Amit Aggarwal Brings Balloons, Ice-Cream Carts and a Burst of Colour to the Lakmé Fashion Week Grand Finale

Monochromes may dominate Amit Aggarwal’s personal wardrobe and his dramatic couture designs but his new collection is an explosion of colour. At the grand finale of Lakmé Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI—a coveted fixture every season—Aggarwal presented a new collection from his prêt label AM:IT with colours and crafts, balloons and strollers, grownups and children, dancing and a sense of joie de vivre.

Aggarwal’s material and design vocabulary—characterised by his use of polymers and unusual materials, signature cording and weaving techniques, sculptural forms and upcycled vintage textiles—lend naturally to couture’s ambitious scale. But the designer has also spent years building his prêt label through various iterations and interpreting his elaborate design grammar into more wearable looks. According to the press statement, the new collection titled ‘On a Day Like Today’ explores “the shift from the structure of the working day to the freedom of after-hours expression” In terms of wearability, the collection certainly delivered with its mix of dresses and separates abounding in details. Think colourful stripes, fringes and tassels, floral details as well as metallic accents, ruffles and weaves.

Texture often takes centrestage with Aggarwal’s designs but ‘On a Day Like Today’ stood out more prominently for its mix of colours and patterns. A generous dose of accessories added the finishing touches—large pleated bucket hats, bags and belts, and Aggarwal’s signatures bibs in metallics and 3D floral details. The ready-to-wear silhouettes were not entirely novel and Aggarwal may have emphasised on giving familiar styles his own spin. He succeeded best with pieces which carried a visible Aggarwal signature—in the woven textures, in the sculptural tailoring and in the metallic details. In comparison, some of the other designs felt imitative; the fringed details in some silhouettes in particular strongly evoked Matthieu Blazy’s signatures at Bottega Veneta and Chanel.

The runway showcase, aligned to brand sponsor Lakmé’s 5PM Glam Reset lineup of products amplified the air of jubilance. Aggarwal sought to bring everyday sights and sounds to the runway. So, one model carried a stack of candyfloss whose colours juxtaposed his dark ensemble, another came cycling down with a pile of balloons. Two models carried large rolls of chataai on their shoulders while another wheeled down an ice-cream cart. Aggarwal’s partner Ankit Chawla—photographer and founder of the kidwear label Ankid—took the runway with two little boys in tow. Digital creator Ankush Bahuguna was another well-known face on the runway while Hindi film actor Aneet Padda, whose is a Lakmé brand ambassador, served as showstopper. Dancers and performers, also dressed in Aggarwal’s ensembles, punctuated the models and culminated in a final performance at the end. Aggarwal and members of the crew, along with Padda joined the dancing as well. If the intention of a fashion week grand finale is to roll a fashion show and party into one grand event, AM:IT succeeded in every measure.