Tarun Tahilianis homage to Indian weddings came in the form of star gazing with celestial bodies like Chantilly lace, diaphanous drapes and a shower burst of Swarovski crystals.
By Asmita Aggarwal
What happens when you study at Wharton, Pennsylvania and then realise you are tailored for something creative rather than the quest for balancing someone elses profit and loss sheets, you become Tarun Tahiliani, so you hop over to the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York and decide to decipher the honeycomb world of design.
So his 25 or more year-long journey in fashion is marked by his love for paintings, few know he paints intimate portraits and is a voracious reader, and he is undoubtedly one of the most well-read fashion designers you will ever encounter, so you can discuss with him not just the new documentary on Tunisian guru Azzedine Alaia, but also the state of Bihar and the strife in Kashmir or the relevance of aartis at the ghats of Banaras and that what makes Tarun, truly special.
Therefore, his larger-than-life avatar can be seen in his grand sets too, which on the third day of the ICW 2017, witnessed a dark forest, crystal hangings, a pond with recreated dried leaves and of course, it had to start with fireworks, so there was smoke and the concealed lights were turned on revealing an entourage that was rather overt than covert. And then as they say, let the games begin… embroidered slip ons, draped skirts which are his specialty, nifty carnations embroidered on constructed black jackets with hints of gold emerged.
The new black has abandoned white and got a new lover, this year it was gold, as bridal wear also flaunted rose-embroidered capes with golden tassels. Models wore jewelled hair bands as tresses were ironed out keeping makeup minimal, with a Greek Goddess appeal, which was accentuated by gold tipped heels and emerald drops earrings along with glittering minaudieres. Tarun and his showmanship were not restricted to his love for Swarovski, but also the finest Chantilly lace that played truant under tulle gowns.
And this fleeting appearance was also seen with the inventive kaleera-shaped (or in fashion parlance resembling the Russian Faberge egg) bejewelled bags and Chaand balis that were a perfect accompaniment to the half-velvet-half-georgette style saris that rustled among the leaves as models took the runway.
In the more than 35 piece show, Tarun also included Mumtaz-style olive-hued saris with net sleeves that sparkled under the archlights creating a night sky motif where stars glinted as darkness swept over. You know my mom was a really elegant (shaukeen) lady and she died young. I get this love for luxury from her, Tarun had once remarked.
The son of Gandhian Admiral Tahiliani, Tarun understands every curve of a womans body thats why whether it was Lucknows delicate chikankari, or the cracked mirror work on the borders of lehengas or tone-on-tone rendition, one thing is established, his long lasting love affair with bling is not ending soon.
His menswear too was all black, with just whispers of Parsi embroidery on the high collars of sherwanis, as white cotton kurtas along with Nehru caps, patent leather Oxfords and peeping pocket squares kept it austere but impactful. Was the line revolutionary, no, but was it within the designers comfort zone, yes, as he did what he knows best—- make you shine like the North star and that should be enough for most!