FDCI India Couture Week Day 2: Odes to gypsy brides and courtesans

Sufi Kathak dancer Manjari Chaturvedi performs at the India Couture Week 2016 in New Delhi on Thursday night. (Photo: AP)

Fashion designers Tarun Tahiliani and Anita Dongre showcased their collections on Day 2 at the FDCI India Couture Week. This was the first time both the designers were presenting their collections at the platform ever since the event shifted to the capital in 2010.

Anita Dongre showcased the free-spirited bride taking inspiration from the world of gypsies in her collection “Epic Love” while the Indian courtesan inspired Tarun Tahiliani’s collection.

Anita mesmerised the audience with her bright, gota patti lehengas teamed with bohemian blouses. The runway was recreated into a plush garden of a Rajasthani palace. She presented a luxury bohemian collection representing the new-age bride, where the chintz-inspired prints brought alive a Mughal garden in its full bloom. “Our muse, the young gypsy princess, is free-spirited and yet embraces tradition in her own special way. Traditional styles like the lehenga choli and sari are reinvented in contemporary silhouettes,” she said.

The colour palette was golden infused with hues of cream, rusts, browns, reds and pink and muted blue. The collection had the ethnic, rustic and soothing look. Music producer Gaurav Raina’s melodious blend of Indian classical and folk with electronic music set an earthy background while the vintage-inspired saris, long skirts, different styles of blouses, dupattas, achkans and kurtas for men displayed elegance wrapped in tradition. The designer said, “The idea was to transport the audience into a luxurious Rajasthan palace garden with the sheer grandeur of the architectured set with the playful jhulla, pink bougainvillaea, water fountain and the famed hand-done thikri craft.”

Veteran fashion designer Tarun Tahiliani closed the second day of the five-day fashion gala with grandeur and elegance with his collection “Last dance of the courtesan”. He paid tribute to the highest bastions of culture, poetry, dance and finesse with this collection. The show commenced and ended with a performance by Sufi Kathak dancer Manjari Chaturvedi, who donned a peach-pink lehenga choli and dupatta embellished in Swarovski. Tahiliani’s collection included panelled jackets, voluminous skirts, concept saris, lehengas interspersed with French knots and floral embroidery blouses. The colour palette included ombre, yellows, blues, oranges, reds and pinks on fabrics like sushi voile, georgette, cotton jacquard, cotton silks, crepes and cutwork jamdanis to create light and breezy styles in draped forms. Speaking about the collection, the Sufi Kathak dancer said, “The way Tarun brought in an old tradition in a modern format was spectacular. The courtesans themselves were style icons.”