Designers Shantanu and Nikhil, with the Mehrangarh Fort as their inspiration, broke away from norms by bringing in hues of brown and beige in their bridal collection
Chain details, leather tikkas and jackets, the sandy colour palette which moved from brown and beige to reds and teal blues, defined designer-duo Shantanu and Nikhil’s The Mahal collection at India Bridal Fashion Week 2015.The inspiration behind their collection was the Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur.
“We love travelling. Every season, there is some reference to our travels. It's almost like I was an architect in my previous life. We are hugely inspired by the construction (done) by men... buildings and pillars. Mehrangarh Fort is such a spectacle,” shared Nikhil.
The colour palette of the collection was also taken from the fort, inside the Sheesh Mahal and chariots that they used to travel from A to B and “How interestingly the usage of gold on top of red would display the power of the king and queen”.
There were gowns with angular cuts, crop tops with lehenga and leather bodice strapping with gowns too in colours like chocolate, beige, teal blue and rich red with gold. Dupattas were also wrapped up in a unique way. One of the models wore it around the neck and also used the other part of it as a sleeve.
The menswear was equally interesting. Inspired by the fort, the printed bandhgalas with fitted pants or churidar could be the next sought after wedding outfit for men.
While the clothes were undoubtedly the “real stars”, the accessories also caught attention of many. Instead of jewellery, the designer duo creatively used headgear to match the outfits. Even the footwear with gold detailing and clutches looked majestic.
When asked about their ideal bride, Nikhil responded, “She’s a young contemporary woman. She is fearless and knows what she wants and how much of India she wants on her shoulders. She is not driven by society norms to be told that you should get a 10 kilo lehenga. She makes her own rules”.With inputs from agencies
