On the fourth day of the Indian Couture Week (ICW), regal charm took centrestage as, the designers lent a modern touch to some traditional ensembles. By Team Viva
Ashima-Leena
Nazm-e-Mahal by Leena Singh is the story of the quintessential royal queenwho values the old world charm. She is sophisticated, elegant and is empowered in her own demeanor. The poise in her gait portrays the epitome of her purity with timeless radiance and majestic epiphany.
Ashima-Leena (AL) couture - 2021 collection was adorned with the magic of royalty yet drenched with simplicity reflecting the pure soul of a princess belonging to the Mughal era. The collection combined delicate hand embroidery with meticulously curated woven textiles, with classic AL royal silhouettes worn by maharanis in palaces in the Mughal era.
The high point of this collection was its antique brocade sarees which have been sourced from the original wardrobes of the maharanis from the palaces of Rajasthan, and have been restored by the designers’ weavers from Banaras. The warp and the weft of the weaves were infused with pure gold and pure silver strains using a technique which has become extinct over the years. The subdued beautiful colours of light turquoise, light pink, light peach and vibrant purple coupled with rich heavy weaves of the beautiful antique sarees spoke of the classic and subdued taste and style of maharanis of that era.
The collection comprised classic blouses, circular lehengas, antique delicate sarees with jeweled tassels, brocade-woven odhnis with antique gold fabrics, and re-interpretated lengthened jackets that can be worn with various classic silhouettes.
The purity and the simplicity of the maharanis of bygone era were reflected and authentically portrayed in these most exclusive pieces of art, with special techniques of restoration. The brilliant selection of hues transformed textures into a chromatic scale of charming colors exuding an old-world charm.
Nazm-e Mahal can best be likened to a story that was woven beautifully with rich textiles, and employed magical restoration, to produce a confluence of the exquisite traditional wardrobes of maharanis with timeless royal silhouettes.
Amit GT
The name of the collection this time is Scintilla which means a tiny spark of light. Scintilla has always allured us, the very first sliver of light at the dawn or in a pitch dark sky when we see a star shining, or in a total eclipse the first spark of light that shines on a world shrouded in darkness is called scintilla. It breaks the darkness both from outside and within. This collection is an attempt to depict the exultation nature celebrates through brilliant blooms, scintillating constellation, dew drops, snow falls or vivid colors of the sky. We depicted these elements through water lilies and other blooms, birds, constellations or fireworks and dew drops through signature brushstrokes like linear hand embroidery,” said Amit, speaking on the occasion.
This time the sheer scale of the collection’s trains and bustles in gowns as well as lehengas were far more dramatic and voluminuos. And from what Amit said, we understood that it was all about the scintillating emotions of the bride, depicted through her ensembles.
Ruffles, scrunched textures, feathers and ingenious saree drapes, trains and bustles are something we all were used to seeing from Amit, over the past decade. However, this time around, brush stroke linear embroderies seem to be taking centrestage. Admittedly, Amit was ahead of his time when over a decade and a half ago he was showing dramatic ball gowns with long trains and bustles, along with saree gowns which are now a de riguer in every Indian wedding. Duchesse satin gowns with detachable trains with large bows, organza textured ball gowns, saree drape gowns had been a constant feature of Amit’s collection over the years. Rachel Weisz, Eva Longoria, Elizabeth Gillies, Toni Braxton, Avril Lavigne are some notable names which have adorned his creations. “I always believed in pushing the envelope and making a way forward in fashion and I will continue to do more with more chutzpah and vigour and ardour,” Amit signed off with a flourish.
Shantnu & Nikhil
Like an unlikely, shimmering waterbody defying the withering heat of the Thar, Shantnu and Nikhil’s collection stood out for its splendour and unapologetic glamour. The designers said that Oasis is, in essence, their response to the need of our times — beauty to those deprived of it, glamour to those missing it, power to those feeling helpless. Proportioned 70:30, the lineup consisted of menswear primarily, with key womenswear silhouettes that added a new dimension to the overall look.
On offer, the famed draped kurtas for men, now achieved in kaleidoscopic prints on the finest of silks. These were paired with armour-like bundis and military-inspired short bandhgalas in black. The new Shantnu and Nikhil cowl trousers updated the dhoti silhouette, and went perfectly with both, the shorter jackets as well as the longer sherwanis, all topped with jewelled brooches and regalia-inspired accessories. For women, the designers blurred the boundaries between ball gowns and lehengas, creating hybrid styles that would be suited to anywhere from New York to New Delhi. Voluminous drapes met expertly constructed bodices to form one-of-a-kind pieces that wouldn’t be out of place in a dark, stormy fairytale. Embellished with exquisite hand-embroideries, they shimmerred with crystals, while leather appliqués lent a powerful statement to each look. Here, the signature Shantnu and Nikhil crimson lehengas took centerstage, standing out of the crowd with their softer appeal and painstakingly executed embellishments all done by the hands of master artisans.
The colour palette travelled from gold to navy, reds to blacks, punctuated with multicolour couture prints developed in-house and transferred onto the most luxurious fabrics. The campaign storytelling embodied the same spirit of modernity which blended beautifully with the courageous voice of the collection. The backdrop of the campaign was set in a space which reflected a similar energy — The Suryagarh, Jaisalmer.