Beneath – Vaishali S. Presents her Journey of Self-Discovery at Lakme Fashion Week 2023 in Partnership with FDCI

Mumbai, March, 2022: Last evening, designer Vaishali S.’ showcased her new collection – Beneath – at the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week 2023 in partnership with FDCI. The collection represents the exciting journey of self-discovery that we all go through during our lives, which can perfectly be synthesised by a dive into the darkness of the ocean. If we take a deep dive beneath the ocean, we start discovering secret beauties that the ocean hides, or also those that we hide inside ourselves.

Representing this journey of self-realisation and accomplishment was National Swimming Champion, Richa Mishra, who walked the ramp as the showstopper for Vaishali’s show.

Through its expertise of over 40 years, Lakmé Salon transformed Vaishali’s vision of the ocean and its hidden treasures, in a cut and colour range for end consumers to flaunt – from the runway to real life. With this as context, Lakmé Salon launched their new range of a ravishing hair and makeup collection – BENEATH – as part of Vaishali’s show at the event.

In a seamless extension of Vaishali’s signature style, the textures and the new blends of shimmering materials that ‘Beneath’ is designed to transport one on a journey of discovery via the depths of the sea and of one’s very soul.

Speaking about her ‘Beneath’ collection, Designer, Vaishali S. said, “I have always followed my own instincts when it comes to my work, which has enabled me to carve my own niche in the industry. Showcasing 3 consecutive years at Paris Haute Couture Week has been a scary but very rewarding leap of fate but I am glad to say that this eventually propelled the brand to another level and made me discover other levels of creativity and workmanship. This collection depicts my discovery of the underwater world and also myself by diving into the unknown.”

“The looks curated and designed by the team at Lakmé Salon aligned with my vision for the collection and became an extension of each outfit. Watching the Lakmé Salon team bring alive the looks with the hair and makeup and accentuated the final designs. I look forward to seeing the salon consumers experimenting with and sporting these looks,” she adds.

The hair and makeup for the show were designed and curated to not only complement the designer’s vision but also as an extension of this marvellous collection. The looks designed by the experts at Lakmé Salon drew inspiration from various elements from the ocean – conch, coral, kelp, octopus and wave. Staying true to its purpose to ‘Beautify The Future’, the experts at Lakmé Salon brought the looks to life using real hair and recycled hair extensions along with eco-friendly colours derived from Ayurvedic ingredients.

After July 2022 completing her show at the Paris Haute Couture, the designer happened to be gazing into the darkness of the river Seine, when she realised how taking part in the first Paris Haute Couture had been a leap of fate that ultimately propelled her to a totally elevated level of excellence. That inky water pushed her to start this journey of the new collection from introspective dark colours, which gradually morph into a plethora of colours and creatures.

These moments of realisation perfectly matched the research Vaishali was carrying out with her cording technique, which, in the context of this collection, is styling and wrapping women’s bodies in a unique and never-before-seen manner.

As such, Vaishali’s ‘Beneath’ collection for Lakme Fashion Week 2023 is made with carefully chosen threads and yarns from various villages in India. The yarns were then woven into the finest metallic silk which was used to make the whole collection. The lines are flowy yet constructed to form unconventional silhouettes as per the designer’s artistic interpretation of ‘Beneath’, making it a form of wearable art in handwoven Indian textiles. The collection includes a mix of gowns and various artistic drapes using Vaishali S.’ signature textures and handwoven fabrics.

When we first dive into the depths of what lies beneath, darkness surrounds us but as we start exploring, we discover hidden beauties that eventually give us wider and deeper happiness. Similarly, the collection starts with the colour black depicting the diving into the Beneath, then gradually discovering colours like purple, pink, green and yellow, to the final enlightenment with whites.