At the ongoing FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week in Delhi, Chennai-based Kaveri Lalchand presents a tea party on the runway

Between ice cream cones, Kaveri Lalchand fuses the romance of chintz, crochet and cyanotype printing on the runway at the ongoing FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week

Kaveri Lalchand loves cutting cake. Even when it is not her birthday. At parties and celebrations, she usually takes charge of the cake and cuts it into neat slices. This love for cuts is evident in the clothes she designs.

Butterfly Bloom, Kaveri’s latest collection, features three types of hand-cut butterflies, which gives a 3D effect. Her Summer Harvest collection has pompoms and hand-cut organza leaves with embroidery on them. These sub collections including Rose, Pearls Please, Constellation, Oriental Artistry, Tropical Soul and Cyano (fusing cyanotype printing with the charm of chintz designs, vintage Victorian silhouettes and crochet lace) are part of her main collection, Photographs and Memories, which she will be showcasing at the ongoing FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week in Delhi.

Nothing is digitally printed, says Kaveri, holding up a beige tunic with lace detailing. Admitting to quirks when it comes to designing, she says, “I am obsessed with how to hand-make something and make it look like it is machine made. We create hand prints that look digital,” she smiles.

The Chennai-based designer launched her eponymous label in 2011. Over the years, she has taken part in shows in Paris, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Dubai and London. This is the fifth time she is showcasing at the Lakme Fashion Week. “I first participated in 2019 and did the Spring Summer and Autumn Winter shows, followed by SS and AW 2020. And I am back again this year,” says Kaveri.

After a phygital (a portmanteau of physical and digital) showing in 2020 (a format that she admits is confusing), Kaveri is thrilled to be returning to physical shows. “I just got back from Delhi where I met the show directors, LED technicians, models. It was buzzing. Interacting with one another and putting things together in person is great,” she explains, adding that there was a bubble and the models were isolating. “I had to show a negative RT PCR plus do a Rapid Antigen test at the entrance of the venue. At the live shows, the seating has been brought down to 50%. So, instead of 400 something, I will have an audience of around 216,” she adds.

The Fashion Week this time offers two showcase areas: Runway and Atelier. Kaveri chose Atelier as it gave her the possibility of creating a different layout for the ramp. “I am creating a garden path and tea party setting,” she says laying out refreshments in the store. A vintage ice cream machine in pink and white hums gently, occupying pride of place amidst her pastel linen dresses.

As Kaveri fills a cone with orange ice cream and another with chocolate, she says, “I want my store to be a place where people can enjoy a time out. Ice cream vending machines and old style softy cones bring back memories. Memories play an important part in creation.”