Saris stand out on Indian fashion runway
It's fashion season in India's capital, with the country's top designers showcasing their latest collections to lure the rapidly growing domestic and export markets for Indian haute couture.
Before the styles debut on the runway lie days of planning, fittings and hair and makeup sessions to experiment with looks, poses and choreography. Just days ahead of the big show, tailors take models' measurements and fashion designers finish rehearsing.
Top fashion names and models participated in Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week organized by the Fashion Design Council of India earlier this month.
Scenes from the Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week in New Delhi, India. (AP Video/Manish Swarup, Yirmiyan Arthur)
The show celebrated the sari, Indian women's most idiosyncratic garment, 6 yards of fabric that symbolize a centuries-old tradition.
"As a long piece of fabric, it's not easy to drape, a lot of designers have worked on it over time and it is being styled differently to inspire the younger generation to wear," Vaishali S., a Mumbai-based designer, said of the sari.
Models sashayed down the runway in a riot of color and glitz as Delhi socialites, Bollywood stars and prospective buyers watched for the season's next "it" items.
The sari was juxtaposed with other Indian ensembles, Western wear and fusion clothing collections for men and women.
The show finale was an ode to the sari, worn by the runway models in modern, reconstructed forms, along with elaborate jewelry and accessories against striking backdrops.
Vaishali said the saris on the runway paid tribute to the great variety across India of "weaves, textures, drapes and fabrics with every state and every village having its own strongly distinct and contemporary style, alive and evolving."
At the end, avid fashionistas in the audience blended in with fashion models as buyers thronged the stalls of designers, who offered their creations for sale, pret-a-porter.
A photograph of an Indian model is seen on the mobile phone of a makeup artist at the main makeup room at the Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week, Thursday, March 14, 2019, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
A model leaves the changing area after showcasing creations of Indian designers for the Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week, on Thursday, March 14, 2019, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
A tailor takes the measurements of a model as a woman scans photographs during a fitting session ahead of the Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week, Monday, March 11, 2019, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
A makeup artist applies eyeliner to a model before a show at the Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week, on Thursday, March 14, 2019, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Models finish applying their makeup before taking to the runway at the Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week, on Wednesday, March 13, 2019, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Workers put up posters of models outside a fashion designer's stall in an exhibition during Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week, Wednesday, March 13, 2019, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Models, back stage managers and designers applaud at the end of a show during the Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week, on Thursday, March 14, 2019, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
A models touches up her makeup before walking the ramp during Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week, on Saturday, March 16, 2019, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
A backstage manager checks the line up moments before a show during Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week, on Wednesday, March 13, 2019, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Models line up backstage before the start of a catwalk during the Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week, Saturday, March 16, 2019, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Models rush for a quick change of outfit during the Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week, Wednesday, March 13, 2019, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
A designer and a model take a selfie backstage of the Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week, Saturday, March 16, 2019, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
A model returns backstage after showcasing an outfit at the Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week, Wednesday, March 13, 2019, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
