Swapnil Shinde and his muse, Miss India 2010 Manasvi Mamgai
Swapnil Shinde and his muse, Miss India 2010 Manasvi Mamgai
The acid green garments by Swapnil were sure winners
The acid green garments by Swapnil were sure winners

One of the shows I enjoy watching each season at Lakme Fashion Week, is by designer Swapnil Shinde. His creations are always out of some fantastical other-world, and when deconstructed, are extremely wearable as well. Most of all, his eye for accessorizing his outfits is something I truly appreciate!

Swapnil's split-heeled shoes with torches in the front
Swapnil’s split-heeled shoes with torches in the front

This time around, his collection was “Inspired by Predator meets Terminator with lots of bondage, courtesy Madonna in Erotica,” says Swapnil. And while that’s a lot of inspiration to digest in one sitting, Swapnil went all out, perfectly fusing his muses into one fantastical creation after another. The silhouettes were bold and imaginative and ranged from pants, jumpsuits, shorts, skirts and leggings, topped with reptilian jackets, shirts, draped tops, corsets, minis and slinky gowns.

A Swapnil Shinde creation
A Swapnil Shinde creation
Neon brights lit up the dark ramp
Neon brights lit up the dark ramp

With layering and texturing as his focal points, Swapnil added sharp tailoring touches and moulded body construction to highlight his themes. His opening garments were fashioned from moulded rolls of acrylic, in black and white, which were followed by a line of startlingly creative outfits, like the black satin pantsuit with metallic hardware.

A futuristic-looking handbag by Swapnil Shinde
A futuristic-looking handbag by Swapnil Shinde

Most of all, I loved his futuristic bags, which looked like they had large wooden fangs, and shoes with split-heels and torches in the front of the sole, throwing out rays of neon green lights…