New Delhi, Oct. 23 -- When the lights came on for Amit Aggarwal's show at the finale of the Lakme fashion week x FDCI (Fashion Design Council of India) on 18 October in Delhi, they were blinding. Gradually, the set came into focus: a maze-like runway painted to resemble a road, punctuated by traffic signals, plastic pigeons on lamp posts, and street signs that read "Kiss" and "No Stress". As the music picked up, models emerged, presenting On A Day Like Today, a collection from his ready-to-wear label AM:IT.

Colourful polypropylene chattai (woven plastic mats) were turned into shiny ikat- and gingham-style patterns to create bags, skirts, corsets, capes and bibs with tassels that fell to the knees. Cotton shirts and jackets came with matc...