Frame Freezers this Week

Who wore what at the Lakmé fashion mela in Mumbai

Lakmé Fashion Week is a stressful time. After all, it makes you think twice as hard about what you are going to wear. I often consider wearing something that I am sure will help me fit in, but then go with the comfortable option each time—being myself. As blogger Sonu Bohra rightly points out, ‘If you are uncomfortable in something you are wearing, people will find out. It’s obvious.’ So I stick to what makes me smile at my reflection in the mirror. No heels, no big accessories, no clambering onto a trend that is not my friend; maxi dresses are a rage right now, but I’d look like Kermit the Frog in one.

But fashion week is all about trying to fit in, and only the truly stylish stand out. That is because they are unique and dare to experiment. It’s also about spotting the fakes. Are you wearing a Masaba Gupta jacket because it reflects your style, or because a fashion magazine advised you to? Did you really need to wear five-inch heels that make you look like a tottering fool?

So, in a way, what you wear at fashion week defines who you are. Are you the sheep that follows the herd, or do you lead it? Are you what the fashion fraternity wants you to be, or someone with a mind and style of your own?

None of the people I spoke to cared about what others thought. And that’s why they were so stylish. In the end, it’s about attitude—and the grace and elegance with which you carry yourself. As the great Yves Saint Laurent once said, “Isn’t elegance forgetting what one is wearing?”

Here’s a list of some of our friends at the gala who were quite evidently ‘with it’:

During fashion week, these two have a mantra: ‘Never try too hard.’ “People are trying to shove in all their fashion know-how in one outfit,” says Sonu, “We make sure we don’t do that. Comfort is our biggest necessity.” It’s all about effortless style, and they managed to pull it off well. Sonu wore a black maxi and denim jacket, while Jasleen tried the out-of-bed look with a crumpled, relaxed tee paired with a dramatic skirt.

Shapes and cuts of all sizes inspire Chandni these days, and that’s why she wore a dress with cut-outs at her waist. Sexy, chic and yet oh-so-comfortable. “I added colour with my earrings, and I picked this dress as it’s comfortable and fun. It absolutely needs to be about fun.”

The just-out-of-college Karishma is trying to find her style these days. “I used to be the jhola-carrying type. But now that I am out of college, I am experimenting a bit. I am still not the Forever 21 type who wears skinny jeans and a sling bag. These days I am lusting over how Catholic women dress. So it’s all about modest long dresses with masculine shoes like Brogues.”

Shamita loves an outfit that either tells a story or reflects her state of mind. “This outfit is all me—in fact, it’s almost all self tailored. I love layering, so I paired the grey jumpsuit with this animal print dress. And the rest of the shiny things I have pinned on, I picked up from here and there. It also has a reptile theme running all through.”

Anushka loves an outfit that reflects her personality completely. It needs to be bold, outgoing and, above all, fun. “Comfort is not my priority. It needs to be quirky. These days I am all about bold and bright colours.” The dress that she wore the day we clicked her was actually from her mom’s closet. “I can wear anything as long as I can make it look good. It was huge, so I added a belt and jacket. And accessories make everything anyway.”

Rhea, the brain behind her sister Sonam Kapoor’s impeccable style, stood out by following Coco Chanel’s advice: “In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.” In her grey Savio John outfit, accessorised with green Prada wedges and her hair done in a top knot, she let everyone know she was the real ‘it’ girl.

Once a supermodel, always a supermodel. Nina did it like only she could—strut her stuff in an alluring James Ferreira outfit. The red lips were an added plus. We love how she looked relaxed and chic without being overly made up.

It’s great to see a designer who works her own designs so well off the ramp. It almost makes us believe it’s possible for us to do the same. All her clothes epitomise boho chic to the hilt. If you are a hippie at heart, Payal Khandwala is the perfect inspiration.

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Aastha Atray Banan