Remember when Big and Carrie got married in Sex And The City? The second attempt, that is…the understated but elegant vintage outfit and small registry…That is the opposite of what was on offer for the gal that nothing short of fairytale and fantasy would do. Both Ashima Leena and Rohit Bal showed bridal collections for princess brides albeit from slightly different inspirational eras.
One of the few Indian designers that can include mega international celebrities on his client list, Rohit Bal’s bridal collection was entitled The Mulmul Masquerade. Mulmul in bridal wear? Mulmul is a superfine cotton voile which is best hand woven. Although cotton is now a humble plant fibre of relatively low value, in the ancient world of Greek and Roman empires mulmul was the textile of superior choice by emperors and aristocracy. The Romans used to refer to imported superfine mulmul from India as ‘woven wind’ or ‘woven air’. In fact mulmul was bought in such vast quantities by Rome that it was cited as a major reason for the depletion of Rome’s capital reserves!
Rohit Bal’s second inspiration for his couture bridal collection was the Elizabethan era: an era of sublime elegance and luxurious opulence. The collection balanced the lightness of the mulmul with structured corsets, Elizabethan collars and lashings of luxurious silk velvet embroidered by the nimble hands of India and Kashmir’s talented craftsmen.
At Ashima Leena Mughal India, historic Chandni Chowk and majestic architecture inspired the bridal offerings. The show began with models draped in subtle dhoti style sarees in the hues of light beige and dull gold and then moved on to juicy tomato red and burnt orange styles embroidered and ornamented in matte gold which sparkled in the light.
The hair and accessories looked more of an after thought and didn’t quite finish the Mughal look with the polish one has come to expect from such an inspiration.
Bubbly
The Chatterjis Blog 