SABYASACHI (LFW)
Inspiring: Layering and styling. Simple pieces add up to create stunning ensembles – genius!
Evolution: Panel play with seams and colour blocking. The ‘bell’ shape in tiered skirts and shararas. Cropped pants in block prints. Antique mirror work.
Stagnation: Colour story time warp. Similar fabrics despite changing seasons.
Wow point: Sheer skirts with boxers. Delightfully cheeky!

NIKASHA (LFW)
Fresh: A beautiful shade of turmeric yellow. Layering of shells and linings in shirt-tunics, having differently shaped hemlines.
Stale: Dhoti trousers again and predictable skirts and cholis.
Wow Point: The flamenco style, multi-tiered panelled tunics. Lovely twist to desi.

NEHA AGARWAL (LFW)
Wow points: Sheer chiffon wraps, beautiful tulip/rose embroideries.
Point to note: Reminiscent of the earlier Sabyasachi/Anamika style in terms of layering and colours.
Future: Continue the exploration of prints and embroideries, but establish more individuality overall.

CUE by ROHIT GANDHI & RAHUL KHANNA (WIFW)
Inspiring: An excellently edited collection. As always, a great variety of separates and fabrics. Experimental yet classy prêt.
Fresh: A shade of brick/flesh is unconventional and stands out.
Wow points: Fine laser cutting, intricate pintucks on jersey.

LABEL RITU KUMAR (WIFW)
Inspiring: A crisp, young collection from India’s oldest house. Offering variety in design but unabashedly prêt price conscious.
Evolution: Breaking away from the perennial ‘Banjara’ sensibilities. More geometric, with capsules within the collection.
Stale: The yellow-pink-orange-purple story and fabrics in part of the collection.
Wow point: Effective use of cable knits – a rarity in Indian fashion.

PANKAJ & NIDHI (WIFW)
Inspiring: Mastery over multiple surface treatment techniques – quilting, embossing, studding, tapestry – and presenting them in a tight collection.
So-so: Multicoloured sequined dresses – too much bling. Not required.
Wow points: Pointed ‘Batman ears’ shoulders. Pattern quilting. Football dresses.

DEV R NIL (KFW)
Inspiring: Displaying equal prowess in menswear and womenswear. High quality western and ethnic prêt. Every piece is desirable.
Evolution: Have introduced slouchy shapes in their predominantly sharp constructions.
Textures and embroideries are more varied.
Wow points: Beautiful batik in motifs and tights – incorporation of the capsule batik collection within the larger collection. Overall styling.

WENDELL RODRICKS for WESTSIDE (LFW)
Inspiring: High street clothes one would aspire to possess! The power of simple lines – how minor manipulations in shape translate into beautiful design.
Fresh: The YSL/Piet Mondrian inspirations do not dominate, but are absorbed in Rodrick’s own style.
Wow points: Asymmetric flaps, low crotch trousers, Mondrian-inspired accessories.

NAMRATA JOSHIPURA (WIFW)
Fresh: Return of leg-o-mutton sleeves. Shades of caramel and peacock blue.
Stale: Sequin sheeting never goes away. Laser cut leather scallops – beautiful, but not again!
Wow point: Caramel mannish suit teamed with bright ochre shoes.

ANAND KABRA (LFW)
Evolution: An almost total U-turn from floral prints and toga drapes. Sharper, stronger, edgier.
Wow points: Spiderwoman-like metallic meshes (a tad Julien McDonald) in saris, trousers, dresses, waist coats.
Future: Exploration of Kabra’s sexier side.

ALECCA CARRANO (DFW)
Inspiring: A proper winterwear range (with sweaters), intensely soothing. Multiple elements very well balanced. Exploration of shapes, textures and detailing. A very complete collection.
Wow points: Giant ruffles and sudden inserts of red.

ALPANA & NEERAJ (DFW)
Evolution: More flow and volume, varying lengths, distinct differences since last season.
Wow point: Their take on corsetry and bodices, offering variety through details.
Future: More product range please, and less drapey jersey shifts.

VARUN SARDANA (WIFW)
Inspiring: Maturity, presentation, styling, details, range, separates, finish, creativity – marketability balance. All looked into.
Evolution: Origami in parts is supplemented by scallops, ruffles, tassles. A fine balance of glamour and intellect.
Stale: And yet again, sequin sheeting strikes! There is no escape!
Wow points: A heartbeat-stopping red origami gown! Metal paperclips for texture. The styling – cleverly economical footwear idea

GAURAV GUPTA (WIFW)
Inspiring: Endeavouring to push the envelope every time. Someone who tackles fitted and flowy with equal élan, on a variety of fabrics.
Evolution: More ‘open spaces’ instead of excessive pleats. Layering of pieces and fabrics. Usage of prints. New maturity.
Stagnation: Blingy placement embroidery that has become staple, or predictable.
Wow point: Swirling, meandering zippers used as ornamentation, in addition to function.

PRASHANT VERMA (WIFW)
Inspiring: The menacing mood, the ominous edge. The looming doom. Addictive!
Evolution: Past Dior-esque corsets, an exploration of shapes, materials, construction techniques.
Wow points: The architectural treatment to fashion. Painstakingly seamed motorcycle trousers. The ‘muscle’ jacket. Giant square shapes.
Future: Some very distinct international ‘inspirations’ (Balenciaga, YSL) that need to be grown out of.

KALLOL DATTA 1955 (LFW)
Evolution: Circular patterns continue, but in a different, less obvious form. A foray into embroidery territory. More statement prints. Winter grunge.
Stagnation: Tie dye yet again. Too much black and similar fabric palette.
Wow points: Aprons. A sheer black long dress – beautifully simple. Silver dress-form pendants. The dress-form print.
Future: Different colours and fabrics.

SAVIO JON (DFW)
Inspiring: The ability to make everything seem effortless – simply beautiful. The potential of casual-dressy-casual transitions in almost every piece. Subtle detailing.
Evolution: Variety in hemlines and shapes. More range in separates. Exploring closures/fasteners as design elements.
Wow points: Beautiful safety pin and vintage medallion neckpieces. Lovely light layering. Numerous elements harmonising without clutter.
Stagnation: Repetitive fabric board. Also, continuous collections of resort can get monotonous.

RISHTA by ARJUN SALUJA (LFW)
Evolution: Assertive, almost subversive. Yet revered. The Samurai-sportsman theme continues, but with the entry of some Teddy Boy elements. Dark and androgynous.
Wow points: The styling, the shoes, the use of tangerine and taxi-yellow, gorgeous jacket dresses.
Future: Move away from any more zippers for a while.

MANISH ARORA (WIFW)
Inspiring: Continuing the couture tradition, taking surface treatments to a stellar platform, international level presentation, a sense of humour.
Evolution: More jagged edges, angular shapes, digital prints.
Stagnation: Repetitive shapes through the collection. Colours.
Wow points: A pink peacock dress – breathtaking! A stunning array of multi-element combinations.
Point to note: Despite different themes, collections are starting to look similar, due to shapes, limited separates, colours and styling.

GAURI AND NAINIKA (KFW)
Stagnation: 1930s, ’40s and ’50s never cease to inspire the sisters. Season after season, vintage from the same era gets monotonous.
Nice: Staples like ruffles and cinched waists – but with excellent constructions, fits and aesthetic balance. Some variety in separates.
Future: Hopefully explore a different decade and surprise us. Better still, shock us!

RAJESH PRATAP SINGH (WIFW)
Inspiring: God is in the details, in the construction, in the supreme impeccability. Every aesthetic is spot-on. Every piece is covetable. Every season.
Wow points: Intricate smocking – to die for! Metal cube jewellery. Shimmering copper jacket.
Double-edged sword: In competition with himself – sartorially spectacular, but safely below his own raised bar of expectations.

ATSU (DFW)
Inspiring: Every piece is beautifully desirable, possessing the finesse that many established designers strive for.
Evolution: Foray into embroidery zone. A clear seasonal distinction. More glamorous, yet ultra chic.
So-so: Despite the self confessed modern ‘YSL tribute’, there was no novel twist. Derived and safe, lacking excitement.

ASHISH N SONI (WIFW)
Evolution: Structure meets drape. Geometry meets fluidity. There are more than just empire dresses and princess coats.
Stagnation: Apart from gold, it is a very tried, tested and repeated colour story. Measured tweaking of styles in some cases, just about making it past repetitive.
Wow points: A loud gold pleated cropped top. A giant sleeved cream jacket.

SANCHITA (WIFW)
Evolution: She can do much more than classic resort and drapey dresses. Digital prints and newer fabrics. Attention to quality accessories.
So-so: Some predictable gathered shift dresses, continuation of the satin saga.
Wow points: Giant kimono sleeves, metallic mesh dresses, leather tights.

MY VILLAGE by RIMZIM DADU (LFW)
Stagnation: The overall look has been the same for long. Shift dresses still dominate. Textures, though beautiful, look similar to Winter 2008.
Wow point: A hexagon textured armour dress.
Future: Some placement textures. More explorations of shapes. Layering of pieces. Expansion of product range.

SMALL SHOP JASON ANSHU (DFW)
Inspiring: A total package of beautiful textures, adventurous shapes, quirky detailing and focused styling. All harmonising well.
Evolution: More layers, more separates, changing shapes, a distinct winter feel.
Stagnation: Colours, fabrics and textures need variation, despite being beautiful. Need to move beyond resist dye and discharge print in future.
Wow points: Layered shadow plays caused by dyeing and overprinting, especially large checks. Evoking dreamy childhood memories through colour.

VIVEK KUMAR (LFW)
Inspiring: Explorations in knitwear continue every season. Good news for Indian fashion.
Wow points: Disc inserts in knits, multicoloured fleece-like textures, placement quilting.
Not so great: Random drapes, over embellishment, juvenile styling.
Future: Continue with knitwear developments, but with cleaner lines and eliminate clutter.

NACHIKET BARVE (LFW)
Evolution: More variety in textures – jigsaw joints, ikat embroideries, appliqués, multi-layered strips – in jewel tones, and a sharper, crisper silhouette.
Stagnation: Only dresses and jackets in straight shapes tend to get monotonous. A touch of Winter 2008 is still very evident.
Future: More exploration of shapes and layering. Perhaps placement (rather than allover) textures in a few pieces.

WALNUT (LFW)
Wow points: Digital prints – cosmic explorations, op-art, beautiful colour shading.
Point to note: Again, similar dresses and jackets throughout the collection. Shapes, lengths, detailing – highly repetitive.

TARUN TAHILIANI (DFW)
Evolution: Signature Grecian drapes are complemented by structure this time. Unconventional pairing of separates. Measured risks in terms of shapes and volume.
Wow point: Very fine, long fringes in saris and dresses that sway beautifully with movement.
So-so: Some out of place caftans and colourful tribal elements that seem forced.

11.11 CELLDSGN (DFW)
Inspirational: The brand’s non-conformist ethos, attention to the overall look, accessories, show presentation and the ‘cult’ value. Spunky!
Evolution: More colour, more prints, more variety in fabrics.
Stagnation: Repetitive styles and retention of the ‘student’ sensibility.
Double-edged sword: The careless drapes and non-pretty detailing work wonderfully, but sometimes border on unplanned mish-mash.

NITIN BAL CHAUHAN (WIFW)
Inspiring: Incredible detail in each piece. Construction prowess. Great finish.
Evolution: Some off-the-body shapes and drapes.
Stagnation: Fabrics and colours give us a déjà vu feel.
Gone awry: Detailed pieces teamed together (individually beautiful, combined, too much!), overly accessorised. End result – overwhelmingly theatrical.

KIRAN UTTAM GHOSH (WIFW)
Evolution: Finally, a distinct style – cleaner, simpler, comfortable.
Stagnation: Colours remain unchanged three years in a row. Embroidery motifs and textures remind of past collections.
Point to note: Beautiful jackets and a few palazzos, but not much else. Very limited product range.
Wow points: Wispy layers of chiffon flowing ethereally. Cocoon jackets.