Payal Khandwala is the first and the last word when it comes to monastic chic in India. Over the years, her painterly creations have proved to be the sartorial armor for the woman who's feminine yet fierce at the same time. Every outing of Payal is a socio-political commentary without getting into the emasculating, cliched zone of feminist rantings.

Her new seminal collection aptly titled The New Emperor was a tribute to the young women achievers of India - some of them being the inspiring Olympic winners who put the country on the global firmament.

Lion - the metaphor for power and strength was the leitmotif roaring on the statement necklaces and embellishments on the ensembles.

Benarasi brocades and silks developed in West Bengal accented with minimal hand embroidery made it extremely wearable yet chic. Her play of colour is always the highpoint and this time she stunningly clashed golds with reds, greens with aubergines. A pair of sari pants stood out and so did long jackets, wrap trousers, pocketed lehenga skirts all accented with chokers and belts. The only drawback was the slow walk of the models which sort of took away the energy of the powerful show.

Kinetic clash between good and evil

Siddhartha Bansal

Every print that walked out on dresses, skirts and other separates had a multi-layered narrative to share - the tussle between the good and the evil, materialism and spirituality. This dialogue made the Game Changer line deeper and artisanal. The Delhi-based designer toyed with ‘the all-seeing eye’ that is usually acknowledged as a symbol of power and spirituality by converting it into digital motifs. The ensembles had a psychedelic vibe etched to them and the pop-art influenced colour palette that included turquoise, coral, mauve, tangerine and mustard escalated the funk.

There was something for everyone - from elegant printed old-school blouse/cropped top teamed with a twin skirt and a scarf to flared vibrant palazzos combined with a low-key T-shirt, which were highly functional yet quirky and pleasant. The outfits had a certain ease and music festive vibe with the play of colours and prints. An off-shoulder, printed, floor length dress and a layered frilled imprinted gown with a basic black bodice highlighted with sequinned work stood out. The fabrics were carefully chosen from different parts of India making it rustic yet urbane.

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