<p>Lakshmi believes in keeping her designs unique, and that’s probably contributed to the large customer base she’s built up over the years. She doesn’t repeat patterns and each piece at her store has a sense of individuality that is tough to find at mass retailers. She frankly admits that fashion design was never a part of her career plan – it was an nteresting hobby, which happened to turn into a serious passion.<br /><br /></p>.<p>“I used to design my own clothes in college,” she recalls. “There was a tailor in Chembur, in Mumbai, who I used to sit with. He would show me different fabrics and patiently examine the designs I brought to him.” She came to Bangalore 23 years ago and started to design soon after. Although she admits that the initial period was a struggle, her team of workers soon fell into place and after that, there was no stopping her. Lakshmi has a simple philosophy that she follows with every piece – she pictures the woman who is going to wear the outfit. “All designs don’t suit everyone. One thing I’m very particular about is designing clothes that suit Indian women. I design for larger women as well, creating clothes that they would be comfortable in,” says Lakshmi. Because she stresses so much on the individuality of her outfits, she’s also open to customising her outfits, playing around with sizes so that there’s no restriction on that front. However, she’s also very clear that she doesn’t produce in mass – she makes only one of each piece, maintaining that level of exclusivity.<br /><br />Her garments are incredibly varied. In terms of kurtas, there is an interesting collection of sleeveless and three-quartered sleeved pieces. She has played around with colours and cut-work, so that each garment has something that stands out. There are also short dresses with ethnic prints, long gowns and a lovely collection of jackets. Palazzo trousers in cotton and linen and stoles in soft shades are also available. The colours are bright and refreshing – while the heavier items are in rich colours like hot pink, scarlet, yellow and coral, there are also saris and the like in soft, refreshing shades like mint green, aqua and shell pink. “Pastels are really moving this summer,” states Lakshmi, adding, “There are shades of green, lemon and white, as well as refreshing pinks. Some of the pieces have interesting shades of peach and orange. There’s really no restriction in terms of colour, although I would suggests light shades to beat the heat.”<br /><br />Some of the items sport delicate embroidery, whereas others are embellished with pearly beads, metallic threadwork and even zari. Lakshmi explains, “This summer, we’re also using a lot of hakoba and Lucknowi chikan because there’s a lot of demand for delicate work.”<br /><br />Keeping the season in mind, she’s used light fabrics which allow the skin to breathe and drape stylishly but comfortably. “There’s a lot of demand for cotton and linen this summer,” says Lakshmi. “We also have quite a few georgette tops, which are loose and comfortable. For the evening, raw silk is definitely a good choice. We have quite a few evening gowns in raw silk as well as palazzo trousers.”<br /><br />Trishala Ballal, I Year, Christ University, opted for a sleeveless top in a bright shade of orange, which she paired with a short beige skirt.<br /><br />Punchline: “I love the print and colour of the top. It’s perfect for the summer and I’d wear it for a casual gathering with my friends.”<br /><br />Prices: Top (Rs 650) and skirt (Rs 1,250). <br /><br />Tanisha Ballal, 11th Standard, Clarence High School, decided to wear chocolate-brown hot shorts and a geisha silk shirt with a high collar.<br /><br />Punchline: “I love the collar of the shirt. This outfit has an unconventional look but it works.”<br /><br />Prices: Hot shorts (Rs 800) and silk shirt (Rs 3,900).<br /><br />Sampoorna Khanna, III Year, Mount Carmel College, decided to wear a grey and black top with geometric patterns and black trousers.<br /><br />Punchline: “This outfit is classy because it has a vintage vibe. The patterns on the top are lovely.”<br /><br />Prices: Top (Rs 1,275) and trousers (Rs 2,500).<br /><br />Soundarya P R, III Year, Mount Carmel College, opted for a bright blue cut-work <br />kurta and simple tights.<br /><br />Punchline: “The kurta is a cool colour and the pink highlights add an interesting touch to it. I also love the cut-work.”<br /><br />Prices: Kurta (Rs 750) and tights (Rs 200).<br /><br />Pragathi Kiran, I Year, MBA, Millennium School of Business, wore a tussar silk jacket-styled top and a black skirt.<br /><br />Punchline: “I love the combination of this jacket and skirt. The yellow highlights on the collar of the jacket enhance the entire outfit.”<br /><br />Prices: Top (Rs 1,500) and skirt (Rs 1,650).<br /><br />Vanessa D’cunha, III Year, Mount Carmel College, chose a lime-green top and a multi-coloured jacket, which she teamed with dark trousers.<br /><br />Punchline: “The colours on the jacket are bright and make the entire outfit really standout. It’s an unusual combination, but still stylish.”<br /><br />Prices: Jacket (Rs 6,500); top (Rs 1,700) and trousers (Rs 2,000).<br /><br /></p>
<p>Lakshmi believes in keeping her designs unique, and that’s probably contributed to the large customer base she’s built up over the years. She doesn’t repeat patterns and each piece at her store has a sense of individuality that is tough to find at mass retailers. She frankly admits that fashion design was never a part of her career plan – it was an nteresting hobby, which happened to turn into a serious passion.<br /><br /></p>.<p>“I used to design my own clothes in college,” she recalls. “There was a tailor in Chembur, in Mumbai, who I used to sit with. He would show me different fabrics and patiently examine the designs I brought to him.” She came to Bangalore 23 years ago and started to design soon after. Although she admits that the initial period was a struggle, her team of workers soon fell into place and after that, there was no stopping her. Lakshmi has a simple philosophy that she follows with every piece – she pictures the woman who is going to wear the outfit. “All designs don’t suit everyone. One thing I’m very particular about is designing clothes that suit Indian women. I design for larger women as well, creating clothes that they would be comfortable in,” says Lakshmi. Because she stresses so much on the individuality of her outfits, she’s also open to customising her outfits, playing around with sizes so that there’s no restriction on that front. However, she’s also very clear that she doesn’t produce in mass – she makes only one of each piece, maintaining that level of exclusivity.<br /><br />Her garments are incredibly varied. In terms of kurtas, there is an interesting collection of sleeveless and three-quartered sleeved pieces. She has played around with colours and cut-work, so that each garment has something that stands out. There are also short dresses with ethnic prints, long gowns and a lovely collection of jackets. Palazzo trousers in cotton and linen and stoles in soft shades are also available. The colours are bright and refreshing – while the heavier items are in rich colours like hot pink, scarlet, yellow and coral, there are also saris and the like in soft, refreshing shades like mint green, aqua and shell pink. “Pastels are really moving this summer,” states Lakshmi, adding, “There are shades of green, lemon and white, as well as refreshing pinks. Some of the pieces have interesting shades of peach and orange. There’s really no restriction in terms of colour, although I would suggests light shades to beat the heat.”<br /><br />Some of the items sport delicate embroidery, whereas others are embellished with pearly beads, metallic threadwork and even zari. Lakshmi explains, “This summer, we’re also using a lot of hakoba and Lucknowi chikan because there’s a lot of demand for delicate work.”<br /><br />Keeping the season in mind, she’s used light fabrics which allow the skin to breathe and drape stylishly but comfortably. “There’s a lot of demand for cotton and linen this summer,” says Lakshmi. “We also have quite a few georgette tops, which are loose and comfortable. For the evening, raw silk is definitely a good choice. We have quite a few evening gowns in raw silk as well as palazzo trousers.”<br /><br />Trishala Ballal, I Year, Christ University, opted for a sleeveless top in a bright shade of orange, which she paired with a short beige skirt.<br /><br />Punchline: “I love the print and colour of the top. It’s perfect for the summer and I’d wear it for a casual gathering with my friends.”<br /><br />Prices: Top (Rs 650) and skirt (Rs 1,250). <br /><br />Tanisha Ballal, 11th Standard, Clarence High School, decided to wear chocolate-brown hot shorts and a geisha silk shirt with a high collar.<br /><br />Punchline: “I love the collar of the shirt. This outfit has an unconventional look but it works.”<br /><br />Prices: Hot shorts (Rs 800) and silk shirt (Rs 3,900).<br /><br />Sampoorna Khanna, III Year, Mount Carmel College, decided to wear a grey and black top with geometric patterns and black trousers.<br /><br />Punchline: “This outfit is classy because it has a vintage vibe. The patterns on the top are lovely.”<br /><br />Prices: Top (Rs 1,275) and trousers (Rs 2,500).<br /><br />Soundarya P R, III Year, Mount Carmel College, opted for a bright blue cut-work <br />kurta and simple tights.<br /><br />Punchline: “The kurta is a cool colour and the pink highlights add an interesting touch to it. I also love the cut-work.”<br /><br />Prices: Kurta (Rs 750) and tights (Rs 200).<br /><br />Pragathi Kiran, I Year, MBA, Millennium School of Business, wore a tussar silk jacket-styled top and a black skirt.<br /><br />Punchline: “I love the combination of this jacket and skirt. The yellow highlights on the collar of the jacket enhance the entire outfit.”<br /><br />Prices: Top (Rs 1,500) and skirt (Rs 1,650).<br /><br />Vanessa D’cunha, III Year, Mount Carmel College, chose a lime-green top and a multi-coloured jacket, which she teamed with dark trousers.<br /><br />Punchline: “The colours on the jacket are bright and make the entire outfit really standout. It’s an unusual combination, but still stylish.”<br /><br />Prices: Jacket (Rs 6,500); top (Rs 1,700) and trousers (Rs 2,000).<br /><br /></p>