Bollywood superstar, avalanche of sequins, jazz crooner think Nat Cole King, crystal bustiers, Falguni-Shane Peacock made sure, everything glittered at ICW 2025. But you can wear your boyfriend’s denims with a pussy bow blouse and sequinned tunic they informed us!
By Asmitaa Aggarwaal
Remember a sitar maestro sitting in a lotus last year with the delicious Vicky Kaushal giving us increased heart beats? That’s Falguni and Shane Peacock, this time too for ICW 2025, the imposing set, looked straight out of a garden in Italy, with two giant white peacocks (befitting) in the middle. And of course, in this heady mix was Akshay ‘Khiladi’ Kumar, in dark glasses and all the right moves, thankfully he did not pull off a gravity defying stunt, but did bend down on his knees, giving us a taste of his usual irreverent fun! He spoke in Hindi, and admitted he is ramp walking after years, almost 12, “mini show but lots of hard work goes on behind it,” exclaimed Akshay.
FSP had men with diamond danglers, capes in ink blue were larger-than-life; women flaunting faux feather boas, an avalanche of sequins, it was as if everything was crystallised. They skilfully combined their two loves– sequinned women perched on two stone peacocks, zardosi feathers languidly sprawling on lehengas, if you switch off the lights you can see an FSP outfit from afar.
It makes us believe too much shine is never enough, in this invasion of an army of glitter were delicate pearl trimmed veils.The favourite undoubtedly was Archana Akhil Kumar in high waisted boyfriend jeans worn with a fully sequinned tunic and white pussy bow blouse which will soon become everyone’s go it-multiplicity of use. In FSP style, the glowing brooch clinched the tunic as models wore multiple mogra braids, the smell wafting through the Taj Palace Hall.
“The way FSP presents themselves is purely international, but it’s made in India. I hope I get another chance to do this again, as I feel royal in my white sherwani,” Akshay added. Shane, with hints of blue in his beard, told us he had investigated so many minute details, but the show stopper was the most important one.
Live music always has its advantages—and fashion show veteran singer Vasundhara Vee with a booming voice took charge (she has done shows with Ashish Soni, Ravi Bajaj, FDCI, Sabyasachi). Vee crooned jazz as La Vie En Rose (Edith Piaf), Dream a little dream of me (Doris Day), At Last (Etta James), A Thousand Years (Christina Perri), and L-O-V-E (Nat King Cole) made sure the hints of woven saris got a fleeting representation in an otherwise tornado of embellishments.
Singing for the last 30 years the Assamese artist, studied at LSR, English (hons), grandchild of Pramathesh Chandra actor, director, and screenwriter of the 50s, who made the original “Devdas”. “Arts were a part of my family, Pratima Barua Pandey an Indian folk singer from the royal family of Gauripur, Western Assam’s Dhubri district, was my grandma. I think I inherited the love for tunes from her,” she smiles.
Though when you sing love on tracks there are challenges versus when you are with a band, where you can tune and keep up the flow. “Pace of models changes, so you must make sure you are in tandem. I enjoy how fashion interacts with music, even though I have always been self-conscious, I did enjoy wearing the FSP shrug,” she concludes.