Like Quirky? Check out Lemon Trunk!

Ashutosh Maheshwari is the proud owner of Lemon Trunk—as the name resonates, this label celebrates the best of quirk and pop art, printed innovatively on bags. Their designs are vibrant and refreshing, and their colour palettes are spunky. From floral patterns in shocking hues to Aztec prints in a brand new avatar, this label has struck a chord with the young and peppy! Ashutosh talks to us about LT’s fun designs, pocket-friendly rates, and their range of products.

Lemon Trunk

 How did Lemon Trunk come into being?

Lemon Trunk came into being on a simple idea—‘We want to see India using beautiful, designer products’. The quickest way to achieve that was by creating a product that was mass-market and affordable, but without comprising on quality. Tote bags haven’t really evolved in terms of design and style and therefore, seemed like the best place to add our spunky, young and visually appealing designs.

Lemon Trunk

Why did you choose this name for your brand?

I wanted a name that was fluous…a word that isn’t restricted to a particular style or product, and is young and fun. ‘Lemon Trunk’ had the perfect ring to it and seemed like the right name that would appeal to my target audience.

Lemon Trunk

Tell us about your products

At Lemon Trunk, we design fun products. We use the finest quality materials and printing processes to make our prints look alive. Right now, we’ve launched our College Tote Bag in close to 30 prints. In the next couple of months, we will have added slings, satchels, messenger bags, laptop bags, tablet sleeves and shopping totes to our range, along with more prints. We want to have something for everyone!

Lemon Trunk

Tell us about the upcoming summer trends in tote bags…

We feel, the summer trend this year is going to be easy going—big bags, which are easy to carry, with smart prints in bright colours. Apart from this, of course, the one thing that will always be in demand is innovation in designs.

You may check out the latest Lemon Trunk designs and bags at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, from February 7 to17 in Mumbai or shop for their products on Flipkart http://www.flipkart.com/search?q=lemon+trunk&as=off&as-show=off&otracker=start or Myntra http://www.myntra.com/lemon-trunk?userQuery=true&s=acl

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’ unveiled at Quli Khan’s Tomb

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’

The Wills Lifestyle Grand Finale by Rohit Bal concluded the Spring Summer 2015 edition of India’s premiere fashion & trade event – Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week. It was a magical evening at Quli Khan’s Tomb with Qutub Minar as its backdrop came alive with this magnificent show.

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’, inspired by the rich and lush Mughal Gardens of Kashmir, is a tribute to the God-gifted and unparalleled beauty of the valley. Mesmerising the audience, through a visual and musical spectacle, the event recreated the erstwhile court of the Mughals through flowers and live music. With guests entering to live Sufi music, the show began with the resounding voice of the internationally acclaimed doyen of Indian classical music – Shubha Mudgal. While she sang, the models walked the ramp, adorned with flowers.

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’

A delighted Rohit Bal said, “It is wonderful to be back and a great honour to be doing the grand finale at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week once again. It is a perfect platform for me to show uninhibited creativity and express myself through a collection that transcends all seasons and reflects my sense of aesthetics without any constraints.”

Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’

The fabrics range from fine handlooms like chanderi, fine mulmul, matka silk and voile, while velvet lends a hint of luxury. Techniques like hand-block printing have been used with vegetable dyes and gold leaf embossing, with a generous use of quilting and tilla, and hand embroidery in resham. This subtle collection revels in an extravagant use of thread and metallic gold.

Arjun Rampal walks for Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’ collection

Ivory formed the basis of this canvas; embroidered and deep jewel tones enhanced the purity of the earthy textile. The use of rich brocade from Varanasi added the right amount of glamour and opulence to the otherwise understated and demure collection.This collection represents the craft and heritage of India. It is pure in its thought and follows a philosophy of timeless style. It is quite, calm and enveloped in a cloak of serenity!

‘Bubbly Banarsi’ by Chhaya Mehrotra

Chhaya Mehrotra for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Designer Chhaya Mehrotra presented a bold and lively collection, ‘Bubbly Banarsi’ for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015.

Chhaya Mehrotra Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Bubbly is a little girl, who has grown up in Banaras; she weaves the spirit of the city with all its idiosyncrasies in her own set of experiences in this collection. Colours of sindoor, shiva, chandan and moksha—red, blue, yellow and white surfaced in this collection in different avatars.

Chhaya Mehrotra for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

The chosen fabrics, silk, cotton and noil were made into garments, inspired by the local dressing culture; for instance, think of how a school girl or a flower vendor dresses up!

Chhaya Mehrotra for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Handicraft techniques like, block-printing, weaving and wooden toy making met to bring forth a collection that’s truly Banarsi! Born in one of the oldest textile printing families of Banaras, Chhaya Mehrotra has always been fascinated with creativity.

With Kavita Bhartia’s return on the runway, Spring/Summer got a little more beautiful

Kavita Bhartia for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Kavita Bhartia is back on the runway at Wills India Fashion Week with her super classy Spring/Summer 2015 collection. Inspired by Chintz designs, her collection pays ode to the karigars and artisans who work meticulously, far away from the limelight to convert textiles into masterpiece outfits.

Kavita Bhartia for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Her clothes define home-grown craftsmanship, contouring layers of her design sensibilities. This collection took dying and printing techniques to a whole new level; pleats, origami folds on skirts, and architectural jhaalis embedded in sequins and zardozi work surfaced vividly.

Kavita Bhartia for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Kavita employed lots of khadi, cotton, and georgette and summer laces in her clothes. The choice of colours was equally soothing—ivory, white, and mint green and rose pink— perfect for summer months! Also, sudden explosion of bright colours interplayed with hints of black in some outfits.

Kavita Bhartia for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Crochet and thread patterns were incorporated in the collection to highlight voluminous skirts, body-contouring tops, flowing gowns and modern kurtas.