Khushali Kumar, who has dressed Justin Bieber and Shakira, showcased her ballroom gowns inspired by spring flower varieties in France. Samkisha Raj reports
The premise of PVR Director’s Cut turned into a long runway as designer Khushali Kumar showcased her collection of ballroom and evening gowns inspired by the spring flower varieties in France. “The entire look of the collection travels back to the mysterious and stylish era of the 1920s in Europe which provides a cinematic experience to the audience. It is ultra-glam and at the same time very vintage. There is a lot of positivity in the entire collection,” she said. The shapes were very futuristic yet romantic. With the fitted bodices and flowy skirts, an interesting contrast could be seen in the silhouettes. The evening wear comprised cleavage-baring dresses that provided the edgy, feminine look and was aimed for the bold and confident women. The choice of fabrics — silk tulle and chiffon — was justified. Dipped in shades of nude and muted colour tones, demure peaches and mint green, no doubt, the garments were meant to make women ultra-confident.
For Khushali, her creations are an extension of her own personal style and that is what she tries to incorporate in her label ‘Reve’. She said, “Whoever wears my collection feels very special and is ready to walk the red carpet.”
Khushali, the daughter of Gulshan Kumar, feels happy that her siblings are in diverse fields. But she is not interested in designing for films as it limits her creativity. “Having said that I would love to do anything that matches my label and look,” she said.
Khushali is known to dress international pop stars like Shakira, Justin Bieber, Melanie Brown among others. The designer said, “It was at one of my shows in the US that Rob and Mariel, stylists of Shakira viewed my collection privately and felt that the outfits would be perfect with the kind of look they were planning for the pop star in the premiere episode of the television programme Voice 6. The garment chosen was a stunning gunmetal dress with a mix of feminine tulle, chains and fringes, just the look needed for someone like Shakira. I have also styled Justin Bieber for a song video Wait a minute. I gave an edgy yet romantic look to the teen star, which gelled well with the theme of the song.” Being a designer, her forte lies in silhouettes, cuts and fitting.