswear with metallic bomber jackets, textured Nehru jackets and sherwani jackets among others making it to the range.
"I had been thinking of doing a men's line for quite some time. And with this collection, I thought men should also have fun with fashion," she said.
Dadu gave a festive touch to her collection using jewel tones of gold, bronze, emerald and teal.
Experimenting with shades of pink, lavender, purple, emerald, the collection ranged from dresses, jacket dresses to the label's signature sari in fabrics of chanderi, satin and foil.
Accessories like bags and earrings also reflected the brand's statement.