Septum rings meet boxer braids, as Manish Malhotra metaphorically finds new ground with a little help from the colour red
By Asmita Aggarwal
Peek-a-boo net veils, heaving bosoms, beaming brides, flying trails, imposing silver chests, antique tables, and 60s chandeliers, lit with dimming candles is quintessential Manish Malhotra with Kriti Sanon in a bathtub complete with rose petals in Nooraniyat! Could there have been a better start to the second digital edition of the FDCI India Couture Week 2021.
The NextGen bride is the one who wants to enjoy every moment of her wedding which includes indulging in a little jig in her crimson lehenga or the playful gaze she gives you probably looking for some fun, just before she leaves to face an intimate gathering, each slide of his film captured the emotions of that day, when you cross the threshold to find a partner, hopefully for life.
What makes Manish Malhotra inimitable is his love for North Indian roots, reflected in his choice of folksy songs peppered with some fusion notes, the unabashed use of scarlet, polki chokers, emerald maang tikkas, pearl haath phools, and of course Bollywood long-legged dreamboat Sanon riding high on the success of Mimi.
If his star-studded Instagram is anything to go by, Manish Malhotra knows the younger generation is now his next big catch. And the only thing that the pandemic has taught this growing number in Indias population chart is how to effectively use social media, a potent tool to their benefit. Thus comes the need for a galaxy of stars, who not just wear an MM but also steadily endorse it giving him a huge playing field in a burgeoning market competing for both value-for-money, versatility without compromising on the glamour quotient.
Interestingly, what made his film even more special was not just the deluxe Leela Hotel in Delhi his permanent residence, when he comes visiting, but his intrepid choice of featuring Noyonika Chatterjee, the beautiful face, missing of late, who effortlessly manages to light up the runway. She is the bride who is getting a second chance at love and the altar with full support of her family.
The inclusive line featured Sakshi Sindwani as well as his signature mirror frame inspired cholis, roses tied around waif-thin wrists, or the two brothers walking their sister to the pheras sharing a joke. Each emotion found a descriptive narrative from wistful to joyful as well as irreverent with Sanon and her septum nose ring declaring freedom from convention but still respecting tradition.
Manishs legion of devotees include the young brigade from Sara Ali Khan to Jahnvi Kapoor ranging to the late Sridevi and Kareena Kapoor but what many dont know is that the teetotaller lives a super disciplined life, with work becoming his fervent outlet for creativity.
Pearls as tassels, gotta Patti, boxer braids and ornate matha-pattis, Manish never abandoned his love for glitter embedded Badla embroidery, his constant companion Zari as well as the whole nine yards in terms of making the bride sparkle on her D Day without once thinking about the new wave everyone is riding of — lightweight or pleasing pastels.