You can tell that fashion week has changed, because the people in its vicinity look different. Lakmé Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI, is a biannual event when designers showcase their collections and set the big, wild mood for the season ahead. Also in the spotlight are concerns about the environmental impact of clothing.

But as realities of the climate crisis become more real—the event was held during unusually warm and humid days of early March—the takeaways from the recently concluded season signalled mixed flags. After positioning itself as a “catalyst of conscious fashion ecosystem” for over a decade, the event’s commitment to “sustainability” faced a strange repudiation when highlights from the collections, especially by senior designers, hinged  largely on a display of excess—in form, content and social entertainment.