Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI Day 1: “The Boy’s Club” showcases fashion for the modern man

The show featured works by Sushant Abrol, Dhruv Vaish, Sahil Aneja and Vivek Karunakaran. Photo Courtesy: Special Arrangement

The Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) presented "The Boys Club," a dynamic menswear showcase at Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI, Mumbai. The show opened the fashion week on March 19 at the Jio World Convention Centre, featuring Countrymade, Dhruv Vaish, Sahil Aneja and Vivek Karunakaran.

Countrymade by Sushant Abrol presented "Cenotaph", inspired by the architecture of memorial cenotaphs, spaces where remembrance takes form. The collection featured faded olives, scorched browns, oxidised bronze and stark black-and-white tones. Techniques such as mud-resist printing, cold pigment dyeing, bronze patina, kantha, raw-edged appliques and coatings that mimicked withered stone suggested the passage of time and erosion.

It only got more mesmerising as Dhruv Vaish's collection "The Blueprint" explored how cities reveal themselves through patterns like grids of streets, intersecting crossings, scaffolding lines and shifting terrains. The designer translated these quiet urban systems into contemporary menswear, where seam lines echoed the logic of roads and geometric panelling reflected temporary architectures. Fabrics such as linen, cotton denim and printed silk formed the base of the garments.

Accompanying Abrol and Vaish, Indian designer Sahil Aneja presented "Strata", a collection inspired by the shifting forms of natural terrain and the fluidity of molten stone. The designer experimented with textures to create interplay of light and shadow across the garments.

Indian designer Vivek Karunakaran's collection "The Thangam" showcased its uniqueness as he interpreted South India's enduring and understated relationship with gold through contemporary ceremonial menswear. Crafted from raw silks, tussar, Kanjeevaram and silk organza, the pieces featured subtle textures in tones of gold, ecru and earthen hues, accented by navy and teal.

"Mens fashion has seen seismic changes in the last decade - from dull greys and predictable stripes, it now serenades a vibrant palette, bold motifs, play of textures, as the new age man is ready to take that proverbial leap of faith. The FDCI Boy's Club is homage to the man who likes to experiment innovatively," said Sunil Sethi, Chairman, FDCI.

Lakme Fashion Week started on a high as South Indian and Bollywood actor, Siddharth opened the show for designer Vivek Karunakaran, wearing a brown silk coat paired with draped dhoti pants in rich earthy tones.