At Lakmē Fashion Week X FDCI yesterday, March 13, 2024, La Martina and Rajesh Pratap Singh showcased a blend of tradition, style, and athletics. The collection, which made its premiere on the first night of FDCI & Lakmé Fashion Week at the renowned Mahalaxmi Racecourse, celebrated the enduring heritage and status of polo in India.

Famous for its long history in the polo world, La Martina collaborated with famous Indian designer Rajesh Pratap Singh to present a capsule collection at Lakmē Fashion Week X FDCI. This partnership honoured the enduring heritage and stature of Indian polo while skillfully fusing elegance and sport. The Guards Polo Club collection from La Martina’s colonial-inspired aesthetics served as the inspiration for several distinct pieces in this collection. This collaboration, which debuted as the season’s first off-site event and opening night, brought together two iconic businesses to provide an exhibition that radiated uniqueness and legacy.

The collection successfully celebrated Jaipur’s rich cultural heritage and close ties to the game by paying homage to the city’s deep affinity to polo. It was nostalgic and paid tribute to the Indian Polo Association’s pioneers and players while also acknowledging La Martina’s unwavering sincerity and commitment to the game. A world of refined elegance is created by the collection, which is distinguished by intricate details and perfectly fuses heritage and innovation. Some of the elements include hand block printing, chevron intarsia variations, fine mercerized flat knits, zardosi badges, miniature art-inspired polo digital art, Jaipur architecture-inspired all-over embroidery, custom woven jacquard, silk twill and satin prints, fine linens, and riding breeches.

“For the Lakmē Fashion Week X FDCI collaboration with La Martina, I’m excited to bring forth a collection that speaks volumes about the enduring charm of Polo in India. It’s more than just fashion; it celebrates heritage and sport seamlessly woven together. The intricate details and vibrant cultural nods in the upcoming pieces embody a heartfelt tribute to Jaipur’s dynamic spirit,” renowned fashion designer Rajesh Pratap Singh expressed.

Designer and man of the hour Rajesh Partap Singh exclusively spoke with News18.com following the show at the Mahalakshmi Race Course about his breathtaking showcase:

Excerpts from the interview:

If in one word you wanted to explain this showcase, what would it be?

It was a celebration of a beautiful game. It was with one of the finest brands, the finest brands of polo, which has supported the game through and through. We had some really amazing players and we were lucky to have them in India at this time.

How do you approach incorporating this colonial inspired aesthetic of the polo collection into your designs?

So colonial because the game was popular at that time. You saw all the prints, they were actually company-style, hand-painted, things that we did in the studio. And then we took it to print. We took those prints into block printing. A lot of earth was blockprinted. A lot of the motifs you saw were block printed. A lot of the motifs you saw were woven textiles, which took those hands, those watercolours, and company-style watercolours into account.

What is this inspiration that led to this tribute to the deep connection of your designs with this game of polo?

We love polo. It’s a game that really inspires us. How it came about was that I was on a trek in Patagonia with some of my friends and we met Adrian’s father, who is legendary and was the founder of the brand. He took some time out and he was kind enough to take us to the polo club, the mecca of polo and that’s how it started.