Lakme FW opens with ballet, bhajans, jewels

Photographs: Sanjay Sawant

The spring/summer 2010 installment of Lakme Fashion Week started off with an extravagant show by veteran designer Neeta Lulla and newbie Nishka Lulla.

Exhibiting two distinct lines of Giantti jewellery, mother and daughter brought their own individual creativity to the ramp with two separate collections.

The show opened with a sequence performed by Shankar Mahadevan's son Siddharth, nephew Soumil and Loy's daughter Alyssa. Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy were at the show to cheer them on.

Nishka started things off with an endearing performance by little girls dressed up as pixie ballerinas, representations of the young, feminine and soft side of her line. Light, frothy creations in lace and cotton candy pink took to the runway one after the other.

Seen here is model Anchal Kumar in a ruffled and pleated little playful number.

Flirty fun

Next up is this dress with a pretty cutwork hemline and self-sequinned circular design. The trendy gladiator shoes add a nice touch.

Beady inspiration

Edgy and youthful, this textured mini with its beady effect and satin ribbons is great for any party.

Strapless striker

Ethereal fabric, netted lace and a hint of embroidery along the edges -- we loved this one.

Showstopper Number One

Actress Dia Mirza did the showstopping bit in a layered, ruffled girly-girl dress -- pretty picture!

Young talent

Nishka takes to the runway with Dia -- that is one attractive designer, don't you think? And a talented one too.

Moving in the mature direction

Next up was mother Neeta's line, flagged off by live fusion-style music and bhajans. Her colour palette consisted of rich champagne and silver; saris, ghagras, dhotis and lungis were teamed with heavily embroidered jackets for effect.

We start off with this floor-sweeping ensemble, hints of sparkle and rich silver embroidery adorning its translucent sleeves.

Keeping it chic

Things take a slight turn towards the contemporary, with an embellished long kurta-jacket worn over perma-pleated pants.

Corset couture

A lovely corset-fitted jacket opens up volumiously over the hips and spreads out over a gleaming ghagra.

Fanning out

We see an equal mix of shine and subtlety on each of Neeta's garments. The diamond necklace adds a nice touch -- it's quite a sparkler!

Going with the flow

Another maxi-style creation floats down the runway -- the pretty tassels adorning the dupatta look lovely, as do the hints of rich threadwork and sequins.

Fitted finery

This one was a sure-fire favourite, with a strapless knee-length corset piece worn over the whole outfit. Full marks for creativity!

Netted niceness

This golden netted, layered skirt paired with a fitted short kurta wnet down quite well too.

Showstopper Number Two

Actress Sameera Reddy showed off her abs and broke the designer's colour-scheme in a hot, hot choli and dhoti pants. Wow!

With her muse

Neeta takes to the runway with sexy Sam at the end of a really glam show. Stay tuned for more fancy fashion from the LFW!

More