Karisma Kapoor, Saba Azad and Kalki Were Not Showstoppers: Sanjay Garg

In a world of the familiar, be the voice of change – is what best describes fashion designer Sanjay Garg’s show. As the creative force behind Raw Mango, Sanjay made a comeback as the opening show designer for Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI on October 10th

Visualising his collection ‘Children of the Night’ in 49 uniquely styled ensembles, Sanjay embraced Lakme Glitterati’s colourful and sparkling festive range one silhouette at a time. Crafted with love with hints of playfulness, each ensemble had a story to tell. Sanjay’s signature gold and green shades were joined by pinks and yellow intertwined beautifully with metallics. Avant-garde theatrics harmoniously blended with aesthetically created prints. Voluminous silhouettes married to unconventional patterns unveiled a different side of this design genius.

Marrying disco with handloom, Sanjay’s collection was a creative spectacle. While the collection was the real star of the evening, the showcase took an interesting turn when it came to the runway choreography. Sanjay had not one but three showstoppers…sorry, correction…MODELS – actors Karisma Kapoor, Kalki Koechlin and Saba Azad sashay the runway as models and not showstoppers.

Confusing? Well, Sanjay like his craft broke away from the normal show set up and had the three stunning ladies walk in the show just like the models. No drama, no dimming of the lights to reveal the showstopper. He came, he showcased and he made sure his clothes won.

“I am not here to entertain at a fashion show”, were his words while speaking about not following the regular format of runway shows. He shared that in spite of being huge stars they supported my vision. “I respect artists. There was a musician, there were celebrities. In the show they were not showstoppers, nor did they open the show, they were part of the flow. I have never had them [celebrities] in a show before because it used to only become about entertainment. Today, the celebrities [Karisma, Saba and Kalki] walked as models. Celebrities are welcome to walk for me as long as they walk in the show and don’t stop the show,” expresses Sanjay.

Elated to be a part of this unique concept, Karisma was all smiles post the showcase. Dressed in a black and gold ensemble, Karisma said, “When I heard the concept I was floored because at the end of the day, this is fashion and we are here to support that.”