Manish Malhotra is a name in the fashion biz synonymous with all things drama. Think about it - Bollywood, the Kapoor sisters, Indian weddings and grand appearances. And he wasn’t about to disappoint this time, either. The opening show at LFW was just as exciting as the anticipation of it all and the collection, well; we’ll let the pictures do the talking. Much to our dismay, the best seats were already taken. But that was soon forgotten by the sheer opulence of the show's set. Beautifully carved tree lanterns and vivid branches hanging atop looked like a page out of a tropical fairy tale. We marvelled at the sheer grandeur of the design, the lights and spiralling excitement in the air. Not to forget, Manish's Bollywood beauties and friends, as he calls them, were seen sitting pretty in the Front Row. Whether it was Kangana Ranaut in a peach sari, Kajol in a green number or Sonali Bendre in a mocha gown, a grand opening like this sure had a grand audience. An extremely fit looking Sonakshi Sinha was the Showstopper for Manish. Here are our Fashion Editor’s delectable picks from a collection that had us go ‘gosh-wow’ right from the start. It was rightfully called ‘A Summer Affair '.
 

Of navys and whites

Of navys and whites

Staying true to this favourite hue, navy, Manish spinned it in a number of ways and had our jaw drop on each one. Inspired by modern day romanticism, we absolutely devoured the sheer navy dress-style kurtas, zip saris, and summer skirt lehengas with pockets. Adding much contrast, he softened the edge of navy with mirror work and fine embroidery in beige and ivory.

 

Bandgalas in skin tones

Bandgalas in skin tones

Slim pants in the ‘brown’ spectrum were our next favourite. Manish gave the bandgala a modern-day twist, mixing it up with high front-slit kurtas and slim pants in caramel brown, beige and skin tones. This was overlayed with very feminine mirror work and hand embroidery in ivory. Silk was a predominant fabric for this line.

 

Pretty pink and florals

Pretty pink and florals

Trust Manish to do a somersault in a show that spans twenty minutes. Downplaying the edgy vibe of navy and the simplicity of neutral, he infused a line of pretty pinks and watercolour print florals to take his inspiration of romanticism to a dream-like plane. Floral crop tops matched with flared and billowing skirts that kissed the floor brought much grace and sweetness to the line. High neck floor length dresses in pastel florals flared from the waist down in soft pleats.