From runway to wardrobe: Masaba Gupta says designers are finally creating wearable fashion

Masaba Gupta on how the fashion world is finally amping up the practicality quotient of clothes shown on the ramp

One of the biggest criticisms of the fashion world since time immemorial has been that outfits are made only for the runway. The very idea of wearing them on the street seemed absurd. While the garments were beautiful and avant-garde, more often than not, they screamed of drama. The ‘wearability’ aspect was missing.

But times are changing. Fashion is in a flux. And this is evident, now, more than ever, with most ateliers marrying their art with business. If you’ve tracked the recently concluded Lakme Fashion Week (LFW), you’d have noticed the shift towards practicality. The focus was largely on designers doing the balancing act of presenting marketable creations while staying true to their ethos.

The fashion industry in India has now woken up to the fact that OTT outfits do not make it to retail racks. The focus is shifting to the end consumer, with equal emphasis on beauty, innovation and functionality.

At LFW, Ritu Kumar dished out a fresh take on athleisure staples as well as regular fare with shirt dresses and interesting tops with prints ranging from feminine, soft pastels to tribal prints. These are clothes that transition smoothly from the runway to your regular wardrobe.

Aagor by Ants Craft at Lakmé Fashion Week winter/festive 2016

Another revolutionary step was that while there has always been the dominance of the slim model on the runway, this year’s LFW broke the norm. We saw a plus-size fashion show, styled by Shilpa Chavan (Little Shilpa) changing fashion’s rules. Plus size models are also being appreciated in the West , shunning the ‘one size fits all’ theory.

The bottom line is this: It’s time to celebrate fashion like never before; fashion that embraces individualism and body positivity, and combines wearability with drama.

Masaba Gupta is a leading fashion designer. She tweets as @MasabaG