The Empress Story by Manish Malhotra

Manish Malhotra, AICW 2015. Photography: FDCI

With this collection, Manish Malhotra celebrated 10 years of his couture house and 25 years as a costume designer for the Indian film industry. His Bollywood fan club was out in full support on the night, generations of stars and super stars sitting in front row, the paparazzi going wild.

Manish Malhotra, AICW 2015. Photography: FDCI

As if these two fantastic milestones weren’t enough to celebrate, demonstrating that good things come in three’s, Manish Malhotra announced that two new flagship boutiques would open in 2016, one in London and the other in Dubai. Both world class shopping

Rohit Bal’s Birds of Paradise

Rohit Bal, AICW 2015. Photography: FDCI

Through The Cinematic Lens with Debarun

Debarun, AICW 2015. Photography: Mashungsang Sangkhro

Debarun Mukherjee’s couture collection embarked on a journey through Indian cinematic costume through the decades from the black and white days of the 1930s to the present time. Of course, little has changed in hundreds of years of traditional Indian fashion let alone a few decades. Colours and trims come in and out of fashion

The Beloved by Manav Gangwani

Manav Gangwani, AICW 2015. Photography: Mashungsang Sangkhro

Indian couturier, Manav Gangwani’s show was entitled ‘Le’amoureuse’ or the beloved in English. He really should have stuck with English as the French is grammatically incorrect and has, incidentally, been widely re-printed with the same error across other media. I know this is a fashion review not a French lesson but if you’re going to have pretensions, at least Google your French.

Back to the collection… The show was set in a floral garden with a long winding catwalk. An hour late, the audience had to wait longer

Maharadja & Co

Rimple and Harpreet Narula, AICW 2015, Photography: FDCI

‘Maharadja & Co’ was the title of the Preciosa (Czec crystals) sponsored glamorous couture show by Rimple and Harpreet Narula. Celebrating the days and glory of the Raj is the essence of Rimple and Harpreet Narula’s brand (although every Indian designer invariably cites the same inspiration).

Rimple and Harpreet have endeavored to capture the very beginnings of the concepts of bespoke and portraiture in India with

Princesses of Persia

Anju Modi, AICW 21015. Photography: FDCI

Anju Modi’s show notes included a poem by my favourite Sufi poet, Rumi so I was won over from the start:

I asked, “Where is your home, beautiful moon?”

She said, “In the wreck of your heart so stone.

I am the sun shining into your ruin.

Long may you call this wild wasteland your home”.

Inspired by Persia, the show was entitled Kashish: an Urdu word, reflects an attraction, a deep desire and yearning for something; something which maybe never was. Well English words don’t mean so much do they?

Gaurav Gupta’s Nymphs & Goddesses

Gaurav Gupta, AICW 2015. Photography: Mashungsang Sangkhro

Amazon India Couture Week 2015 might be the show in which Gaurav Gupta got his mojo back after a pretty bad pret collection. The show was called ‘Silt and Cipher’ with models glamorously made up to resemble woodland nymphs and goddesses. The golden hair was amazing!

Rahul Mishra’s Couture Debut

 

 

Rahul Mishra, AICW 2015, Photography: FDCI

International Woolmark prize winner, Rahul Mishra has his Indian couture debut yesterday. His collection was aimed at the contemporising the bridal trousseau for the busy, multi-tasking, modern woman/bride and was inspired by the tree of life.

Sabyasachi Opens Amazon India Couture Week 2015

Calcutta based extraordinary couturier, Sabyasachi opened Amazon India Couture Week in glorious fashion. The designer’s trademark indulgent yet sophisticated designs and his meticulously details catwalk stage was inspired this season by India’s most common hunting bird, a ‘Bater’.

Sabyasachi, AICW 2015. Photography: Mashungsang Sangkhro