The 2nd Edition of Delhi Couture Week (DCW) kicked off in the capital on 22nd July. With 12 Courtiers, including JJ Valaya, Manish Malhotra & Rohit Bal participating. TFW gives s sneak peak of these Shows - A 4 day Fashion Event finishing on 25th July..
Suneet Varma
With his version of Kamasutra, presented clothes that adorn the body and bejewel the soul exploring female sensuality with this collection. Used soft, sheer fabrics in a palette of fuschia, navy, ivory, black and silver on Zardozi koti shrugs and sheer skirts.
The lacy numbers and use of sheer fabric dominated the feminine bridal wear. Traditional embroidery; zardozi, kundan and intricate thread-work to bring out the luxe factor in his outfits. A shimmering bejewelled sari worn by svelte model Jesse Randhawa.
Models adorned interesting pointed headgears, payals and heavily embellished short choli shrugs to complete the look.
Rich Indian colours, like crimson and fuchsia, and paired them with gold panel borders to create ruffled lehengas, saris, shararas and anarkalis. Experimenting with shades of Prussian blue, jet black and silver embellishments for a separate line of cocktail garments. mix of lighter shades of pink, yellow, aquamarine, teal and peach
Shantanu and Nikhil
A dreamy collection from the Western vintage era, meant for a “Contemporary Bride, who wants to break the rules and be uninhibited.
Designer duo channeled European charm of years gone by with gramophones and dainty umbrellas as props whereas the ensembles featured oodles of lace and thread embroidery. Draped ensembles in delicate textures & fluid fabrics.
Collection ‘Perfume’- a collection personifying vintage royalty inspired by the 'Elizabethan era' with a hint of exuberance.
Colours ranged from pale blues to black, orange, yellow, pinks, peaches and pale greens. hues of Baby Pink, Aqua Blue & Dusty Orange.
Ensemble/Treatment: Long trailing lehenga skirts, liberal use of frills and ruffles, cowl backs, simple velvet ‘barely there’ blouses and texturing through pin-tucking and cutwork. Primary fabrics used were satin, net and lace.
Concept sarees and flouncy multilayered. A collection of white coloured gowns in satin and net.
A line of cocktail gowns, saris, lehengas and long jackets using rich fabrics like tulle, silk, satin, velvet and taffeta. Use of antique laces, pearls, crystals and minimal metallic embellishments at the waist area. Outfits were highlighted by using high ruffled collars, embellished necks, rosette motifs and heavy layering in the bottom.
Models walked in their crystal-studded ‘meringue-like’ gowns, with Doris Day’s Dream A Little Dream of Me playing in the background. Model Joey Matthews opened the show and strutted seductively in a lavish orange gown with metallic silver embroidery at the bodice.
Showstopper: Sonakshi Sinha (in an ivory-white lehenga paired with high-collar white fitted embroidered jacket, which was studded with crystals and silver embroidery.)
Rohit Bal
The Designer’s collection named "Shanti" displayed his signature style - floral motifs in different patterns on the garments. The collection had a rich look with extensive use of zippers.
The colour contrasting palette included whites, golden, blacks, blues and purples. The collection included gowns, jackets, overcoats, lehengas, the red carpeted white gowns, the heavily embroidered Indian fare stole and anarkalis juxtaposed velvet on net, ensembles of lace and embroidery.
Amidst fragrance of jasmine flowers filling up the air and soothing piano symphony creating a special mood, fashion designer Rohit Bal brought down the curtains in a Grand Finale at DCW Everybody was being handed jasmine garlands on the way in. The runway was trimmed with large twiggy structures decorated with jasmine and pots filled with jasmine were placed on the floor. The hall was drenched with the heady scent of jasmine and incense. The theme was ‘Shaanti’ and Krishna was the muse. The collection was a mix of various heavy duty, highly textured fabrics. An incredible use of colour blocking. Crochet and net used widely with appliqué work on silk and net in pops of reds and blues. explicit embroidery.. Cascading skirts in crushed silk, flouncy organza and net, velvet waist skimming corsets and ornate floor grazing jackets made for an exceptional collection. The mens line constituted velvet jackets in royal blues and blacks, long shervanis and jackets with metallic embroidery. The show concluded with a bang as Arjun Rampal walked the ramp as the show stopper and the crowd cheered as both Rohit and Arjun went bananas showering everyone with the aforementioned jasmine. Well, we’re glad it could be of some use.
In a black velvet blazer over black shirt-pant and black shades Arjun Rampal walked the ramp for the designer. 'Show stopper' was written in bold golden letters on Arjun's shirt which he flaunted by taking off his blazer.
At the end, Bal was seen dancing his way down to join the models donning his outfits, and was later joined by Rampal. Both showered jasmine flowers petals on the guests and the models.
Varun Bahl
French – inspired “Marie Antoinette”(“collection inspired by” the bourgeois attire of 18th century Queen of France) as his muse. Bringing back the era of French courtly debauchery in a contemporary interpretation of France''s most celebrated and berated queens.
Borrowing inspiration from the Russian culture, Designer was seen experimenting with his couture collection, emphasizing a fusion of Indian and Russian royalty in terms of fashion keeping the Indian aroma alive with a touch of French royalty. With all focus on romanticism and classic tailoring, designer aimed at designing ornately draped dresses in rich hues, simultaneously paying homage to simplicity which will be well highlighted with detailing in cut and length of the dress, exuding an alluring old world charm and an almost whimsical appeal,
Ensemble/Treatment: Zardozi Lehengas, anarkalis, corset blouses. Elaborate & comprehensive corsets, with power shoulders, lace inserts, drawstring fastening, dipped hem backs, funnel sleeves, beautiful tassels, courtly cuffs, frills & rufflesd signature peplum style jackets. Lavish fabrics like: tulle(air-like), velvet, shimmering damasks ,satin, lace and cascading chiffons, broad necklines, flouncy cascading layers and magnificent sharply tailored majestic velvet jackets. flamboyant lehenga skirts, farshi-pyjamas (palazzo pants). Use of untraditional fabrics, luxurious embroideries. gold appliqué, luxurious furs and silk fabric. Use of multi coloured thread ,embroidery, patch-work, border work, shimmer sarees., lace- bordered paired with full sleeves blouse. Poufy empire-waisted tulle creation & the dramatic-shouldered velvet jacket paired with intricate pistachio lehenga. Embellished tulle skirts crafted in several layers under the outer fabric, with lots of beading and crystal work and embroidery in jewel toned thread. Gowns and intricately embroidered capes with crystals and gems galore, silhouettes and whimsical full skirts, woven in luxe fabrics, heavily adorned stone work, Royal headgears with byzantine influences & Velvet shoes.
Colour Palette consisted of pistachio hues to deep, wines, maroons, golden. bright fuchsias to decadent wines and maroons and glamorous gold’s to pure ivory-whites, cream to pastel greens, pinks, red and blues - and arresting conceptual colour pairing.
The front row was also occupied with Varun’s designer friends like Ritu Kumar, Rohit Bal, Rohit Gandhi-Rahul Khanna, Manav Gangwani and Vijay Arora.
Manish Malhotra
1930s and 1940s English influence was distinct throughout the collection. Drama played a central focus in all the ensembles with ghagaras, lehengas, suits and saris in red, gold and maroon that were offset with cream, white and mint green. The highlight of the show was Sonam Kapoor who walked the ramp in a red and gold embroidered jacket with a white lehenga that is sure to be a hit with brides-to-be.
Ensemble/Treatment: On display were some dazzling net saris, anarkalis, and lehengas in bright contrasting colours like crimson, burgundy, mint green and peacock-blue. He used traditional floral embroideries, zardozi work, semi-precious stones and thick zari borders in his ensembles to bring alive the royal era on the ramp. Huge gota borders, long embroidered net jackets, long sheer kurtas worn with metallic silver pyjamas and anarkalis worn with loose pyjamas. Soft greens, blues and pinks were widely used along with a clever use of colour blocking. The signature crystal tassels and rich embroidered velvet detailing remained intact. Sheer fabrics like georgette and net made several appearances. Men’s Collection - Minimalistic gold silk sherwanis, embroidered scarves and bandh galas paired with white fitted pyjamis,
Adding his signature bling touch to the menswear by using sequins and heavy embroidery at the borders. His specially designed shinny black shoes with golden embroidery matched perfectly with his menswear collection.
Showcased 25 diverse uniquely stylized looks for women and 5 looks for men,
The pre partition era saw a distinct British influence with respect to the dressing of Indian Royalty. The collection - an amalgamation of Tradition and Contemporary will use this influence, inspired from/by the pre-partition era and was an amalgamation of tradition and contemporary (old world charm and majestic opulence of Royalty).
The color story for womens wear in combination of Cherry Reds and Burgundy’s with tones of Mint green, Aqua, and off whites. Menswear: Combinations of Blacks, Burgundys, fawn, Royal Blue, Beiges and Gold.
Show Stopper: Sonam Kapoor opened the show in a long red split-open ornate jacket(accentuated by golden embroidery) paired with a flouncy white/ivory net skirt(lehnga).
His all-time muse, actor Urmila Matondkar, who specially attended the show, looked stunning in an orange silk anarkali designed by Manish.
Manav Gangwani
A Timeless Affaire. With glitter, French lame and sequined fabrics taking centre stage.
Tale of Timeless Journey - interpreted on the ramp using hues of pristine white, canary yellow and flaming oranges. The show started with a haunting din of chimes and clock sounds, and later the props depicting wheels of time, zodiac and universe emerged on the ramp.
Rich fabrics, like gold dust georgette, Italian chiffon, French lace, Chinese silk, velvet and fine tulle to create a glamorous line of gowns, voluminous skirts, flared lehengas, sensuous saris and layered anarkalis. Use of Swarovski crystals, jewelled embroidery and sequins in the outfits, sheer and fine laces.
JJ Valaya
With his interpretation of couture is his collection ‘Tasveer’. After almost two decades of establishing his label, JJ has mastered the art of designing for those with a penchant for variance and an eye for luxury. With an effective use of jamewar, metallic jacquard, resham, paisley and royal and intricate embroidery. JJ has used every possible colour in the palette in the formation of his collection. Padded shoulders, embroidered net, sequined tassels, long embroidered jackets over sarees and skirts, achkans, heavily embroidered lehengas, waist length cholis and ankle grazing skirts worn over fitted pyjamis.
His collection focused on photography and played with colours found in still images. Designer’s love for everything artistic was evident in his collection this season. Camera lenses formed the backdrop(prop-used to create the ambiance with a particular sound of camera reels amidst the music of drum beats and saxophones), which drew its inspiration from the evolving palette of still photography. Through collection, designer introduced himself as a fine art photographer on the opening day of DCW.
Ensembles.Treatment : Saris, lehngas and his signature jacket, Alika all received an opulent treatment in the form of semi-precious stones, resham work and crystals. Beginning with the monochromatic black and white, romanced with the developing colours found in still images, from sepia to hand-stained to eventually, the digital. Saris were given a contemporary twist with smart drapes, long dresses accentuated fluidity in structure. Shimmer belts in his sarees to give a structured look. His last collection had only seen a formal structure of Alika jackets but in this show they have evolved as nicely embellished jackets that can be worn over lehangas and sarees,
Front Row: Designer friends Rohit Gandhi, Rahul Khanna, Manav Gangwani, Rohit Bal, Ritu Beri, along with AD Singh, Shivani Wazir and Amir Pasrich were spotted cheering Valaya.
Presentation was minimal with no Bollywood footfall.
Kotwara by Meera and Muzaffar Ali
presented their collection themed Sama. The mood of the collection remained romantic with the use of earthy pastels on fabrics such as crepe de sheen and chiffon that provided the silhouettes a languid feel. Ikat jackets, farshi ghararas, lehngas, peshwaz & choghas. Sama, the name of Meera-Muzaffar Ali's collection shown, is also the name of their daughter.
Muzaffar Ali dressed in black shirt, Son Murad Ali was on the stage trying to make the audience swoon with English translations of Rumi, while wife Meera, dressed in her husband’s creation, was backstage with the models. Completing the family picture was daughter Sama after whom the collection was named. The designer also used his self made paintings in his creations.
An enticing collection - brought in contemporariness as a gentle rustle, without upsetting the old order of things. A satin bootie, walked in with an traditional red, fussily decked up bridal ensemble, trademark Kotwara chaura pyjamas with kurtis in gota patti. A small nude coloured net frock with black applique among traditional garments.
Anju Modi
Stuck to hues of blue on velvet jackets for the glamourous edge and chiffon to keep the collection romantic and feminine, showcased her couture collection "Maya" – the mythological muse /the ultimate seduction (conjured by the Gods as the goddess of wealth herself & was said to possess the combined material supreme power.) ' celebrating the grandeur of the Mughal epoch. It was there in the royal blue palette infused with ivory, wine and black; the Angrakhas with draped pants; the saris and lehengas crafted from Varanasi brocades, velvets and tissues hand-woveby people from different villages.
Intricate handwork and attention to detail, the collection fell into two parts: Bridal and a Power Play(Red Carpet). The latter was equally effective, especially the lame gold and cream gown worn by Shraddha Kapoor.
Bejeweled, beautified and bespoke Collection incensed with craft, style and grandeur, captured in hues of Blue, Ivory and Maroon. Impossible angrakhas, opulent saris and exaggerated lehengas in magnificent porous fabrics illustrated.
Shraddha Kapoor (in a flouncy bronze and white net gown) walked the ramp for Anju Modi,
Ashima Leena
Voluminous robes and played heavily with subtle colours such as greens and mauves that complimented the zardozi techniques used on the ensembles. The resplendent Sharmila Tagore(in a graceful saree) was the showstopper.
With Amrapali as the Jewellery partner. Distinctly traditional collection - Multi shaded sarees in net, long velvet jackets, asymmetric hemlines on lehengas, peplum style jackets paired with sarees and lace palazzos as a replacement to the conventional ‘salwar’. Black, white and maroon seemed to be the popular colour of choice in the collection. Heavy detailing on the outfits. Saleable and a Wearable collection. The show began with a ‘mujra’. Theme ‘Adaa’ was aptly conservative and put together well.
The colour palette: Family of pinks and other pastels. The petticoat was replaced with ‘Khadi work’ pyjamis, split-open long embroidered jackets worn with the signature ‘dhoti’, nuances of gota work could be seen while silk blend cotton crinkled skirts, gorgeous potlis and bright coloured dupattas trimmed with ghungroos added drama.
Adarsh Gill
Set against a Parisian background, commenced day three at DCW with her debut, the collection included a blend of Western and Indian styles.
Fabric: silk & chiffon, french laces, brocades and georgettes.
Ensemble: Saris and lehengas on one hand, while fitted gowns, mini dresses, cigarette pants, mini dresses and beaded jackets on the other. Flowing silhouettes, short trails and elaborate drapes were used prominently with shimmer, stones and Swarovski elements. Embroideries & techniques like zardozi & hand knitting,
Colour palette ranged from orange, red, purple, green, pink and beige.
Models (a balance of Indian and international models) accessorised with ethnic jewellery and matching clutches. Hair was tied loosely in a bun giving a slight messy look from behind.
Primarily a contemporary collection, it largely consisted of monotone sarees in georgette and lace, sequinned trailing gowns in net and organza, ornate lehengas, evening dresses, shrugs and trousers and a generous use of sequins and Swarovski elements. Modern take on the traditional lehenga with muted full-sleeved, front clasp, waist long jackets paired with heavy embellished skirts. The colour palette ranged from bold oranges to green, pinks and purple to metallic silver and gold. Details of ruching, tassels and feathers added more interest.
Front Row: Flanked with Zayed Khan and Fardeen Khan along with his wife.
Gaurav Gupta
A white stage flanked by magic mushrooms suggestive of an Alice in Wonderland theme. Lights off, psychedelic tune and the show begins. Models entered wearing plastic antlers in ruched lace bodysuits and flouncy gowns made in net with satin inserts. The colour palette remained white and subsequently shifted to powder pinks and blues. Long drapes and sari-like form added an ‘Indian’ element to the gowns. Almost suddenly the colours became brighter and an army of bold reds and orange seized the runway. Remodelling of the form and ‘nip and tuck’ could be seen in the outfits however the embroidery was minimal. Lace (clearly not the best quality at that), net and satin remained the popular fabrics in the collection. Colour palette shifted to golden, nudes, whites, silver and finally citrus yellows and lime greens. Peplum style jackets, fishtail skirts, Jodhpur trousers suggested a merger of tradition and modern. Most of the collection did not seem very saleable. After all, not many people would be comfortable wearing a white ruched net jumpsuit. Although the concepts were laudable, sadly they were not followed through till the end.
Abundance of lace and embellishment. Ranging from draped to fitted silhouettes and flared bottoms, the designer showcased saris, lehengas and theatrical gowns. Transition from ivories to pinks on satins and nets.
Drapes, a lot of experimental embroideries. Indian silhouettes by thinning definitions and notions.
Imaginative, romantic themes inspired by a fantastical world of ethereal fairy inhabitants in lost woods. Also mystical, magical creatures of the deep marine.
Keywords
*Sama - A moment/time, (Arabic "listening") refers to Sufi worship practices and in Uyghur culture includes a dance form also originally associated with Sufi ritual.(In Japanese honorifics) is a markedly more respectful version. It is used mainly to refer to people much higher in rank than oneself, toward one's customers, and sometimes toward people one greatly admires. When used to refer to oneself, sama expresses extreme arrogance (or self-effacing irony), as with ore-sama (???, "my esteemed self"), (Sanskrit word meaning "same", "equal"): harmony, equality. Tranquility or control of mind. Calmness. This is the ability to keep the mind within and unaffected by the external world.
*Ahoy - Greeting, warning & Farewell.
*Epoch - a reference date, period,event, condition, or criteria
*Resplendent - Attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous, To shine brightly. A kind of splendiferous native simplicity.
*Berate/Berated - Scold or criticize (someone) angrily, To chide or scold vehemently; to lecture or rate , (berating) a severe rebuke.
*Debauchery - Indulgence in sensual pleasures; scandalous activities involving sex, alcohol, or drugs without inhibition; Seduction from duty, (debauched) corrupted; immoral; self-indulgent, debauched - to lead away from virtue or excellence, to corrupt by sensuality or intemperance, or to seduce from chastity. Depravity, Decadence, Dissipation and Dissolution
*Grandeur - The quality or state/condition of being grand, magnificent,impressive or awesome.
*Amalgamation - the process of combining or uniting multiple entities into one form.
