India Couture Week: Connecting past grandeur with the colours of today

The Indian Couture Week 2017 organised by Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) was concluded on 30th July in the capital. This year, the event celebrated its tenth birthday and hence focused on the grandeur and glamour that flows through the veins of the Indian fashion industry. The event showcased 14 of the most coveted designers in the business. The runways were picturesque and the venues lavish.

The first day showcased Anamika Khanna’s luxury collection called Happily Ever After. The designer cited the traditional Indian marital rituals as the drive behind her designs. What made her distinct from the rest was that rather than having a batch of models, she displayed her collection as installation pieces. Like museums, the guests took a stroll along the mannequins to take a look at the collection.

Rohit Bal’s collection, Shaahaan-e-Khaas was clearly inspired by the Mughal era. The designer wanted to revive the beauty of all the pieces we today see locked in museums and give them relevancy in the 21st century. Clad in all black, Arjun Rampal closed the show.

“The first day was the perfect beginning to the week. It was clear that both the designers had put months of hard work into the show, be it in terms of the outfits, décor, music etc. Anamika’s creativity in terms of delivery really blew us away. She really took an extra mile this time’’, said Meeta Gulati, a fashion designer from Gurgaon, and a regular attendee of fashion shows.

The second day witnessed the magic of fashion woven by Manav Gangwani’s show, India @ 70. The designer impressively juxtaposed styles like Bandhani and brocade, and Kathakali and Kashmiri Jamawar.

Debutants Shyamal & Bhumika displayed their designs the following day. They, too, played with bridal wear, creating complete trousseaus influenced by the Victorian era. The show was called Princess Soiree. However, the guests complained that the designs became boring and repetitive. “There were elements in the show which seemed to bore those present. It was clear that the designers didn’t have something ground breaking to offer. However, credit should be given to them since it was their first show at ICW, and for that they managed very well,” says Pooja Chinchikar, a Delhi based designer and stylist.

The final show of the night was by the iconic Tarun Tahiliani. Tahiliani has long been an unofficial ambassador of Indian fashion both at home and abroad, so, this time too, his collection was a massive success. The collection Tarakanna took afflatus from the night sky. The colossal collection of 85 pieces introduced some unfamiliar, darker tones to the usually bright vermillion and orange shades worn by brides. Pointing out Tahiliani’s creativity, Pooja said, “Tarun is known for his vision and his creativity. Even as an industry veteran, he is continuously reinventing himself. Darker shades as bridal wear? Who would think that. But Tarun managed to bring the ludicrous idea to life.”

On the 4th day, Anju Modi’s Sunehri Koti was an ode to the Kishangarh School of Art. The outfits inculcated the traditional Rajasthani veils or ghunghats. Paarizaad, by Rahul Mishra was influenced by Persian, Roman and Byzantine architecture.

Monisha Jaising exhibited her Opera inspired collection the next day, which had an interesting mix of evening dresses with Indian elements. However, some pieces looked very similar to her own designs in the past. The colours, silhouettes, cut looked very familiar to past runway shows by the same.

Varun Bahl’s Nouveau inspired collection had an interesting blend of colours which looked pleasing to the eyes. The outfits were presented in a way such that at first, lighter, creamier shades were put forward, followed by a gradual increase in warmth of the hues. With intricate needlework, overlapping and delicate layering, the show was a favourite of many.

Anita Dongre displayed her collection Tree Of Love on the sixth day and paid homage to the Bishnoi community. Many of her items were created in collaboration with the organisation SEWA. Gaurav Gupta presented his collection called Moondust. Using precision cuts, drapes, layering and colours of the murky night, Gupta won hearts of all the attendees. His collection also used glass beads and mother of pearl sequins, which added another dimension to the clothing.

As the week received the perfect closure in form of Manish Malhotra’s collection, Sensual Affair. The king of Indian Fashion, Manish had already created a great hype for his show. The show was extravagant and glamorous. The colours were cool, yet dark. The subtle décor of the runway made the clothes look even better. “The clothing, the décor, the drama… Manish always has tricks up his sleeves. We’re all waiting for the collection to hit stores. Everyone seemed to gasp at the sheer beauty of the outfits as soon as the how started. My favourites were the burgundy and gold lehengas.” said Dimple Behl, a jewellery designer from Delhi.

Superstars Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh closed the show adding their own glamour to it.